OUTPUT OF PILOTS

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21155, 3 July 1940, Page 7

OUTPUT OF PILOTS

TO BE SPEEDED UP A NEW APPOINTMENT E*i CONTROL OF TRAINING (Ofllcrai Wireless) (Received July 3, 11 a.m.) RUGBY, July 2 Sir A. Sinclair announced in the House of Commons that a number of the steps already taken would have the effect of speeding up very considerably the output of pilots and other flying personnel during the next few months. He has also decided that all departments of the Air Ministry concerned with training should be placed under the direction of a new member of the Air Council, to be called the Air Member for Training, who would be charged not only with the responsibility for the training policy and for the success of the training programme but with ensuring that the training organisation was at all times adequate to meet the requirements of the service and keep pace with the increased flow of production tbar could be anticipated, both from British factories and from the United States. He would also have special responsibility for all matters connected with the Empire air training scheme. The officer selected for the appointment was Air Vice-Marshal A. G. R. Garrod. Air Vice-Marshal Garrod, who is 49 years of age, has had wide experience of Royal Air Force operational staff training questions. One of his principal functions will be to balance the output of Empire pilots with the training and aircraft production in Britain. The Empire largely relies on Britain for the supply of machines and instructional personnel, and Air ViceMarshal Garrod will be responsible for seeing that this assistance is forthcoming as promptly as circumstances permit. Britain at present has more pilots than machines, but it is emphasised that she requires many more pilots, in .order to meet the greatly-accelerating production and purchases from abroad. Britain has almost reached the capacity of her training facilities, for which reason the intake of pilots from the Dominions is regarded as most important.