AIR PILOTS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 September 1938, Page 7

AIR PILOTS

TRAINING BY CLUBS. MEASURES OF GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) HASTINGS, September 5. An intimation that the Air Department would be recommending to Cabinet that a two-year arrangement be entered into by the Government with aero clubs in New Zealand for the training of a civil reserve and Royal Air Force pilots was given by Mr T. E. O’Dowd, president of the Royal New Zealand Aero Club, in an interview today. Mr O’Dowd returned to Hastings during the weekend after a conference with officials of the department in Wellington regarding the future policy to be adopted in training pilots for defence purposes. Associated with Mr O’Dowd were members of a special sub-committee of the New Zealand Aero Club which was given authority to make an arrangement with the Government.

The purpose of the conference, said Mr O’Dowd, was to discuss the question of the renewal of the present agreement, which had been in force for two months, and which had now just lapsed. Under this agreement aero clubs in New Zealand trained pilots for the civil reserve and the Royal Air Force, and the Government met the cost of training operations, the idea being for clubs to train pilots and build up a reserve for defence purposes. “The department has agreed to recommend to Cabinet that a fresh arrangement be entered into with clubs, the period being two years and the terms very much along the lines of the previous agreement,” said Mr O’Dowd. “Under this arrangement clubs are to train 100 pilots each year for the civil reserve and 50 pilots for the Air Force. Training will be entirely free of cost to trainees. The Government will meet the cost involved along the lines adopted previously. “The question of the supply of machines to clubs was fully discussed,” continued Mr O’Dowd, “and the department is to recommend the appropriation of £15,000 for this year. An arrangement was entered into whereby the Government would supply a limited number of machines which would be purchased by clubs as required and paid for out of funds received for the training of pupils, the period of purchase being three years.

“Another matter discussed with departmental officers was the question of another club. To date eleven aero clubs are officially recognised by the Government, but as the result of the conference the department has agreed to the establishment of another aero club district embracing the Waikato and Bay of Plenty districts. “Provided that each of the aero clubs trains its quota of pupils for the civil reserve and Royal Air Force, the Government has intimated that it is prepared to make a grant of £4OO yearly to clubs during the period of the arrangement,” said Mr O’Dowd. “This subsidy will be in addition to the payment of costs involved in the training of pilots.”