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of pilots for the grant of " A " Licences, and the examination of applicants for additional aircraft type ratings. A commencement was also made on a study of approved training curricula for aero clubs based on ICAO recommendations, but it is not expected that any finality will be reached on this subject until after the next ICAO Personnel Licensing Division meeting in 1951. The number of aero clubs affiliated to the Royal New Zealand Aero Club remained unaltered at 24, and during the twelve months a total of 31,742 hours were flown, including 26,723 hours in training activities. Owing to the increasing costs of operation, the majority of clubs have made financial losses on the year's activities, and it is not anticipated that these difficulties will lessen in the immediate future. One aspect which is causing concern to the clubs generally is the replacement of aircraft. At present, out of a total of 137 aircraft being operated by clubs, more than 60 per cent, are wartime surplus trainers which were made available to clubs at low cost. Few clubs have reserve funds sufficient to meet the high cost of modern aircraft suitable for club purposes. An important phase of aero club activities is still the training of Air Training Corps' cadets. One hundred and fifty cadets are selected each year by the R.N.Z.A.F. to undergo flying training. A number of these cadets qualify as civil pilots and continue membership with the clubs, thereby assisting to maintain utilization of club aircraft. For the year ended 31st March, 1950, 325 club pilots were trained ab initio to " A " Licence standard, the total being made up by the following clubs Auckland .. .. ..35 South Canterbury.. .. ..18 Canterbury .. . . 32 Southland .. .. .. 9 Gisborne.. . . .. 8 South Piako .. .. 16 Hauraki .. .. 3 Tauranga .. .. 9 Hawera .. .. .. 7 Waikato .. .. 30 Hawke's Bay and East Coast .. 12 Wairarapa and Ruahine .. 7 Marlborough .. .. .. 15 Wanganui .. .. .. 12 Middle districts .. .. 18 Wellington .. .. 21 Nelson .. .. .. 8 West Coast .. .. .. 13 New Plymouth .. .. 24 Otago .. .. .. 15 325 Rotorua .. .. 13 The twenty-four aero clubs had a total membership of 6,537, of whom 2,577 were flying members, on 31st March, 1950. In training activities, 26,723 hours were flown, and at the end of the year there were 706 pupils undergoing instruction for " A " Licence.

The following table shows comparative figures of aero club training activities over the period 1938 to 1950 :

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Year. Number of Club Aircraft Owned. 1 Training Honrs Flown. " A " Licences Issued. 1937-38 58 j 17,726 186 1938-39 65 19,656 202 1939-40 66 11,740 70 1940-41 9 2,419 33 1941-42* 4 1942-43* 3 1943-44* 3 1944-45* 4 1945-46 13 676 224 1946-47 73 14,203 667 1947-48 101 26,592 438 1948-49 108 25,747 371 1949-50 137 ! 26,723 325 * No flying operations were carried out by the aero clubs between December, 1941, and the end of the war.