Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 29, 2010 22:57:27 GMT 12
I just realsied that three days ago on the 26th of August it was the 70th Anniversary of the establishment of No. 3 Elementary Flying Training School, at RNZAF Station Harewood.
This was one of the four EFTS establishments in the wartime RNZAF, and I believe it was the largest. The other three were No. 1 EFTS at Taieri, Dunedin, No. 2 EFTS at Bel Block, New Plymouth (later it shifted to Ashburton and then later it merged into 3 EFTS), and No. 4 EFTS was at Whenuapai, Auckland.
No. 3 EFTS trained new ab initio pilots on de Havilland DH82a Tiger Moths, and the school turned out hunderds of pilots wo went on to fly the RNZAF's fighters, bombers, transports and the likes around the world.
I think it's worth mentioning. Visiting Harewood today, or Christchurch International Airport as it is now, it's hard to imagine the place buzzing with little yellow Tiger Moths, not to mention the occasional Vincent and Baffin.
This was one of the four EFTS establishments in the wartime RNZAF, and I believe it was the largest. The other three were No. 1 EFTS at Taieri, Dunedin, No. 2 EFTS at Bel Block, New Plymouth (later it shifted to Ashburton and then later it merged into 3 EFTS), and No. 4 EFTS was at Whenuapai, Auckland.
No. 3 EFTS trained new ab initio pilots on de Havilland DH82a Tiger Moths, and the school turned out hunderds of pilots wo went on to fly the RNZAF's fighters, bombers, transports and the likes around the world.
I think it's worth mentioning. Visiting Harewood today, or Christchurch International Airport as it is now, it's hard to imagine the place buzzing with little yellow Tiger Moths, not to mention the occasional Vincent and Baffin.
