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Aviation History
1931
1931 - 0682.PDF
FLIGHT, JULY 3, 1931 AIR SERVICE TRAINING R.H. the Duke of Gloucester formallyopened the A.S.T. School at Hamble onThursday, June 25. A large number of distinguishedBritish and Foreign officers were present, all of whom agreedthat there was every evidence that the school was being runin an exceptionally thorough and practical manner. Readers of FLIGHT willalready be well aware of the large range of flying coursesprovided at the school, as the full syllabus was published in FLIGHT for March 6. AIR MARSHAL SIR JOHN HIGGINS, Chairman of theBoard of Directors of Air Ser- vice Training, Ltd., gave thoseat the luncheon an idea of the objects of the school, andpointed out that every endea- vour was being made to makethe standard of training in no way inferior to that obtain-able in the R.A.F. At the present time, he said, the AirMinistry has unfortunately to refuse, or at least to defer, alarge number of applications from Officers of other AirForces wishing to attend courses at their trainingschools, and it was hoped, therefore, that such officerswould now come to Hamble. He introduced the staff, all ofwhom, he said, had had long connection with training in theRoyal Air Force, including Group Capt. R. J. F. Barton,the Commandant, who, since learning to fly in 1913, had, almost entirely, been connectedwith training, and the Chief Instructor, Flt.-Lt. H. F. Jenkins, who joined the R.F.C. in 1916, and had beenmainly employed in connection with flying training since the war, and only left the Central Flying School recentlyafter a preiod of over four years as an A.I Instructor. In conclusion, he expressed the gratification which every - The Reid and Sigrist Pilot Testing Apparatuswhich is used for ground instruction at the A.S.T. School at Hamble. A canvas hood is pulled overthe : rails, when in use, thus giving the machinethe appearance of an aircraft cockpit in thick fog. (FLIGHT Photo.) A view in the cockpit of the Avro Tutor, over which the hood is pulledfor blind flying instruction. The Reid and Sigrist Turn Indicator occupies the centre position. (FLIGHT Photo.) one felt at the presence of theDuke of Gloucester, whom that day had flown ov- frOI£Tidworth in a Moth piloied by Sqd.-Ldr. Leslie, and who hadalready done a considerable amount of flying. THE DUKE OF GLOUCLSTERin declaring the school open! said that, from what he hadalready heard expressed by impartial observers, he feltquite certain that it would be the finest school in the world,and that all nations would be interested, particularly as ex-cellent facilities were available for flying training both onland and sea machines. He referred to his own experiencein the air, %vhich had shown him, he said, that there wassomething to be learnt every time he went up. A furtheradvantage of the school, he said, was that it very nearlyapproached the standard of a university, and that groundinstruction was given in every subject which appertained toaircraft. He had much pleasure, therefore, he said, indeclaring the school open, and wishing it every possiblesuccess MR. F. HANDLE Y PAGE,Chairman of the Society of British Aircraft Constructors,said that the whole scheme, which owed its inception tothe creative genius of Mr. J. D. Siddeley, was not con-fined entirely to the produc- tions of those aircraft firmswith which Mr. Siddeley was connected, since co-operation with other constructors hadbeen secured so that prospective pilots from foreign countries could obtain instruction on the machines whichwere being exported to their country. One of the greatest advantages, he said, that he saw inhaving such a school in England, was in our weather, since anyone who had been taught to fly safely in all weathersin England, and who could utilise our small fields for landing in, would be doubly safe/ in almost any other country in the world. He then proposed the health of Mr.J. D. Siddeley, whom, he said, might be compared to the main-spring which drovethe A.S.T. watch. MR. J. D. SIDDELEY, in reply, drewattention to their indebtedness to the Air Ministry, from whom they had, he said,received full approval, and he quoted an Air Ministry letter which promised thatforeign officers whose applications to be trained in the R.A.F. could not beaccepted would have their attention drawn to the facilities offered at Hamble; also hewas glad to say that a promise had been made for parties from Hamble to haveaccess to the C.F.S. at Wittering, other service training schools and units, theR.A.E. at Farnborough, the A. and A.E. at Martlesham, and the M.A. and E.E. atFehxstowe. GROUP CAPT. BARTON thanked the Dukeof Gloucester for opening the school, anr! said he was glad to welcome Lord Amul-ree; Air Commodore Merino, Chief Under- secretary of State for Air, and Chief of theChilian Air Force; also Mr. Montague, Under-Secretary of State for Air; Air Vice-Marshal T. Webb-Bowen, Air Member for \ 636
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