FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1934
1934 - 0794.PDF
795 FLIGHT. AUGUST 2, 1934. THE OYAL RCE Service Notes and News Air Ministry Announcements ::: EXPANSION OF R.A.F. PILOT RESERVE • The Air Ministry announces: — . As the Secretary of State for Air stated on Monday, July 23, • in the House of Lords, steps will require to be taken during ithe period of expansion of the Royal Air Force to obtain the "necessary officer and airmen r>ersonnel to man the new squad- rons, and concurrently to increase the number of pilots in the R.A.F. Reserve. The steps to be taken as regards the Reserve *are as follows: — ' In addition to pilots transferred from the active list on completion of their time as short service officers or airmen pilots, the R.A.F. pilot reserve consists at present of officers commissioned directly in the Reserve from civil life and taught to fly at the Reserve Civil Flying Schools at Bristol, Brough (East Yorks), Hamble (Hants), and Hatfield (Herts). ••"'• ."-. .*; ; . : AIRMAN PILOTS .-'•_• • A decision has now been taken to place the system of direct entry to the Reserve from civil life on a new and broader basis. Such entrants will in future be accepted for service in the first instance as airman pilots. After three years, during which they will do about a hundred hours' flying and will be eligible to obtain a '' certificate of proficiency '' in their service duties, they will be considered for the grant of commissions in the Reserve. Selection for commissions will be made on a strictly competitive basis, and those pilots who have shown the greatest keenness and ability will be chosen. The only candi- dates who will be eligible for appointment direct to com- missions in the Reserve will be University men who have already served in one of the University Squadrons which are maintained at Oxford and Cambridge, and have there obtained their flying experience and their certificate of proficiency. Entry as airman pilot will be open to young men between 18 and 25 years of age who have had a good education either at a public or secondary school. Forty appointments will be made at the first intake, and further openings will be announced as requirements necessitate. Those selected will commence their training at various dates in September at one of the Reserve Flying Schools. The arrangements made there for their messing, accommodation and instruction, will be the same as those already in force for officer entrants into the Reserve. The initial course will consist of a fortnight's instruction on the ground, followed by 50 hours flying which, while dependent on the weather, does not normally occupy more than seven weeks. Those who cannot take the fuii course continuously may be allowed to break it at the end of the fortnight's ground instruction or after one month of flying instruction. It is confidently believed that the opportunity to learn to fly as a pilot and to take their place in the air defence of the country will appeal to young men, and that competition for the limited number of appointments will result in a high standard in personality, ability and education being set for acceptance. As stated above, those who are accepted will have a further opportunity at a later date to compete among them- selves for commissions. The Service will gain in efficiency from the incentive thus given, and will have the assurance that those chosen for its Reserve officers will be men who have proved in practice their energy and capacity as pilots. - u CIVILIAN PILOTS WANTED. In addition to the forty appointments announced above for young men who have not yet learned to fly, applications for entry as airman pilot are invited from civil pilots up to the age of 28 who have not less than 25 hours' flying experience and can pass a qualifying test as a pilot. Accepted candidates of this class will not be given the course of initial training and will be required to perform only the normal rnnual flying training of a Reserve pilot. This consists of a minimumof 20 hours flying, and the period of training, which should, if possible, be a continuous one, does not normallyexceed 20 days. The pay and allowances of airman pilots during training amount to 16s. 6d. a day until qualified as a pilot, and there- after to 17s. 6d. a day. When so qualified they also receive reserve pay and flying reserve pay amounting to £22 10s a year. TRAINING OF A.A.F. SQUADRONS AS FIGHTERSQUADRONS Nos. 600, 601 and 604 (Bomber) Squadrons are to be, or have been, converted to fighter squadrons on the following , dates:—No. 604 (County of Middlesex) (Bomber) Squadron— July 23, 1934. No. 600 (City of London) (Bomber) Squadron —August 12, 1934. No. 601 (County of London) (Bomber) Squadron—August 12, 1934. The rearming of these squad- rons with " Demon " aircraft will commence on dates to be •notified later. As the necessary " Demon " aircraft will not be available on the dates mentioned above, the squadrons are to commence training as fighter squadrons with their existing aircraft. R.A.F. VISIT TO PORTSMOUTH • :• Four squadrons of the Royal Air Force—Nos. 1 and 43 (Fighter) Squadrons from Tangmere (both flying "Furies"), and Nos. 7 and 58 (Bomber) Squadrons from Worthy Down (both with "Virginias")—visited Portsmouth Municipal Air- port on July 19. Sir Harold Pink, Lord Mayor of Portsmouth, accompanied by the Lady Mayoress and members of the Cor- poration, welcomed the squadrons on their arrival, and enter- tained the officers and men at luncheon at the Guildhall. The visit attracted large numbers of the public to the aerodrome, and during the afternoon the squadrons gave a flying display. SHORT SERVICE OFFICERS Short service officers are reminded of the importance of preparing in good time for return to civil life. Suggestions relating to educational preparation are contained in a memorandum which was issued to all commands in May, 1934. Copies of this document can be obtained at any time by application to station educational officers and will be issued by the latter without special application to all short service officers on posting from their flying training schools. An important section of the memorandum deals with civil aviation. Certain commercial firms require candidates for posts as pilots to possess not only a " B " Licence but other licences such as the 2nd Class Navigator's Licence, the Postmaster-General's W/T Air Operator's Licence and the "A" and "C" Ground Engineers' Licences. Short service officers who contemplate seeking employment in civil aviation are therefore strongly advised to obtain these licences before they leave the service. Full particulars relating to the. licences are contained in the memorandum. FOREIGN OFFICERS IN THE R.A.F. Major Januskevicius, of the Lithuanian Air Force and Lieutenant G. H Wendelbo, of the Norwegian Naval Air Ser- vice, will be attached to the Central Flying School, Wittering, as from July 23, 1934, in order to undergo the Flying Instruc-? tors' Course. R.A.F. SWIMMING ASSOCIATION The R.A.F. championships will be held at the Halton Com- mand swimming bath on the following dates:—Heats, August 17 to 20; Finals, August 21.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
