TRAINING IN HARVARDS

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31974, 29 April 1969, Page 14

TRAINING IN HARVARDS

Wigrain Still To Be Used The Royal New Zealand Air Force will not use a satellite airfield away from Wigram for Harvard training. The Minister of Defence (Mr Thomson) has announced that ■the Air Board considers that such an operation would not be practicable. He said that the R.N.Z.A.F. had been considering ways of reducing the noise of aircraft using Wigram and a thorough investigation had been made into the feasibility of having some of the flying training done at another airfield. The Air Board had made its decision after examining all the possible sites and taking into account the operating conditions, manpower, and facilities required. The Minister had called for a report on both immediate and long-term ways of reducing noise from Wigram after he received representations from the member of Parliament for Riccarton (Mr M. A.i Connelly) on behalf of the Paparua County Council. The chairman of the Paparua County Council (Mr D. H. Warren) said, after learning of the Air Board's decision, that his council would; ask for more negotiations in the matter. He felt it was a most unhelpful reply to> people looking for improveI ment. In an earlier letter to Mr Connelly, Mr Thomson said that the possibility of modifying the Harvard propeller to reduce noise was also being studied