BRITISH AIR ARMADA

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19699, 3 August 1938, Page 5

BRITISH AIR ARMADA

MILLION CIVIL PILOTS

SERVICE IN EMERGENCY

LONDON, July 25.

The world's greatest fiying armada is envisaged under the plan announced by the Secretary of State for Air, Sir Kingfiley Wood, involving the formation of a British Civil Air Guard, probably 1,000,000 in number, of men and women, aged between 18 and 50 years, who will learn to fly and be able to maintain their licenses for a little more than one shilling a week.

A new industry will be established to produce ultra-light aeroplanes. It is proposed to inaugurate the scheme immediately. It will be civil in character, entailing no military requirements, and no annual camps.

Every member, however, will be asked to sign an undertaking to put his or ber services at the disposal of the nation in an emergency.

Some of the pilots would be drafted into fighting squadrons, and others would be engaged behind the lines in communication flying and ground W Women will rank equally with men, and both will wear a uniform of brown Hying overalls, with a badge on the pocket. The organisation will be established through light aeroplane clubs, which will be subsidised to allow members of the Air Guard to fly for 5s an hour in standard-type aeroplanes, and 2s id an hour in extra light machines, except at week-ends, when the charges will be doubled. ,_.,., . A civilian will be able to learn to Ay for between £2 and £4.