N.Z. AERO CLUBS

Greymouth Evening Star, 5 September 1938, Page 8

N.Z. AERO CLUBS

GOVT. SUBSIDY SCHEME [PEB PRESS ASSOCIATION.] HASTINGS, September 5. An intimation that the Air Department would be recommending to Cabinet that a two-year arrangement be entered into by the Government, with aero clubs in New Zealand, for the training of the civil reserve and Royal Air Force pilots, was given by Mr. T. E. O’Dowd, president of the Royal New Zealand Aero Clubs, in an interview this morning. Mr. O’Dowd returned to Hastings during the week end, after a conference with officials of the Department in Wellington, regarding the future policy to be adopted in the matter of training pilots for defence purposes. Associated with Mr. O’Dowd were members of the special sub-committee of the New Zealand Aero Club, which was given authority to make an arrangement with the Government.' The purpose of the conference was to discuss the question of the renewal of the present agreement which had been in force 12 months, and which had now just lapsed. Under this agreement various aero clubs in New Zealand trained pilots for civil reserve and Royal Air Force, and the Government met the cost of training operations, the idea being for clubs :.o train pilots and build up a reserve for defence purposes. “The Department has agreed to recommend to Cabinet that a fresh arrangement be entered into with clubs, the period being two years, and the terms very mucli along the lines of previous agreement,” said Mr. O’Dowd. “Under this arrangement, clubs are to train 100 pilots each year for the civil reserve and 50 pilots for the Air Force, the training be entirely free of cost to the trainees. The Government will meet the cost in- 1 volved along the lines adopted previously.”

The question of the supply oi machines to clubs was fully discussed, said Mr. O’Dowd, and the Department is to recommend the appropriation of £15,000 for this year. An agreement was entered into whereby the Government would supply a limited number of machines, which would be purchased by the clubs as required, and paid for out of the funds received for the training of pupils, the time of purchase being three years. Another item discussed with the Departmental officers, was the question of another club. To date, eleven aero clubs are officially recognised by the Government but as the result of the conference, the Department has agreed to the establishment of another aero club district, embracing Waikato and the Bay of Plenty districts.

Provided that each of the aero clubs trains its quota of pupils for the civil reserve and the Royal Air Force, the Government has intimated that it is prepared Io make a grant of £4OO yearly to clubs during the period of arrangement!. This subsidy will bo in addition to the payment, of costs involved in the training of pilots.