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Aviation History
1948
1948 - 0461.PDF
APK'r 5TH, 1948 FLIGHT 389 The R.A.F.V.R. Some Changes which would improve the Training Position IT has been said that the R.A.F. Volunteer Reserve isnot attracting sufficient numbers of pilots of the rightsort and age. Many reasons have been suggested for this shortcoming, in particular the type of aircraft now used for training. However, it is debatable whether the first assumption is true, or, more correctly, whether the position could be otherwise. Recruiting has not been open to ab initio pupils, and the V.R. organization has scarcely had time to get into its stride. So long as ex-R.A.F. pilots up to a certain age limit are the only ones eligible as volunteers, the V.R. will continue to fill up mainly with« practically useless old men" of about thirty. The ghteen- to twenty-year-old boys, who are unquestionably the better material from which to build up Reserve Air strength, cannot as yet volunteer. One way of assessing the degree of activity in V.R. circles is to turn up for training at the week-end without warning and try at short notice to get an aircraft (Tigers are still referred to by this name). At most schools this is no longer an ea,sy matter. Another sign of the increasing interest in the V.R. is the spate of letters addressed to us, many of which have been printed in the correspondence columns. For every man who writes down his opinions, it is fair to estimate that at least a dozen others have thought about doing so. The feeling on Flight, particularly of the V.R. pilots on the staff, has naturally been very sympathetic to the " let's have a more interesting aircraft" plea, but it is not easy to add weight to these prayers. The problem is not one of what types of aircraft would be desirable, but a three- fold consideration of: What aircraft are available ? Who would look after them and provide spares? And, even more important, where is the money coming from to pay for them and to operate them? Money and Manpower Most people interested in these matters will have watched the latest Service Estimates through the House, and many will have been a little alarmed at the meagre provisions made under some of the most vital headings. Obviously, additional sums are unlikely to be devoted to Volunteer Reserve training when first-line purse strings are as taut as a Tiger bracing wipe. Nor is it true to suggest that there are plenty of Harvards, Oxfords and the like avail- able for operation by the V.R. schools, assuming that some- one could be found to foot the bill. ^fcVIany skilled ground engineers are needed to unpack what aircraft are held in reserve, and to make them serviceable. Certain of the civil V.R. schools might then be able to keep a few such aircraft serviceable, but by no means all of them have sufficient qualified manpower, and any in- equality of equipment at the schools would be likely to lead to an even louder moan than the present ones over Tigers, and the comparison between the present R.A.F.V.R. and R.N.V.R. equipment. In the months between now and the time when the equipment problems have been sorted out there are, how- ever, a number of things which might well be done. As a first move, all canteens at airfield centres should be trans- formed as nearly as possible into R.A.F. messes and the best sort of R.A.F. spirit fostered. The difference between a Reserve, a training ,and an operational squadron airfield in peacetime is in the spirit, interest and outlook of the pilots, the type of aircraft being relatively unimportant. Secondly, the flying" that is done on Tigers by fully quali- fied pilots should be made as useful as possible. For example (a personal one), a V.R. pilot who was a qualified elementary instructor in wartime (and there are a number of them) should not be asked to sit in the back seat of a Tiger with front controls removed to give a rather bored A.T.C. cadet his eleventh session of air experience; using,incidentally, a battered pair of Gosport tubes and helmets through which the boy can hear practically nothing. TheA.T.C. cadet should be well on his way towards a first solo and an "A" licence by his eleventh flight. A poten-tial pilot volunteer for regular service would by then have received proper encouragement, and a V.R. pilot wouldfeel he had made a worthwhile flight. Extra cost—nil. Old Men or Children There is a tendency to suggest good-naturedly to the present V.R. pilots (who are mostly in the "late 20s" or over) that they are "old men" and_it is only the young ones who will be useful. Yet in theTiext breath the old men's experience is forgotten, and they are pushed around like kids. Either the majority of V.R.ists are responsible, qualified pilots, or they are not. This is a second matter needing attention at the present time. With- out pretending to know the answer, it should also be men- tioned that the position, regarding the wearing of uniform, is not entirely satisfactory, nor is the interpretation of the present rulings consistent throughout the schools. It is recognized that the most economical method of training pilots known at the moment is to put the courses through the so-called civil schools, as was done before the war, that is, for the R.A.F. to sub-contract the pupils during early and intermediate stages. This method might well be reintroduced in conjunction with the V.R. schools, to the advantage of all concerned. Another suggestion worthy of consideration is that re- cruiting should be commenced for V.R. ground crew from amongst demobilised wartime fitters and riggers. In this way there might be built up a pool of trained men of vital importance in the event of another war, and at the same time the servicing problems associated with additional and more advanced V.R. aircraft would be settled. Presum- ably the snag here would again be the Treasury, for men likely to volunteer would rightly expect a reasonable re ward for their spare-time services. Finally, there is a legitimate grouse about transport, one which in spite of efforts towards fuel economy needs to be removed. At week-ends a crew bus or station wagon is required to run to a regular schedule between airfield centre and railway station. Only a minority of trainees own or have motor vehicles on the road, and although some official transport is available, many men decide against turning up for periods of week-end training because, once they have arrived at the airfield, they are stuck there for the day, unless they are prepared for a five-mile walk. As the evenings get light, transport will also be one of the main considerations for a man deciding whether or not to report for after-work week-day training. BOOK REVIEW Molesworth's Aeronautical Engineers' Pocket Book. E. andF. N. Spon, Ltd., London. 30s. IN his preface to the Second Edition of this work, the Editor,Dr. A. P. Thurston, M.B.E., D.Sc, M.I.Mech.E., F.R.Ae.S., F.C.I.P.A., states that he has "possession of avery great quantity of additional material, so modern that it has not been released in time for inclusion in the presentvolume." This, however, should deter no one from purchasing the current issue. It is by far the most complete compendiumof data and explanatory information for the aeronautical en- gineer that has ever been produced. The first edition, pub-lished in 1942, was something new in this particular field, but suffered from a variety of defects: the second edition is freefrom the shortcomings of its predecessor, and is immoderately enlarged in content, although not in size. Many of the illus-trations have been over-reduced, however, and thus their primary purpose is partially defeated.
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