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The provision of the additional Flying Training Schools required on mobilization has been made possible only by the existence of suitable civil aerodromes developed as a result of Government encouragement and expenditure prior to the war. The preparation and maintenance of grass aerodrome surfaces to carry the heavy and continuous traffic of a large Flying Training School is a specialist problem of considerable magnitude, the solution of which rests, to an appreciable extent, with the seasons and vagaries of the weather. Extensions to the flying-fields at Wigram, Taieri, and Harewood have been made during the year, but these areas, although grassed, are not yet in use. Work has continued on the levelling, drainage, and grassing of the large aerodromes at Ohakea and Whenuapai during the year, and although these are not completed sufficient area is available to meet our bare requirements at the moment. The magnitude of the work of preparing the flying-fields at the two major Stations can be gauged by the fact that at Whenuapai 1,200,000 cubic yards of earth-work, 49-3 miles of pipe sub-soil drains varying in size from 4 in. to 30 in., 17,500 cubic yards of shingle for sub-soil, drain-back filling, and 750 miles of mole drain were involved in the work. The cost of these items of work amounted to £151,000. At Ohakea the comparative figures are —307,000 cubic yards of earth-work ; 23-7 miles of pipe sub-soil drains of sizes 4 in. to 21 in. ; 12,000 cubic yards of shingle back-fill, and 600 miles of mole drains at a total cost to complete of £55,500. Details of buildings at the different Air Force Stations are so varied and the total so large that a detailed description would not convey a clear impression of the work involved. At the large Flying Training Schools the individual buildings run into hundreds, so that the best indication of the magnitude of the programme can only be given by the cost involved. Since the commencement of the expansion programme in 1937-38 these figures are £ No. 1 Elementary Flying Training School, Taieri .. .. .. 115,000 No. 2 Elementary Flying Training School, New Plymouth .. .. 112,000 No. 3 Elementary Flying Training School, Harewood .. .. 53,400 Ground Training School, Weraroa, Levin .. .. .. .. 54,000 No. 1 Flying Training School, Wigram .. .. .. .. 356,300 No. 2 Flying Training School, Woodbourne (Blenheim) .. .. 305,000 No. 3 Flying Training School, Ohakea . . . . . . . . 498,000 Operational Station, Whenuapai .. .. .. .. 283,500 Aircraft Depot, Hobsonville .. .. .. .. .. 317,000 Communications Flight, Rongotai .. .. .. .. 9,000 Total .. .. .. .. .. £2,103,200 In addition to the above, a further £1,600,000 of work has been authorized and is now in hand to complete the programme. Aircraft and Equipment. (a) Equipment. The first six months of the period under review was occupied in a physical stock-taking of equipment held in the Air Force, and the recording of this stock by machine accounting records. Orders were placed overseas for the technical equipment required under the expansion programme, and local orders were placed for the barrack equipment required under this programme. Under the National Supply Organization set up prior to the war the requirements of the three Services in the way of local supplies were co-ordinated, dormant orders for clothing were placed, and some valuable exploratory work into the industrial capacity of the. Dominion was carried out. The outbreak of war and the introduction of the Empire Air Training Scheme necessitated large increases in equipment staff's and involved heavy orders for technical equipment overseas. The advent of war has naturally increased the difficulties of supply in a technical service which is so far removed from the sources of production. Some progress has been made with local manufacture. The staff and equipment of the Aeronautical Inspection Division is being built up to make further use of local capacity. (6) Aircraft. In May and August, 1939, orders were placed for a further 36 Airspeed Oxford twin-engine and advanced trainer aircraft required at the two Flying Training Schools during 1940. Orders for airframe and engine spares, navigational and night-flying equipment, including initial equipment for the mobilization programme, and additional reserves of bombs and aviation spirit were placed prior to September. The total approximate cost of these orders was £751,000. During the year deliveries of 40 Gordons and 32 Vincents were made. On the recommendation of the United Kingdom Air Mission which visited the Dominion in April, 1939, steps were taken to encourage the establishment of an aircraft industry in New Zealand by the placing of an order with the De Havilland Aircraft Co. for 100 Tiger Moth aircraft. The contract with the company provided for the local manufacture by progressive stages of this type of airframe at the rate of six per month, commencing in May, 1940. All raw materials, engines, and proprietary articles, and instruments are imported

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