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Aviation History
1942
1942 - 0709.PDF
APRIL 2ND, 1942 FLIGHT 309 EMPIRE AIR TRAINING between the civilian and the Service mind, this co-opera tive plan is working supremely well, and any criticism there may originally have been has been silenced by the practical results obtained. To quote one example, in one year at one Elementary Flying School no fewer than 1,800,000 miles, or 24,000 hours, were flown; there is no arguing with a fact like this, especially if one contrasts it with the 1,200 hours flown by the whole of the R.C.A.F. in 1932! Until the entry of the United States into the war, a considerable number of Americans crossed the border and volunteered for training in Canada as if they were Canadian entrants. They not infrequently wear the letters U.S.A. beneath the word Canada on the shoulders of their jackets. The Dominion is an ideal country for such an under taking as the Training Scheme. It occupies a central position in the British Commonwealth, halfway between the Old Country, Australia and New Zealand, and within a few hours of the vast industrial resources of the United States ; but, what is perhaps more important still, Canada f§ particularly air-minded. Climatic conditions in the Dominion permit of flying all the year round. Even in the winter, when the ground is heavily snow-bound, flying continues. At first the run ways are snow-ploughed, and after, when the snow gets too deep for that, it is rolled down and hard surface snow runways made. F Constant Stream of Recruits There are 20 recruiting centres across the Dominion, and, owing to the air-mindedness of young Canadians, a constant stream of recruits of the very finest human material is available. In addition to the Commonwealth Air Training Scheme schools we have been able, through the hospitality of the Canadian Government, to transfer R.A.F. schools to that country. These schools can now operate at full intensity free from the chance of enemy interference, and under very much better weather con ditions than could be expected in the United Kingdom. The resultant increase in potential output is very con siderable. JUST IN CASE : Although parachute jumps are not included in the practical training of the young airmen, instruction is given in the operation of the 'chute and how and when to use it. Here an instructor is giving a practical demonstration— with the help of a gentle breeze—to a group of R.C.A.F. students A gratifying aspect of the whole business is the fewness of accidents on first solo flights, and this speaks well for the thoroughness of the flying instruction given at the Elementary Flying Schools. To quote again from Norman Smith's booklet: " Accidents occur, rather, when the pupil begins to feel his oats and starts frightening farmers on countay roads or waving to his girl in the college campus." But you cannot have the spirit that makes a good fighter pilot without a little of that sort of dare-devilry showing itself now and then in advance of requirements. Canada is also providing us with considerable numbers of skilled technicians both for service with the R.A.F. and to act as ground personnel for R.C.A.F. squadrons. By agreement with the respective Governments, Royal Canadian Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, and Royal New Zealand Air Force squadrons are formed in this country. These are manned by crews trained under the Commonwealth Scheme. Large numbers of crews ^m • m t mm :;mmj ,jm- „ ]m * —fi-mtn- ^MOIIBH u \M \f 1 KSHMMHSSI HI ' H FLYING AT LAST : After passing through the Manning Depot and graduating from the eight weeks' course at an Initial Training School where their only taste of " flying " has been in an earth-bound Link, student pilots move on to one of the Elementary Flying Training Schools and get their first taste of the genuine article. Here are some student-pilots at No. 3 E.F.T.S. at London, Ontario, with their Fleet Finch trainers in the background.
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