ROYAL AIR FORCE.

Wairarapa Age, 1 August 1936, Page 5

ROYAL AIR FORCE.

NEW VOLUNTEER RESERVE FORMED. OPEN ONLY TO MEN IN CIVIL LIFE. ORGANISATION PROCEEDING AT ONCE. RUGBY, July 30. The formation of a new volunteer reserve for the Royal Air Force was announced in the House of Lords to-day by the Secretary for Air. Lord Swinton stated that the King had approved the creation of a Royal Air Force volunteer reserve to be open only to men in civil life. The number of pilots required annually for the volunteer reserve will be 800, and as this section is most urgent, organisation is being proceeded with at once. Pilots will receive their flying training at aerodrome centres which will be *established immediately in the vicinity of important towns and areas with a large population. There will be a network of such centres throughout the country, with several in the neighbourhood of London. Ground instruction will be provided at town centres, at which, lectures on theory of flight, airmanship, and other essential subjects will be given,, mainly during winter evenings, when opportunities for flying are necessarily restricted. Volunteer pilots will be recruited from candidates betwen the age limits of 18 and 25 years. The minimum period of service will be five years. Flying instruction will be arranged to' allow pilots to train at week-ends, in the evenings, and at other times convenient to them. They will be encouraged to spend as much time as possible in the air in order to gain flying experience of value to the service.* In addition, volunteers will have to attend an annual flying course of fifteen days ’ duration. In the first instance pilots will be trained in elementary types of light aircraft, and later on service types to enable them to operate in service squadrons in an emergency.

Arrangements are being made for the scheme to come into effective operation early in 1937. Lord Swinton made an appeal for the co-operation of employers, to ensure full development of an important link in the defences of the nation.—(British Official Wireless.)

WOMEN AS PILOTS. LORD STRABOLGI’S PROPOSAL NOT FAVOURED. o LONDON, July 30. Lord Stabolgi asked Lord Swinton In the House of Lords whether the air reserve could include women, many of whom were keen pilots capable of carrying out certain duties. Lord Swinton said that surely Lord Btrabolgi did not suggest that women ahould be included as an immediate reserve for the fighting line. Lord Marley: “Why notf” Lord Swinton: 4 ‘l note a suggestion by Labour members that we should recruit women into the fighting line. I would hesitate for a long time before I subscribed to such a proposition. Despite the fine work of women pilots, w»r i» sufficiently beastly without adding them to the fighting line. They might efficiently perform air ambulante and similar work.” Lord Strabolgi said he was not exPMaaing the opinion of the Labour