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Aviation History
1942
1942 - 1326.PDF
63d> FLIGHT JUNE 251H, 1942 war of machines, there have to be highly trained men in many positions, man ' of them doing dangerous work, and they cannot all be commissioned. An even stronger reason for setting a limit is to be found if one looks forward to the coming days of peace. Then, of course, there will not be so many Canadians in the Royal Air Force, but the Royal Canadian Air Force will continue to exist and to develop in its own way. p^fhe Government of Canada chooses to advise the Kirig to grant a commission to every member of an air crew, that is its own affair. As regards the Royal Air Force, we think such a policy would be wrong. It would tend to perpetuate and extend the system of short- service commissions, which we have always believed to have grave drawbacks. It throws a lot of officers out into the world after a few years in the Service. There is no chance at all that the R.A.F. can provide careers as officers'for all the pilots, observers, etc., which are needed to keep the aircraft in the air. Only the comparatively small number who have been granted • permanent commissions through Cranwellor a university can expect to rise to high rank in the Service. The obvious solution of this problem is to rely mainly on The Outlook - War in the Air - . - Here and There - Dornier Do. 217. E Morale in Air Raids Aircraft Characteristics - Altitude Research CON! - 629 631 634 635 640 640, a and b 641 airmen to provide the bulk of the pilots and air crews, keeping the number of officers down as nearly as possible to those who hold permanent commissions. Of course, some airmen are granted commissions (as happens in all the Services) and such commissions are permanent; but the practical abolition of airmen^-pilots and airmen observers would not be for the g&6d of the Service. The Set-back in Libya T HE British defeat in Libya is galling. At the beginning of the campaign we were all assured that the Empire had air superiority, though it is not certain that this was maintained to the end. ^Jhe public will want to know why, when the Axis haswfe superiority, it wins a campaign, but when the BritiS^ hold that advantage the result is different. This was a tank campaign, and the R.A.F., despite the grand work of the air crews and ground staffs, could not nullify Rommel's superiority in that arm. Frankly, it did not try to do so, but concentrated on his lines of supply. If our ground troops are outmatched, air superiority will not always spell victory. ENTS Behind the Lines - - - - • - . - 644 Topics of the Day - - - - 645 Battleships or Carriers ----- 646 Birthday Honours ------ 649 A De Havilland Glider - . - - - 650 Correspondence - 652 Service Aviation - - - - - 653 A sunset study of the aircraft carrier H.M.S. Illustrious at sea. Fairey Swordfishes are making their final circles of the ship before landing on.
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