Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 6, 2019 17:48:32 GMT 12
The following articles come from The Press newspaper in Christchurch about flying training at RNZAF Station Wigram, this first one published on the 23rd of January 1940. But it refers to the passing out of the first wartime pilot's course who are seen here in The Press on the 16th of January 1940:
AT WlGRAM.—Fifteen acting pilot officers who-have completed their training at the Royal New Zealand Air Force station at Wigram and after embarkation leave will go overseas to the Royal Air Force. FRONT ROW (from left): Acting Pilot Officers N. Paterson, J. A. Kirdy, N. H. Andrew, W. B. Parker, A. G. Mclntyre, R. J. A. Leslie, J. D. Robins, and B. P. Thomson. BACK. ROW: Acting Pilot Officers R. J. Neal, W. Raymond, J. B. Paterson, M. L. Stedman, I. H. Auliff, R. S. Magee, and P. R. McNab.
The 15 officers inspected last Tuesday by the Chief of the Air Staff, Group Captain H. W. L. Saunders, M.C., D.F.C., M.M., in the passing-out parade at the Royal New Zealand Air Force Station, Wigram, did not qualify for embarkation to join the Royal Air Force without thorough and rigorous training. Every day of the four months' course at Wigram is strenuous and exacting; a high standard is reached only by an exhaustive programme of practical work, lectures, and study, which makes the life of a pupil busy and energetic, but full of interest and enjoyable recreation.
The training at Wigram is the last stage of a course through which intending pilot officers must go before they leave New Zealand. A recruit entering the Air Force first goes through a short period of ground training, drill, and general instruction at the Rongotai aerodrome at Wellington. Then, at New Plymouth or Taieri, Dunedin, he learns how to fly, taking small machines, such as Moths, into the air. He is now ready to enter the Flying Training School at Wigram or Blenheim, where, with regular Air Force machines, he spends two months in the intermediate and two months m the advanced training squadron.
A day's training in the intermediate squadron, with which this article will deal, is full of varied activity. The pupil rises at 4 a.m., takes a light meal at 4.30, and reports to his instructor at 4.50 after collecting and inspecting his parachute, Flying must begin early in the morning, for wind conditions are then most suitable for instruction; later in the day breezes are generally stronger and vary more in direction.
Early Morning Flights
When the pupil takes off at 5 o'clock he will probably fly dual with his instructor. The flight lasts for three-quarters of an hour, and he - lands again at 5.45. Free for half an hour, he can make up his log, where he keeps records of his flights and the types of machines he has flown, or he may study the maintenance work being done oh the machines by the ground staff. An officer does no actual work on the aeroplanes; but it is part of his training to understand the servicing of machines and the repairs they need.
He takes a machine up by himself on a solo flight at 6.15, and has another break from flying when he lands again at 6.45. This break precedes his instruction in instrument flying. So far he has been flying in daylight and clear weather, piloting his machine by observing the horizon and the landmarks round him. He can keep his course by watching the movement of his machine in relation to the horizon, which also tells him whether he is climbing or descending when it rises or falls below his eye level, and how much he is banking by its deviation from parallel alignment with the edge of his wing.
Instrument Flying
These observations enable him to take his course without the use of instruments; but he must learn to fly when such observations are impossible, as when he is flying through a cloud or on a pitch black night without even the help of moonlight or the glimmer of stars. His flight, at 7.45 is for instruction in how to do so. Flying dual with his instructor, he is enclosed in a completely dark cockpit and relies solely on the indications of direction given by a group of precise and accurate instruments. A compass and a gyroscope give him his direction, and a gyroscope also tells him whether he is climbing or descending, whether he is banking or flying level. A gyroscope keeps its own level in relation to the earth. The variation of its indicator from the level of the machine is the pilot's guide.
Training in instrument flying is also given in the Link training machines in the instructional block at Wigram. These machines consist of an exact reproduction of the cockpit of an aeroplane, in which the pilot is enclosed in darkness. With the aid of the instruments he can alter the position of the whole structure as he would the course, altitudinal direction, and level of an aeroplane in flight. He does this in accordance with directions which he receives by telephone from his instructor seated a short distance away.
By 8.30 the pupil has finished flying, and goes to breakfast. At 9.30 he begins on a series of lectures which last till lunch. The first is on engineering, to make him familiar with the working of an aeroplane engine and the structure of the airframe. The next, at 10.35, is on the armaments of air warfare for attack and defence. It may include practice in the use of a Vickers gun on the firing range from a rocking nacelle, a metal structure which the weight of the seated pilot causes to sway about, reproducing the conditions of an aeroplane in flight. It is the pilot's job to keep the gun trained on the target by means of the controls.
A lecture on meteorology at 11.35 is followed by one on aerial warfare at 12.35. Introduced since the outbreak of war, this instruction is in the application of what is learned in the course in armaments, and covers identification of different types of aircraft, methods of attack and defence, methods of bombing for low and high flying, and other aspects of war In the air.
Afternoon Recreation
A sleep of about two hours is welcomed after lunch and about 4.30 the pupil awakes for a cup of tea. Exercise before supper at 6.30 is a valuable part of the day's programme. Tennis courts are now under construction at the aerodrome, but at present the swimming bath offers the readiest opportunity for recreation. In the afternoon the pupil may attend screenings of films on service subjects or take part in debates. Leave Is allowed on Wednesday afternoon and Friday evening, and in the week-end. "Supper" is at 6.30, but on Thursday dinner is at 7.30, and every officer living at the station must attend. The mess building is extremely well appointed in the best modern style, with a spacious and comfortable lounge, a card room, and a billiards room to which officers may adjourn. The station now has an orchestra of its own.
Later in the evening, for a short period during his training, the pupil must undergo a course in night flying, which is carried out between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m. He becomes accustomed to night conditions by taking up a machine, first dual and later solo, and landing on a floodlit ground, further illuminated by a line of paraffin flares from which he learns to judge his height and distance.
About once a month a pupil may be detailed as duty pilot. Under the charge of the Chief Flying Instructor he supervises the whole traffic of the aerodrome from an observation room in the instructional block, noting and reporting on the movements of machines, signalling them in, and giving wind signals. Another duty he will periodically receive is that of orderly officer, supervising the operation of various stations. After two months of such training he enters the advanced training squadron.
TRAINING AT WIGRAM
Routine of First Two Months
EXACTING BUT ENJOYABLE
Flying, Lectures, And Study
i
The 15 officers inspected last Tuesday by the Chief of the Air Staff, Group Captain H. W. L. Saunders, M.C., D.F.C., M.M., in the passing-out parade at the Royal New Zealand Air Force Station, Wigram, did not qualify for embarkation to join the Royal Air Force without thorough and rigorous training. Every day of the four months' course at Wigram is strenuous and exacting; a high standard is reached only by an exhaustive programme of practical work, lectures, and study, which makes the life of a pupil busy and energetic, but full of interest and enjoyable recreation.
The training at Wigram is the last stage of a course through which intending pilot officers must go before they leave New Zealand. A recruit entering the Air Force first goes through a short period of ground training, drill, and general instruction at the Rongotai aerodrome at Wellington. Then, at New Plymouth or Taieri, Dunedin, he learns how to fly, taking small machines, such as Moths, into the air. He is now ready to enter the Flying Training School at Wigram or Blenheim, where, with regular Air Force machines, he spends two months in the intermediate and two months m the advanced training squadron.
A day's training in the intermediate squadron, with which this article will deal, is full of varied activity. The pupil rises at 4 a.m., takes a light meal at 4.30, and reports to his instructor at 4.50 after collecting and inspecting his parachute, Flying must begin early in the morning, for wind conditions are then most suitable for instruction; later in the day breezes are generally stronger and vary more in direction.
Early Morning Flights
When the pupil takes off at 5 o'clock he will probably fly dual with his instructor. The flight lasts for three-quarters of an hour, and he - lands again at 5.45. Free for half an hour, he can make up his log, where he keeps records of his flights and the types of machines he has flown, or he may study the maintenance work being done oh the machines by the ground staff. An officer does no actual work on the aeroplanes; but it is part of his training to understand the servicing of machines and the repairs they need.
He takes a machine up by himself on a solo flight at 6.15, and has another break from flying when he lands again at 6.45. This break precedes his instruction in instrument flying. So far he has been flying in daylight and clear weather, piloting his machine by observing the horizon and the landmarks round him. He can keep his course by watching the movement of his machine in relation to the horizon, which also tells him whether he is climbing or descending when it rises or falls below his eye level, and how much he is banking by its deviation from parallel alignment with the edge of his wing.
Instrument Flying
These observations enable him to take his course without the use of instruments; but he must learn to fly when such observations are impossible, as when he is flying through a cloud or on a pitch black night without even the help of moonlight or the glimmer of stars. His flight, at 7.45 is for instruction in how to do so. Flying dual with his instructor, he is enclosed in a completely dark cockpit and relies solely on the indications of direction given by a group of precise and accurate instruments. A compass and a gyroscope give him his direction, and a gyroscope also tells him whether he is climbing or descending, whether he is banking or flying level. A gyroscope keeps its own level in relation to the earth. The variation of its indicator from the level of the machine is the pilot's guide.
Training in instrument flying is also given in the Link training machines in the instructional block at Wigram. These machines consist of an exact reproduction of the cockpit of an aeroplane, in which the pilot is enclosed in darkness. With the aid of the instruments he can alter the position of the whole structure as he would the course, altitudinal direction, and level of an aeroplane in flight. He does this in accordance with directions which he receives by telephone from his instructor seated a short distance away.
By 8.30 the pupil has finished flying, and goes to breakfast. At 9.30 he begins on a series of lectures which last till lunch. The first is on engineering, to make him familiar with the working of an aeroplane engine and the structure of the airframe. The next, at 10.35, is on the armaments of air warfare for attack and defence. It may include practice in the use of a Vickers gun on the firing range from a rocking nacelle, a metal structure which the weight of the seated pilot causes to sway about, reproducing the conditions of an aeroplane in flight. It is the pilot's job to keep the gun trained on the target by means of the controls.
A lecture on meteorology at 11.35 is followed by one on aerial warfare at 12.35. Introduced since the outbreak of war, this instruction is in the application of what is learned in the course in armaments, and covers identification of different types of aircraft, methods of attack and defence, methods of bombing for low and high flying, and other aspects of war In the air.
Afternoon Recreation
A sleep of about two hours is welcomed after lunch and about 4.30 the pupil awakes for a cup of tea. Exercise before supper at 6.30 is a valuable part of the day's programme. Tennis courts are now under construction at the aerodrome, but at present the swimming bath offers the readiest opportunity for recreation. In the afternoon the pupil may attend screenings of films on service subjects or take part in debates. Leave Is allowed on Wednesday afternoon and Friday evening, and in the week-end. "Supper" is at 6.30, but on Thursday dinner is at 7.30, and every officer living at the station must attend. The mess building is extremely well appointed in the best modern style, with a spacious and comfortable lounge, a card room, and a billiards room to which officers may adjourn. The station now has an orchestra of its own.
Later in the evening, for a short period during his training, the pupil must undergo a course in night flying, which is carried out between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m. He becomes accustomed to night conditions by taking up a machine, first dual and later solo, and landing on a floodlit ground, further illuminated by a line of paraffin flares from which he learns to judge his height and distance.
About once a month a pupil may be detailed as duty pilot. Under the charge of the Chief Flying Instructor he supervises the whole traffic of the aerodrome from an observation room in the instructional block, noting and reporting on the movements of machines, signalling them in, and giving wind signals. Another duty he will periodically receive is that of orderly officer, supervising the operation of various stations. After two months of such training he enters the advanced training squadron.
