EMPIRE AIR SCHEME

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 145, 16 December 1939, Page 14

EMPIRE AIR SCHEME

AUSTRALIA'S PART

HUGE PLAN ANNOUNCED

10,000 PILOTS

TRAINING IN COMMONWEALTH

(Daventry Broadcast.) LONDON, Friday Night. Australia is to train 26,000 airmen as her part of the Empire air scheme. No fewer than 10,400 will j be pilots, and 15,600 will be ob-i servers, wireless operators, and gunners. The capital expenditure of the scheme is estimated at £20,000,000, and the maintenance will cost £15,000,000 a year. This huge effort was announced today by the Australian Prime Minister (Mr. R. G. Menzies). Originally all airmen from overseas were to be trained in Canada as part of the Empire air scheme, but to simplify matters Australia is lo train most of her men at home. Australia will provide all aircraft for elementary training, but Great Britain will pay half, the cost of the engines. Australia will also provide most of the aircraft for intermediate training, but Britain will contribute to the cost. For advanced training machines will be provided free of cost to Australia by Britain. To cope with this huge increase there are to be 34 additional flying schools in Australia, and extra instructors will go out from Britain. In their training the men will be assisted by Australia. The men will be attached to the R.A.F., but the identity of the Australian units when they get to Europe will be preserved as far as possible. After leaving home the men will be paid by Great Britain, who will also be responsible for allowances and pennons. (Received December 16, 1 p.m.) SYDNEY, This Day. In announcing the scheme, Mr. Menzies said that the adjustment of the .original scheme under which most of the nien were to have been trained in Canada was made on the representations of the Commonwealth Government" which emphasised the value that participation in the scheme would be to Australia's security if a greater part of the training were completed within the Commonwealth. . The-total cost of the scheme to Australia within the next three years was 3stimated to be not less than £50,000,000 in Australian currency.