Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Wednesday 6 November 1940, page 12


'NERVE-CENTRE'

OF R.A.A.F.

?

CENTRAL FLYING

SCHOOL.

Instructors Trained.

Br OUR AVIATION CORRESPONDENT.

The Central Flying: Training: School at Camden can be described as a 'nerve-centre" of the Empire Air Training Scheme in Australia, and of service flying: (or the defence of the Commonwealth At this school, trainee flight Instructors and service pilots undergo courses in \ir Force instruction, and "refresher" and con-version s> »abuses

The staff has been specially selected. I

and consists of well-known service)

officers who wet e in the RAAF before the wai as well as former commercial altlme pilots and private Instructors

For instance Captain H Purvis previous.? a Douglas commander with Australian National Airways and a Lockheed pilot with the Dutch air line the KNILM is now chief Lockheed Hudson instiuctor with the rank of Flight-Lieutenant

Mr G S Coleman befoie the war chief flying instructoi of the Rojal Aero Club and the Kingsfoid Smith Air Seivlce Co at Mascot Is a Squadron Leader and chief flight

Instiuctor

The formet flight supeilntendent of Austialian National Airways Mi K Fiewrn Is » flyin_-officer and Mi C Higginson who opeiatcd his own air taxi sei vice and fljing school at Archerfield Aeiodrome Brisbane is also a flying officer

Another well-^nown former private pilot stationed at Camden is Pilot-Officer B Monk who was Instiuctor with the Rojal Aeio Club

of NSW

These pilots joined the se!vice at consldeiable flnanciil loss pailiculnily Pun I« who I« leceiving about one fouith the salaiy he was paid with the Dutch ah line and Coleman

The misconception that service and commeicial pilots cannot get on together is dis-proved Ti Camden where graduates fiom both brunches of nintion aie combining (heir most useful expeiicnce to supply an efficient flight nucleus for the Emplie Ali Scheme and Ah Force stations thioughout Australia

CAMDEN STATION

The Macqimiie Grove Aeiodióme at Camden was oiiginally planned and built by Mr E Macalthur Onslow and when wai was de cHrcd he offered u to the Commonwealth Government as a complete flying tiaming school It had the advantage"- of T good .111face leasomble weathei throughout the year and quiet rural ton rounding < The offer was accepted bj the lab» Mlnlslei for Air Mi J V Fairbairn

Since the Department foi Air took ovei tnc site the approaches to the landing field have been improved by shovelling away a hill and lopping trees The longest runway has been lengthened to 1 000 yards Huts for quarters for officeis and airmen have been built new hangars have been completed to house train ing airciait a conti ol tower has been erected the Macarthur Onslow home has been turned into the officers mess a hospital has been added and a parade ground roads and lawns have been made

Unlike some other Air Torce stations ihe huts at Camden have been built of timber instead of galvanised iron and are therefore cooler in summer The timber was not pro-perly season.d before being used and the cracks and gaps in the sides of the huts are popularly referred to as a good example of jerry building The Department of the In-terior was responsible for the buildings

Some of the officers who have joined up at financial sacrifice live in the town They like the rural surroundings but have a definite grouch against landlords who have increased íents a ttle loo obviously since the Ma_

quarle Grove aerodrome became an Air Force station They contrast the rising rents with the favourable treatment and co-opera-tion they have received from tradespeople and others

RANGE OF AIRCRAFT

The full complement of staff and trainees at the Central Flying Training School totalabout 500 Aircraft used for instruction range from the 90 horse-power De Havilland Moth Minoi up to th. Avro Anson The intcimeoiate gaps are filled by the Avro Train« Wiri away and Fairey Battle Other types may soon become available to the school namely the Wackett Monoplane Trainer and the Lockheed Hudson

Pilots being trained as instiuctors and attending refiesher' schools undergo both ground and flight instruction courses Link trainers are kept busy up to nine o clock at night

A new system of aerodrome control has been devised which will probably be standardised thioughout the RAAF Aldus signalling lamps as used at Kingsford Smith airport for instance an. not favoured

It Is interesting to note that use has been found foi the 50 Moth Minor aircraft which were bought bv the Commonwealth Govern ment from England They are being employed to give preliminary flight experience before in_truction to men selected as instructortiainees who have had about 50 to 60 hours plivale flying experience

The Central Flying School prepares flight manuals for the operations of new types of ali craft in the RAAF such as the Fairey Battle These instructions for efficient hand-ling of aircraft are prepaied after the types have been flown extensively

In about a year 300 instructors have gone through the Central Flying Training School which was shifted fiom Point Cook to Camden in May this yeal In addition to its tiaining activities the school is almost self-contained The staff carries out most overhauls and all but majoi icpair woik

Another useful woik carriPd nut bv the officeis of the Cential Dying Training School Is the testing of all service pilots This period!

cal testing checks any flying errors which individuals mav develop and is a valuable safety piecaution in preventing injury and

loss ol equipment

The Central riyinf. Training School is under the command of Wing-Commandei E C Bates who served with the Royal Air Force The efficient lay out of the huts hangais and othei buildings is laigely due to his use of available facilities and personnel The bearing and spiiit of officers and men at the

tation are highly creditable

(Pictures on page 14 )