Selection and Training

Each year university students are chosen from the ranks of those undergoing compulsory military training—normally students are chosen from the January intake or from students who have already completed this training. Once accepted for the university scheme students are commissioned as acting pilot officers, For the first two short-term breaks after selection students are occupied mainly with ground subjects. The next stage occupies the 12 weeks of the first long vacation when flying training begins in earnest. Each trainee does up to 85 hours' flying in this stage. In the short vacations flying training (up to 20 hours) is continued with territorial squadrons. The final stage is a flying training course of 12 weeks in the second long vacation after the commencement of training. Each student does about 85 hours flying in this period. Except for the initial stage, all training is carried out at Wigram.

On completion of his training, a student is confirmed in the rank of pilot officer and is posted to one of the four territorial fighter squadrons which are located in the four main centers of New Zealand. Because the training of a pilot is so expensive, priority for this scheme is naturally given to students who, after completion of their course, intend to live in one of the four main centers.

Briefly that is what the course entails. But what did the successful students think of it". The writer interviewed six of them before the graduation ceremony and in the following paragraphs has tried to give a reasonable crystallisation of their views.

On the credit side the students were unanimous that the course was a good one. Of the six interview not one had a complaint about the syllabus. Amenities, living quarters and opportunities for sport and recreation came in for some enthusiastic support. Most agreed that the course did nothing to interfere with their university work. Perhaps Professor Hopkins summed up the feelings of the students when he told them: "The Air Force has given you something for which you may have looked in vain from the university. You have lived together, you have felt the community of spirit of men striving towards a common goal, and you have partaken of its inevitable comradeship."