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Aviation History
1957
1957 - 0682.PDF
688 FLIGHT Airline Pilot 1| School •Dutch Government Initiative FOR many years the subject of discussion—but noaction—in this country, a national training schemefor airline pilots has been in operation in the Netherlands since 1931, with the obvious exception ofthe war years. The post-war development, in particular, has been a model of what an integrated programme canachieve; and the culmination of this effort was marked on Wednesday, May 15, by the official opening byH.R.H. Prince Bernhard of the main section of the Rijksluchtvaartschool (government civil flying school) atEelde airfield, near Groningen, in the North of Holland. The school was founded in 1946 when the first course of 78students began training at Gilze-Rijen airport, between Breda and Tilburg. This followed an emphatic pronouncement of the needfor commercial pilots by the president of K.L.M. Royal Dutch Airlines, the late Dr. Albert Plesman. Elementary training wasto be in Tiger Moths, intermediate training in Harvards and final training in Beechcraft D-18S aircraft. It was soon found advisable to separate the elementary flyingfrom the more advanced operations, and the former function was transferred to Ypenburg, near The Hague. Since that time alltraining except the elementary flying has been transferred to Eelde; and the final move, now taking place, is that of the elementaryschool from Ypenburg to Zestienhoven, near Rotterdam. The overall scheme for the training of Dutch airline pilots isextremely comprehensive. Candidates begin their formal training at Eelde between the ages of 17 and 20, after satisfying the educa-tional requirement and passing medical, character and aptitude tests. Many will already have received gliding training beforeleaving school (at the government gliding centre at Terlet, described in Flight of July 1, 1955). While gliding experienceis not essential, it is a firm recommendation in the flying-aptitude and character tests. Successful candidates, recommended by the admission com-mittee to the Department of Civil Aviation for acceptance to the school, first undergo a period of six months' theoreticalinstruction in the classrooms and laboratories at Eelde. The sub- jects include navigation and maps, radio and radar, meteorology,compass instruction, aircraft, engines, instruments, aviation law, signals and English. During this pre-night course an examinationfor the radio-telephonist licence is held. The students' flying training begins at Rotterdam, where theelementary phase comprises 25 hours' dual and 55 hours' solo on Tiger Moths—the distinctive long-finned version. For inter-mediate and final training the pupils return to Eelde. Here they convert on to the Harvard and Saab 91A Safir, the emphasis beingon general flying and radio-navigation flying respectively, but including 20 hours' instrument flying on each type. With 80 hours on Tigers, 68 on Harvards and 66 on Safirs intheir logbooks, the student pilots move on to the twin-engined Beechcraft D-18S for their final training. This consists of typefamiliarization, instrument flying, navigation exercises and night flying to the tune of 88 hours, giving a total of 302 flying hoursduring the entire course. Throughout the period of flying train- ing, ground instruction is continued, while Link-trainer practiceis given during the entire training period of 2| years. • Theoretical examinations for the Senior Commercial Pilot'sLicence and the Airline Transport Pilot's Licence are taken during the course, and the foundations are laid for those for the FlightNavigator's Licence (completed later during airline service). On completion of the course at Eelde the student is ready to takethe practical examination for his Commercial Pilot's Licence, , which qualifies him to fly as pilot-in-charge in Beechcraft D-18and other aircraft up to 5,700 kg, and as second pilot in larger aircraft.Although Eelde airfield has been in use under the scheme for several years, only recently has the group of buildings designedexpressly for the school's work been completed. The formal open- ing of the new facilities by Prince Bernhard last week provided anopportunity for the progress of the training scheme to be reviewed, and for many ex-students (now K.L.M. pilots), government and Prince Bernhard arriving to open the Eelde facilities last week. With him were the Minister of Transport, Mr. J. Algera (centre) and the :.•••_• .•-••- school commandant, Capt. K. J. A. Meester. - Hangar view of students' residential and recreation blocks at Eelde. airline officials and members of the local community to view thewell-planned layout of the school. The opportunity was also taken for students and instructors topractise international airways flying in flights to Southend, Paris, Brussels, Munich, Zurich, Vienna and Copenhagen, returning(and landing at Eelde within ten minutes of each other) with a mixed collection of aviation journalists. Flight—the only Britishweekly represented on this occasion—was in the hands of the chief flying instructor, Mr. J. Schoute, and a perspiring young studentrecently converted to the D-18S. Before the official opening a memorial was unveiled to the pilotsof the school who in earlier years had lost their lives in aircraft accidents. As Prince Bernhard's Dakota taxied in, the aircraft andpersonnel of the school were lined up on the apron, the Tiger Moths having flown to Eelde for the occasion. Among the officialswho greeted His Royal Highness were the three directors of the Rijksluchtvaartschool, Mr. L. A. de Lange (administration, TheHague); Capt. K. J. A. Meester (commandant of the advanced training section); and Capt. Th. J. van Middc (commandant of theelementary training section). After welcoming Prince Bernhard to Eelde the Dutch Ministerof Transport, Mr. J. Algera, described the planning of the new buildings. They had been designed, he said, by Pierre Cuypers,whose intention had been to express the concepts of home, school, mental relaxation, and physical development in separate units.The interior designer, Bart van der Leek, had co-operated with the architect to give an impression of rest and space.Officially opening the training centre, Prince Bernhard said that the Department of Civil Aviation and K.L.M. were workingtogether to increase still further the safety of aviation. In this respect one of the special tasks of the Department was the trainingof airline pilots, as flight safety was largely dependent on the qualities of the pilot. The Netherlands, he continued, had beenthe first country in the world to establish a school for the direct training of airline pilots. The third speaker at the opening ceremony was Mr. J. A. Bach, :_-;„ Jj'".::.~.ii£_f ~
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