AIR TRAINING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 October 1939, Page 6

AIR TRAINING

-- —.... i GOOD PROGRESS BEING MADE. , SURVEY BY DEFENCE MINISTER, j (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Discussing the effort New Zealand is making in training flying personnel for the Royal Air Force, the Minister of Defence, Mr Jones, said very satisfactory progress had been made and the progress of expansion to provide the necessary training aerodromes and maintenance personnel was well in hand. Already a recruit training ground had been formed at Ohakea and a No 1 elementary flying training school had been formed at the Taieri Aerodrome, Dunedin, and would commence training next Monday. Pupils for early entry had been drawn from those candidates selected prior to the war for short service commissions in the Royal Air Force and from members of the Civil Reserve of Pilots.

A central organisation had been formed to deal with further applications and a selection board was being appointed to visit the main centres soon and commence interviewing some 1800 candidates. This task should be’ completed before the end of the year. Every effort was being made to increase the present rate of entry of 66 to 100 per month by February. Mr Jones said the top age limit for pilots was still 27 years. Air observers may now be accepted up to the age of thirtv-two.