3000 A.T.C. Cadets Now Serving In RNZAF

Northern Advocate, 23 May 1944, Page 2

3000 A.T.C. Cadets Now Serving In RNZAF

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, This Day “Our last return showed that we had over 8800 cadets,’’ said Wing-Commander P. K. Fowler, commandant of an airtraining school, addressing a squadron of A.T.C. cadets before they passed out at completion of their school holiday training camp period. "My ambition is to reach 10,000 and retain that figure. That will mean that we will be able to give the R.N.Z.A.F. a regular supply of trainees with much of their initial training already completed.” In pointing out that the A.T.C. was now one of the few sources for air force recruiting, Wing-Commander Fowler stressed that every attention was now being given to corps by the Air Board, particularly in the way of providing additional modern equipment. More synthetic training devices are being added to the mobile instructional unit, which means that the boys in the country receive training equal to that, given to A.T.C. cadets in the cities. The A.T.C. touring flight would soon be back in Wellington and more flights would be arranged for cadets. Boys going up for their second and third flights would carry out map reading and similar elementary flying exercises in conjunction with their flight. Wing-Commander Fowler stated that he had hoped to get some dual control flights for cadets, but this had proved impossible, as such flights would affect tests which would be given ai'ier the boys had entered the R.N.Z.A.F. to del ermine for which branch of the air crew they were most suited.

Wing-Commander Fowler complimented the cadets on the appearance of their camp, and said he was extremely pleased with the enthusiastic way in which they tackled their training. Some 3000 former A.T.C. cadets were now in the R.N.Z.A.F., many of them on air operations. The value of their early training had been proved by reports from R.N.Z.A.F. training schools, these showing that former cadets almost invariably were above cla.Os averages. Another point was that an A.T.C. course, satisfactorily completed, meant that much of the elementary training normally given to R.N.Z.A.F. recruits could be omitted.