H—37

The medical treatment of serving personnel, the boarding of recruits for the Regular and non-Regular Air Force, and the boarding of personnel prior to their demobilization fully taxed the resources of the Service medical staffs and the civilian medical practitioners who assist on a part-time basis. The general standard of health of serving personnel was excellent, the incidence of sickness being the lowest recorded since 1939. The Dental Service provided by the Royal New Zealand Army Dental Corps was improved as a result of the increase in staff, and almost complete dental fitness in the Air Force was achieved. Training Flying Training. —By the end of April, 1948, preparations were completed for recommencing flying training at Wigram. A Flying Wing had been created within which three schools were established to cover a wide range of instruction. No. 1 Flying Training School was organized to provide pilot training for courses of 12 Cadets every four months. The first course entered "Wigram in May, 1948. The duration of these courses is eighty-two weeks, and No. 1 course will complete training by December, 1949. No. 1 Flying Training School also provided refresher flying for 16 re-engaged Pilots who had just qualified at the end of the war. The Advanced Flying School, with its two sections —the Central Flying School and the Instrument Flying School—provided tuition for 16 officers, who received instructors' categories on all three types of training aircraft in use, and 18 pilots, who obtained their Instrument Ratings. The Central Flying School supervised the Govern-ment-subsidized A.T.C. flying training scheme, testing and grading 150 Cadets, and also provided two conversion courses to Auster aircraft for Army officers selected for Air Observation Post duties. The Navigation School is providing instruction for 24 Cadet Navigators using Anson aircraft in initial phases and Dakota aircraft detached from No. 41 Squadron for advanced work later in the course. When necessary these schools have also taken part in search-and-rescue operations. Technical Training. —The technical training activities at Hobsonville and Wigram have been considerably expanded during the year. Accommodation and training facilities at these stations must be increased to cater for the priority task of training, ■and works-development programmes are being prepared. Personnel now under training -are more than treble the numbers at the same period last year, while 170 completed trade courses during the year. In addition to ah initio courses, conversion training of airmen to the higher standards of the new trade structure was initiated in signals, medical, equipment and administrative trades. The training of airwomen in certain administrative and supply trades will ■commence shortly. Routine trade test examinations were conducted in April and October to enable personnel who have had trade experience following technical training courses to qualify for higher trade classification. Non-Regular Forces Considerable progress has been made in the organization of the non-Regular elements of the Air Force. The administrative structure for the direction and training of all the non-Regular Forces has been established and is now operating in support of the current activities of the Territorial Air Force and the Air Training Corps. The re-activation of the T.A.F. commenced in September, 1948, by the formation of four T.A.F. squadrons, one in each of the four main centres. The fifth and remaining squadron will later be formed at Auckland. The squadrons which operate from Whenuapai, Rongotai, Wigram, and Taieri have been initially equipped with Tiger Moth and Harvard aircraft. Flying operations commenced in December, 1948, and it is planned to provide three of the squadrons with Oxford aircraft later this year.

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