13 Pilots Graduate From Wigram School

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31226, 25 November 1966, Page 14

13 Pilots Graduate From Wigram School

Graduate pilots who were ambitious enough to go to the top in the Royal New Zealand Air Force would have small chance if they only concentrated on flying, said Air Commodore P. P.

O’Brien at the Wigram

base yesterday. He suggested to the 13 men of the No. 43 aircrew course to whom he had presented brevets, that it was just as important to be an experienced staff officer as it was to be an experienced aircrew officer.

The Royal New Zealand Air Force needed men at the top who could think, speak and write on a wide range of subjects, often very far removed from the technicalities of flying. Air Commodore O’Brien, the Deputy Chief of Defence Staff, will retire from the service at the end of this month.

Twenty-five years ago he had graduated from Wigram, he said. “One very great dif-

ference between then and now is the standard of training. The Air Force puts a lot of effort into training its pilots and I would say that man for man you are far more competent than I was when trained here.” Air Commodore O’Brien said he hoped that the spirit and traditions of Wigram would be an inspiration to the graduates. After the parade five Harvards of the Central Flying School, under the leadership of Flight Lieutenant T. S. Lambert, gave a 15-minute aerobatic display. It was the first associated with a graduation parade for several years.

Air Commodore O’Brien presented trophies and brevets to the following graduates: Merton Sword of Honour, Pilot Officer R. J. D. Lamont: De Lange Flying Trophy, Pilot Officer Lamont; Astrolabe Trophy, Pilot Officer G. S. Gray; Armament Trophy, Pilot Officer V. J. Dore. Distinguished passes, Pilot Officers Lamont, Temuka: D. J. Comber, Christchurch; J. H. Seward (navigator), Featherston. Passes, Pilot Officers I. G. Brunton, Woodville; R. A. Cross, Auckland; V. J. Dore, Mataura; L. H. Ehrler, South Taranaki; K. D. Harford, Nelson; G. A. McCullough (navigator), Henderson; P. T. Waller, Auckland; A. R. Marbeck, Auckland; Longchik, Malaysia; G. S. Gray (navigator), Wanganui.