HELP BY STATE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22513, 17 December 1947, Page 8

HELP BY STATE

DOMINION AERO CLUBS REPLY TO CRITICISM TRAINING PROGRAMME (P.A.) DUNEDIN, Dec. 16. “The Government’s original proposal was that 150 cadets of the Air Training Corps should be trained for 30 hours’ flying,” said the Minister of Defence, Mr. Jones, this morning replying to the statement by Mr. H. W. Lightband, president of the New Plymouth Aero Club, that clubs would cease to be training schools for flying and would become just playgrounds for rich men if the Government continued its present policy towards clubs. Payment was to be made to the aero clubs for each cadet trained, added Mr. Jones. This was £4 for dual and £3 10s for solo. In addition, the Government had offered 40 Tiger Moth aircraft free of charge to clubs. Previously they had to be tendered for. In addition. £20.000 had been placed on the Estimates to assist clubs. Mr. Jones added that he had originally discussed the scheme with members of the Royal New Zealand Aero Club, who reported back to their executive. The executive had not been satisfied, so another talk was held and thev had been satisfied. He said he would look into the position again about February and see how much had been carried out, and imw much money for the assistance of clubs had been used. The clubs had been asked to carry out the proposal for {he training of cadets, and if any more time was needed it would be granted. The executive of the Royal New Zealand Aero Club had been prepared to carry out the suggestion, added Mr. Jones, and he thought that Mr. Lightband would have accepted a decision arrived at by his own organisation.