H.—37.

Empire Air Training Scheme. Oil 26th September, 1939, His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom put forward proposals for an Empire Air Training Scheme in which Canada, Australia, and New Zealand were asked to co-operate in the training of personnel for pilot and air crew duties in the Royal Air Force. A conference was held in Ottawa to discuss details, and as a result the original War Training Organization required considerable modification. Under the Empire Air Training Scheme the New Zealand Government agreed to set up an organization which, when fully developed in January, 1941, will be capable of training the following personnel each year: — Per Annum. (a) Fully-trained pilots .. . • • • • • ■ • • • 880 (b) Pilots trained to the elementary standard (advanced training to be carried out in Canada) . ■ ■ • • • • • • • • 520 (c). Observers (initial training only ; further training to be carried out in Canada) 546 (d) Air gunners (initial training only ; further training to be carried out in Canada) .. ■ • • • • • • • • • • • 936 In addition to the provision of pilots and air crews the Government has agreed to train maintenance personnel for the Royal Air Force as soon as the immediate requirements of New Zealand training organization have been met. Under this scheme approximately 800 trained mechanics will be sent overseas each year commencing early in 1941. Training Organization required under Empire Air Training Scheme. To meet the commitments outlined above an organization comprising the following units is required:— (а) One Initial Training School with a pupil strength of 250 under training : (б) One Recruit Training Depot with a pupil strength of 200 under training : (c) One Flying Instructors' School with a pupil strength of ten under training : (d) Four Elementary Flying Training Schools with a total pupil strength of 324 under training : (e) Three Service Flying Training Schools with a total pupil strength of 324 under training : (/) A Technical Training Organization with an annual output of approximately 800 airmen. Progress to Date under Expansion Scheme. The present position regarding the Expansion Scheme is as follows : — (a) Recruiting Organization. —A central organization has been set up to deal with recruiting of personnel for technical training and for the selection of candidates for training as pilots, air gunners, and air observers. The response has been magnificent, and up to the 31st March, 1940, a total of 4,644 applications were received for crew training and 4,436 for maintenance training. (b) Flying Training Organization : — (i) The Initial Training School was formed at Rongotai and later moved to Weraroa. This school provides personnel enlisted for training as pilots, observers, and air gunners, with a thorough grounding in. discipline and elementary instruction in ground subjects. (ii) A Flying Instructors' School was formed at Mangere to train pilots for employment as Flying Instructors. This school moved to Hobsonville on the 15th March, 1940. (iii) No. 1 Elementary Flying Training School was formed at Taieri on the 16th October, 1939, and is now operating at full strength. (iv) No. 2 Elementary Flying Training School, was formed at New Plymouth on the 14th November, 1939, and is now operating at full strength. (v) No. 1 Flying Training School, Wigram, has been expanded considerably and will be operating at full strength by September, 1940. (vi) No. 2 Flying Training School was formed at Blenheim on the 11th December, 1939, at approximately half war strength and will be operating at full strength by September, 1940. (vii) An Observers' School was formed at Ohakea on the 14th November, 1939, and is now operating at full strength. Under the Empire Air Training Scheme observers and air gunners will complete their training in Canada, and therefore the Observers' School will become No. 3 Flyijig Training School in October, 1940. As a Flying Training School it will be operating at full strength by December, 1940. (viii) Nos. 3 and 4 Elementary Flying Training Schools will form in August, 1940, and January, 1941, respectively.

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