Examiner (Launceston, Tas. : 1900 - 1954), Wednesday 18 September 1940, page 4


PILOT TRAINING BEGINS TO-MORROW More Machines Arrive at Western Junction Eleven more Tiger Moth training planes, which arrived at Western Junction yesterday morning, complete the com-plement of machines for the No. 7 Elementary Flying Train-. ing School. To accommodate the men a small town has sprung up at the 'drome and very soon 46 buildings will have been erected, probably in record time. Training virtually begins to-morrow with the arrival of another batch of men who will be the first pilot trainees.

Operating as a half-school, Western Junction will have a capacity of 48 pupil pilots under instruction at the one time and. in addition, there are officers and a large ground staff. Yesterday's arrivals were the Moths expected last Thursday, but whose flight was interrupted by bad weather. They flew from Flinders Island yesterday morning uneventfully, every precau tion having been taken to ensure their safe arrival. The men were issued with inflated life-savers and rubber boats were stowed in the 'planes. The function of the establishment at Western Junction will be to initiate pilot-trainees into the art of flying. They will be at Western Junction two months and in that time will complete 50 hours' flying (25 hours dual and 25 hours solo). In addition, their instruc tion will include lectures and ground studies such as administration, airman

ship, air frames and' armament,. aero engines, theory of flight; navigation, parachutes and signals. On graduation the trainees will pass to a service fly ing training school for more advanced training. Two Flights at School Mr. J. T. Harrison, Public Relations Officer of the Air Board, arrived with the flight yesterday from Flinders Is land. His view on arrival was that safety had been the first consideration in the flight and that v\as the main reason a stop had first been made at Yanakie (Victoria) and then at Flinders Island. "With Western Junction as a half school." he said, ;"two flights of 'planes will be at the .'drome-that is 18 'planes, in. addition to several emer gency 'planes." In 22 days since the work of erecting hut accommodation was begun by the contractors, Messrs. Denham and Bing ham, of Hobart. the work done has been amazing.' Mr. Harrison yesterday told "The Examiner" that the buildings had been erected in amazingly quick time. "They have almost gone up by forced draft," was the way he described the work. Over 110 men have been employed on the contract, Athe price for which is about £34,000. Mr. H. Rowland, Com monwealth Works Director, Melbourne, is supervising. " Hydro-electricity has been installed and a complete sewerage scheme laid down for connection to all buildings, :which include sleeping and mess.accommodation" for officers and men, workshops, offices, recreation and canteen huts, laundry.and boiler house, garages, stores and armotu'y. In the future the existing facilities for hous ing aircraft will-be supplemented by the addition of" further hangars. A parade ground and sporting facilities also will be provided. Comfortable Huts An inspection of the accommodation by a reprlsentative of "The Examiner" yesterday showed 16-cubicle buildings cccupied by officers, and other build ings, with iron bedsteads, for the ground staff already at the school. A long dining-room was being cleared away after a meal and the kitchens were a scene of activity. The buildings were comfortable built of galvanised iron and lined with ply board. From to-morrow the school will be a scene of even greater activity than at present. Training will begin intensely with lectures, ground training and fly ing instruction and as one batch com pletes the eight-week course, it will be replaced by others and the men move to service flying stations to take their places in the vast Empire Air Training Scheme. See Pictures Page Five