AIR TRAINING

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20990, 18 December 1939, Page 8

AIR TRAINING

EMPIRE SCHEME DETAILS APPROVED CANADA AS CENTRE DOMINION TO TRAIN PILOTS (By Telegraph.—Press Association) WELLINGTON, Monday Agreement has been reached by the Governments of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand on the co-operative Empire air training scheme. Details were under discussion for several weeks at Ottawa, and have since been approved by the Governments concerned. “ The purpose of the plan, as will be recalled,’’ said the Prime Minister, the Right Hon. M. J. Savage to-day, “ is to achieve by co-operative effort within the British Commonwealth, air forces of a strength so overwhelming as to defeat any possible enemy attack. The many and varied details of a plan of the magnitude purposed have necessarily been subject to prolonged and careful scrutiny. The plan agreed upon will achieve a steadily increasing output of pilots, observers and air gunners, and will also enable the four countries to meet the greatly increasing requirements of trained personnel for their respective air forces. “ The air training programmes of the several countries have been so co-ordinated that advantage may be taken of their existing establishments, and in particular of the special facilities and great natural advantages for air training and the production of aircraft possessed by the Dominions. “ The development of the plan will ensure that extensive air training schools are established throughout the British Commonwealth, with Canada as the principal centre. “Schools for pilots will be set up in all the participating Domnions. Schools for air observers, wireless operators and air gunners will be set up in Canada and Australia. “ Canadian, New Zealand and some Australian pilots will be trained at Canadian flying schools. “Pupils from the United Kingdom and Newfoundland will be sent for flying training to Canada, where some Australian and New Zealand personnel will also receive their advanced flying course.”

“ It was realised in the course of the conference,” said Mr Savage, “ that training facilities in Australia and New Zealand could be expanded quickly so as to render them capable of training a larger personnel than was needed to maintain the air forces of the two countries. It was agreed that the facilities which could be made available for training in excess of local needs would be used to train Australians and New Zealanders for service overseas in furtherance of the common cause.” All Possible Speed “The training in both Australia and New Zealand will be confined to their own pupils, 4 ’ the Pirme Minister continued. “An outstanding feature ot the plan is the programme of joint tinning in Canada, administered by the Canadian Government. The training for the Royal Canadian Air Force will be merged with this joint training programme. "Steps are being taken to ensure that the plan as regards both the training of personnel and the provision of the aircraft required will be brought into full operation with all possible speed.” Mr Savage said that details of the Air training scheme in so far as it affected New Zealand, and a description of New Zealand’s war effort in the air would be given later by the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones. “In a short time,” concluded the Prime Minister, “many thousands of young men from different parts ot the British Commonwealth will be working and training side by side in the cause to which they and their count’*. V. have devoted themselves. “With the completion of these negotiations, the world has once more been given stirring proof of the manner in which the members of the British Commonwealth of Nations are determined to co-operate with each other and with their Allies to the full, to ensure that the great causes for which they are contending shall prevail.”