Evening star., 1941-05-29
u. 5. 10 Start Training
Of 5000 Flyers for
R. A. F. June 7
Britons to Get Course
Given by Air Corps;
$50 in First Gloss
BY NELSON NJ. SHEPARD.

Measures for close defense CO.
operation with Great Britain wer,
disclosed by Secretary of Wal
Stimson today in announcing thai
on June the Army Air Corps ano
eight civilian schools will star
training 5000 Britons to becom.
r. A. F. combat pilots and nav.
igators.
Mr.. Stimson said the plan woulC
produce 1000 fighter and bomber
pilots and 1000 aerial nevigators
annually.
The Britons will receive the same
course of instruction prescribed fol-
flying cadets of the Army Air Corps
under the plans first phase, designed
to train 1000 as fighter and bomber
pilots for the r. A. F. Under phase
No. 2, 5000 are to be trained as
hghter pilots under a British course
OF instruction at schools yet to be
selected. The final phase provides
for the training of 1000 as aerial
navigators.
$50 to Be in First Glass.
Eventually. Mr.. Stimson said, 1t is
planned to train a great many more
pilots for the R. A. F. This is lone
of the few things we can do to help
fully without any strain on u.s. he
commented.
The first class of $50 students will
come directly from the British Isles,
he said, and will start the required
course of 80 weeks which will carry
them through the primary, basic
and advanced schools. 1t was indi-
Gated that some of the pilots later
may come from Canada for their
training.
An officer of the Royal Air Force
will be assigned to each of the Army
and civilian schools for liaison pur-
poses. During the early stages
American flying cadets will be train
Ing side-by- Side with Britons In the
same schools.
U. S. Program Far Ahead.
Eventually, however. as new
schools are provided under the Air
Corps expansion program, the Amer
lean cadets will be Withdrawn and
the civilian schools will be devoted
entirely to training the Britons.
The War Department said the
British students will receive eight
weeks of preliminary training by
the R. A. F. before coming to this
country.
1t has been known for some time
that the American Air Force hac
been negotiating to relieve the r. A
F. of some of the burden of training
combat pilots, in view of the diff
culties confronting the British Isles
under almost daily bombings. Mr.
Stimson said the program will not
interfere with the training OF Amer
lean airmen.
Our own pilot program is so far
ahead Of airplane production that
we can do this thing without han.
oicapping our own efforts" he said
Lease-Lend Funds to Be Used.
1t was announced the civilian
schools, all in the Southeast All
Corps training center, are the Ala
SeAAAA" AAASStOobC Va TAClOlldullCS, 1 Us
caloosa; Embry- Riddle Co., Arcadia
Fla: Lincoln Flying School, Lake.
land, Fla; Darr Aero Tech, Inc,
Albany, Ga; Graham Aviation Co.,
Americus, Ga; Southern Aviation
School, Camden, S. c.: Chicago
School Of Aeronautics, Albany, Ga,
and Lakeland, Fla.
The British pilots will receive
basic flying instruction at Army
schools in Montgomery, Ala, and
Macon, Ga, and advanced instruc-
tion at Montgomery, Shreveport,
La; Selma, Ala, and Albany, Ga.
Certain material costs of the pro-
gram, the War Department said, will
be covered by ALLEGATIONS under the
Lease-Lend Act. Great Britain will
contract to provide the transporta-
ton, pay, clothing, subsistence and
lodging Of her students In Army as
well as civilian schools.