DOMINION S AIR DEFENCES

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 384, 16 March 1937, Page 2

DOMINION S AIR DEFENCES

WING-COMMANDER COCHRANE’S PROPOSALS.

LINES OF DEVELOPMENT

The Government, in pursuance of its policy of providing an Air Force capable, in conjunction with other Services, of playing an effective part in the defence of the Dominion, is now considering the proposals submitted by Wing-Commander the Hon. R. A. Cochrane, A.F.C., R.A.F., the officer appointed to advise the Government on air defence.

A preliminary report dealing with the suggested duties and strength of the Royal New Zealand Air Force hat already been submitted and has been approved as a basis for a fuller investigation into the organisation and administration of the proposed force. Although some poir-ts still remain to be settled, it is now possible to give a general idea of the lines along which development will take place, and to indicate the nature of the requirements in pilots and mechanics over the next two years.

An Air Board. The Government has firstly decided that the duties of the Air Force, and the special nature of the problems which it will be called upon <o face, necessitate a headquarter organisation, which can devote its entire attention to these matters. An Air Board will therefore be set up to control the Royal New Zealand Air Force, and it is- proposed to seek the necessary legislative powers during the forthcoming session. In the meantime an Air Force Headquarters will be formed in Wellington on April t and the names of the oflicers filling the chief appointments will be announced shortly. It can be stited however, that Civil Aviation will be represented on the board, which will thus be in a position to co-ordinate those matters which are common to service and civil flying.

The programme of Air Force de velopment which is now being proceeded with contemplates the formation of two new operational squadrons, which will be equipped with the latest type of .aircraft. It will be necessary to prepare and equip new defence aerodromes for these squadrons, and surveys of suitable localities are proceeding. A final selection ''.-'ill be made as soon as the necessary information is available, so that the work of providing the accommodation can he started without delay. This, it is estimated, will take from 18 months to two years to complete. Hobsonville, which in the past has filled the dual role of operational station and repair base-, will now be organised as a repair centre and will be enlarged as necessary to meet the needs of the Air Force as these grow. Wigram will be developed as a flying school to train pilots for the Royal New Zealand Air Force, the Reserve and the Royal Air Force, under the various schemes referred to below. As a first step to introducing the new organisation, it is proposed to concentrate on the formation of the flying training school at Wigram with the object of starting the first course early in May. A considerable extension of facilities will be necessary to provide the full requirements of a Tying training school, but in the meantime arrangements are being hiade to adapt a number of temporary buildings which 'already exist

aerodrome itself has recently been greatly improved, and, bring situated in the Canterbury Plains, is well suited to flying training. The school will provide the full course of flying and ground instruction required by service pilots-, and will commence by training approximately 50 pilots a year.

The New Zealand Air Force, which is organised in Territorial Squadrons consisting of pilots only, will continue for the present on these lines, but ft is hoped that in the future it may be possible to increase the organisation to include airmen and ultimately aircraft. Trained Pilot Reserve. Apart from the permanent and territorial units of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, it is proposed to build up a Reserve of trained pilots, v-'ho will he obtained from two sources; firstly, from -amongst those who have already completed a Short Service Commission in one of the Air Forces of the Empire, and, secondly, by -the direct enlistment and training in New Zealand of personnel with no previous flying experience. This latter method of entry will be looked to for the majority of pilots. Suitable candidates will be given an eight months’ course of flying training and will then pass direct to the Reserve, where their only liability in peace -time will be a fortnight’s refresher training each year. The Reserve is intended to meet two needs; firstly, it will provide a pool of pilots capable in the event of at- - tack of taking their places in. Air | Force units, and, secondly, it willu

provide a source of recruitment for the growing needs of civil aviation. For those who wish to obtain more extensive experience of tying, short service commissions are offered tn the Royal Air Force and the Royal N*ew Zealand Air Force. By an agreement with the British Air Ministry, a number of short service commissions in the Royal Air Force—for the present to be limited to 40 a year—will be offered to Nev. 1 Zealand candidates. The length of the commission is at present fixed at four years, including the initial period unde/r training. Two methods of entry will be available. In the first, candidates will be selected in New Zealand and their passages paid to the United Kingdom, wnere they will report to the Air Ministry and be posted to a suitable unit for training. In the second scheme, candidates will be selected and also trained in the Dominion, and v. 'ill then be given passages to the United Kingdom, where they will join a Royal Air Force squadron. These two schemes Will in future provide the only means, by which applicants' can join the Royal Air Force, and they will replace the arrangements at present in force by which those who wish to join must find their own way to the United Kingdom and, on arrival, have no certainty that they will be selected. A request for applications to fill 20 vacancies under thrse two schemes will shortly te issued. Limited Period Commisions.

The Royal New Zealand Air Force will itself require some 70 additional pilots during the next two ' years These will be obtained partly from those w’ho have completed a Short Service Commission in the Royal Air Force, partly from candidates who will be entered direct from civil life and trained at Wigram, and partly i>y -election from within the ranks of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Commissions will normally be offered for a limited period., with the dual objects of building up a reserve for service and civil aviation, and of ensuring that those officers who are awarded ipermanent commissions l can be offered a career which provides adequate prospects of promotion. It is intended that permanent commissions shall be offered to selected officers who have completed a Short ScrvicQ Commission, buit exception? may be made where specialist qualifications are required.

It is also hoped to ’provide tunities for those v'ho can only devote their sparei timie to flying, and negotiations l are now proceeding with the aero clubs regarding the details of a scheme which it is proposed shall lead to the formation of a Civil Reserve of Pilots. A further announcement will be made in the near future. It will, therefore, be seen that a number of opportunities are *ow < pen to those interested in fl yin, -t. either as a profension or as an adjunct to other work. In general, applicants must be between the ages of 17i and 25 years, they must be physically fit, and must be able to give proof of a sound educational stand ard. No previous experience of flying is necessary, but applicants with a knowledge of navigation, wireless telegraphy, or mechanical engineering will find ample scope for its employment in the Service or in civil aviation, and will be especially valuable.

The expansion in the general flying activities in the Dominion will also call for a considerable increase in the numbers of skilled mechanics necessary to maintain the aircraft and to undertake the many technical operations necessary in Service flying, it ’■s- intended that wherever possible suitable New* Zealand candidates shall be enlisted and if not already trained shall be given inttruotion in the trades required. In some instances this training will be given in the Dominion., but where no facilities exist the training may be undertaken cither in the United Kingdom or in Australia, where organised technical courses l are (already available. Airmen will als o be required to fill vacancies in the semiskilled and unskilled branches of the Service, out wherever possible opportunities will be accorded to such men to learn a I fade and to work their v’ay up into the more skilled branches of the Force. The requirements will be advertised in the Press throughout the Dominion from time io time. Branches of the Reserve which will be open to airmen will also be set r P. One section for wireless oper-

ators l and ia second sectioh for air gunners will be organised this year, and details will be issued during the next few months. Fuller information regarding the various parts of the scheme which has l been outlined above will be issued from time .to time. Request's for applications to gfill vacancies will be advertised in the leading newspapers throughout the Dominion, and intending applicants are asked no»t to write to the Department except in answer to these advertisements. The full scheme Will require three years for i'ts completion, but at the end of that period New Zealand will have an important adjunct to its defence forces, and a reserve of trained pilots and mechanics’ which will prove of the utmosit value in meeting the growing needs of civil aviation.