DOMINION AVIATION

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 257, 29 October 1937, Page 8

DOMINION AVIATION

Building Up An Air Force BILL BEFORE HOUSE What New Zealand Is Doing RESUME BY MINISTER [Per Press Association. J WELLINGTON, Oct. 28. Moving the second reading of the Air Force Bill, the Minister of Defence (the Hon. F. Jones) stated that nearly everyone was familiar with the great advance in aviation in recent years. Fie extended the congratulations of the Government to Miss Jean Batten on her recent flight and referred to the papid strides which had been made in the Dominion itself with regard to the progress of civil aviation. The Minister explained the purposes of the Bill as outlined when the Bill was introduced, and stated that the setting up of two branches of the Air Department, one to control civil aviation and the other the Air Force, did not mean that one branch would be subordinated to the other, but that the facilities offered one would be also available to the other. These would include meteorological, wireless, aerodromes, and medical board’s Inspection service, and maps, etc. Provision was being made for the establishment of an Air Board on lines similar to the Army Board, and it would primarily be concerned with the administration of the Air Force. It would, however, also advise the Government on co-ordination of both the civil and military branches, and when discussing the former the Controller of Civil Aviation would be called in to take his place on the committee. Referring to the establishment of a Royal New Zealand Air Force, Mr Jones said that the Government had ordered two squadrons of the latest type of long-range aircraft, the first of which should arrive in New Zealand at the end of next year. Mr H. S. S. Kyle (Opp., Riccarton): Are we not responsible for proposals for building up the Air Force? Mr Jones: No. The previous Government did not carry out the plans they initiated. If they had we might have had more ’planes in the Dominion to-day than we have. The Government was securing the latest type of aircraft and that did not apply to the past Government, he said. If the full value of these squadrons were to be attained they would require to be manned by a permanent personnel who would hold short service commissions extending over a period of live years. Two New Military Aerodromes. He also explained the provisions for building up a reserve force of pilots, and said that the Government was providing for two now military aerodromes. One would be in Manawatu, at Ohakea, and the other would be in the Auckland district. Work on the Manawatu aerodrome was now in progress and when the new 'planes arrived in New Zealand the personnel and equipment to operate them would be ready. Referring to recruitments for the Air Force, he said the Government was very pleased with the type of young men offering and the numbers coming forward. Wigram, he said, would be set aside for the training of pilots and Hobsonville for the training of mechanics, and would eventually become the repair depot for the New Zealand Air Force. In connection with the training of both officers and men an official from the Education Department would be attached to each station to attend to educational matters of the personnel, and he stressed the fact that airmen in the ranks would be considered for short-time commissions. In fact, live airmen had already been granted such commissions. Defence of Ports. The Minister said it would be impossible for a country of the size of New Zealand to maintain a force sufficiently powerful to meet any emergency, and as a result of this it was necessary to establish a Territorial Air Force, whose duty would be the defence of the main ports. For this work ’planes of lesser speeds would be used, and with the cooperation of the British Government, the New Zealand Government had purchased twelve Baffin aircraft. These were second-hand machines and he had assented to their purchase with some diffidence, but they had been very little used and he felt sure that their use for training purposes, as well as defence of ports would prove very valuable. He would remind them that they were also getting new ’planes too. The Aero Chibs. Mr Jones proceeded to deal with the great work which had been done for aviation by the aero clubs. The Government had come to an agreement with these clubs to train Air Force candidates for two months before they were sent to Wigram Aerodrome for father training. The clubs had also agreed to train a total of 100 pilots a year for the reserve. The Minister stated that he was very anxious to give opportunity for young men to be trained as pilots, and a young man now, as long as he had education and physical ntness, could learn to fly even if he did not possess a penny piece. However, he would have to agree to serve in the Air Force in case of emergency. Training in England. Mr Jones referred to the agreement reached with Britain concerning the training of pilots in the Old Country and also in New Zealand. Up to March, 1938, we would have sent 7J young men Home for training in England. The total of the New Zealand Air Force to-day was 37 officers and 290 men, and the total when the i scheme was completed would be 900. Civil aviation, said Mr Jones, had made rapid strides in the last two years, but besides being interested in . its advance the Government was also interested in the question of its safety. An Air Radio Committee had

been set up and was being provided with £35,000 for the provision of radio equipment, capable of maintaining two-way communication between ’planes and the ground. Direc-tion-finding equipment for aircraft was also being provided, while at certain aerodromes it was the intention to establish radio-approach beacons with a range of 25 miles. They might consider that £35,000 was a large sum, but it would be money well spent if it assured safety. As far as landing grounds were concerned the work was being pushed on rapidly and it was intended to provide landing grounds every 25 or 50 miles along the main routes. Auckland or Wellington as Base. The time was not far distant when New Zealand would be linked up by air with Britain as well as the United States, and he thought a commission should inquire into the convenience and suitability of Auckland or Wellington as suitable flying-boat bases. These two cities should not quarrel over the matter, but should allow the question of convenience and safety to be the main consideration. New Zealand’s Air Force, he contended, was some contribution to Imperial defence, and he believed the British Government appreciated what we were doing. The Government was doing its best to build up an efficient Air Force for the Dominion and he hoped the work which had been done would be appreciated by the House. Jean Batten’s Feat. The Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates joined with the Minister in congratulating Miss Jean Batten. The Bill, he said, provided that every member of the Air Force would move on to the Air Force Reserve and the same applied to the Territor Air Force and its reserve. This was a new principle in New Zealand as far as the territorial forces were concerned, and he suggested it might be. applied to the land forces as well. There appeared to be a case to be made out for a territorial reserve. The contribution which was being made to the future defence of the country by young men volunteering for service in the Territorial Air Force should be considered, he said, and why should men volunteering for service in one branch be placed in reserve while the other branch escaped? Discussing aerodromes, Mr. Coates said that he believed the policy now being outlined was a natural outcome of earlier work. He asked the Minister if the new machines for coastal defence were of the same type as the Vilderbeeste. He hoped not, as those machines had been out of date before they arrived in the Dominion. They might be useful for training, but to send them out against modern fighting machines would be most unfair. He also asked the Minister to indicate the number of radio-beacons to be installed for the direction of aircraft. Colonel J. Hargest (Opp., Awarua) said he hoped that the ’planes purchased would comprise both bombers and fighters, owing to the vulnerability of t'..e former. He asked the Minister to consider the advisability of having the Territorial Air Force represented on the board, and said that although there had been no trouble securing recruits the difficulty would be to purchase and maintain machines to provide an adequate force. He hoped that the provision would be made for machines to come forward in small quantities, so that at all times they would be up to date. He also asked if it wore intended to have a purely defence force.or to have one which could provide assistance overseals if required, and he urged cooperation between all branches of the Air Force.