TRAINING OF GROUND ENGINEERS

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21909, 9 October 1936, Page 18

TRAINING OF GROUND ENGINEERS

ASSISTANCE SOUGHT BY AERO CLUBS

(PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) NEW PLYMOUTH. October 8. “While a great deal has been done In New Zealand to encourage aviation by the provision of aerodromes and the subsidising of training pilots, one Important factor has been overlooked —the training of ground engineers. Unless this matter is given immediate attention, the progress of aviation in New Zealand will be seriously retarded.” This was the view expressed to-day by Mr S. Nielson, secretary of th*» New Zealand Aero Club. Mr Nielson said that all the training of groud engineers at present was done by aero clubs at their own expense. As nearly every engineer who trained would leave the clubs either for service or for commercial aviation, a widespread opinion had grown that the training of youths as ground engineers should be subsidised by the Government. The Minister for Defence (the Hon. P, Jones) had already aaid that he recognised the importance of this class of training. No doubt he would be able to make provision.

He understood that aero clubs a* present were making representations for some assistance in the training of youths to the standard where they would be capable of doing all classes of repairs to all types of machines.