ROYAL AIR FORCE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 1 July 1939, Page 4

ROYAL AIR FORCE

PILOTS FROM NEW ZEALAND VALUE TO DOMINION INCREASED ALLOWANCE BY BRITISH GOVERNMENT llf lined Press Aswmmh t ion I WELLINGTON. This Day. Trained pilots sent from New Zealand to serve with the Royal Air Force at the rate uf 220 a year under the expanded aviation scheme announced on Thursday by the Minister of Defence, (he Hon. F. Jones, will be worth £374,000 sterling annually to the Government. It was explained yesterday by Mr Jones, in discussing further details of the scheme, that New’ Zealand would receive £I7OO sterling for each trained pilot sent to England, instead of the allowance of £1550 ruling up to the present. "The maximum number ol pilots we will send overseas when we get the whble of our arrangement ready will Le 220 a year,” Mr Jones said. “The second flying training school at Blenheim will be functioning fully by September 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 fceth Blenheim and Wigram. A total of 220 of these 280 young men after e:ght months’ training will go to the Old Country, and the rest wil 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 cf training the young fliers under the expanded scheme. The Government was also offering engagements to some of the members of the Royal Air Force who, in company with New Zealanders sent to England for the purpose, would fl> to the Doornion the 30 Vickers Wellington long-range bombers on order.

The vacancy caused by the early departure for England of Group-Captain L. M. Isitt, Air Board member for personnel, will be filled by the temporary appointment of Squadron Leader E. G. Olson, till recently officer comamnding the Royal New Zealand Air Force base at Hobsonville. Squadron Leader Olson has already arrived in Wellington.