TRAINED PILOTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 1, 1 July 1939, Page 10

TRAINED PILOTS

FOR ROYAL AIR FORGE

PAYMENTS TO DOMINION

An annual sterling payment of £374,000 will be made to the j^ew Zealand Government as a result of th« Government's proposal to x send hometrained pilots to seive^with the Royal Air Force at the rate*of 220 a year, as indicated by the Minister of Defence (the Hon. F. Jones) on Thursday. Mr. Jones said yesterday that New Zealand would receive £1700 sterling for each trained pilot,sent to England, instead of the allowance of £ 1550 ruling at present

"The maximum number; of '.-pilots:we will send overseas when we get the whole of our arrangements ready will be 220 a year,". Mr. Jones said. "The second flying training school at Blenheim will be functioning fully by Sep* tember.next year. By December next year we will: have sent 150 pilots to England, and thereafter we will send them at the rate of 220 a (year. "We will train 140 pilots a year at both Blenheim and Wigram. "A total of 220 of these 280 young men after eight months' training will go. to the Old Country, arid /the rest will be further trained for our own requirements 'in New Zealand. Till, of course, we [get both Wigram and Blenheim fully developed, 'we .cannot increase to the maximum." '•'. - ' :.

The Minister explained that the Government was already obtaining instructors from England; and these officers would take a share of the work of training the young flyers under the expanded scheme; The Government was also offering engagement to some of the members of the Royal Air Force who, in company with New Zealanders sent to England for the purpose, would fly to the Dominion the 30 Vfckers Wellington long-range bombers' on order. •''. '..'.V. ;: ' •■'■':■■ ; v'".;;>-' /:'

The/vacancy caused by the early de? parture for; England of Group-Captain L. M. Isitt, Air Board member for personnel, will be filled by (the temporary appointment of; SquadronLeader E. G. Olson, till recently} officer commanding the Royal New Zealand Air Force base at Hobsonville. Squadron-Leader Olson has already arrived in Wellington. . ■-. '