§ 31. Mr. RAPERasked the Under-Secretary of State to the Air Ministry how many hours solo flying was accomplished by each of the officers at present serving in the Air Ministry who were granted their wings without passing all the usual war tests; and what test officers now have to pass in order to qualify them for wearing pilots' and/or observers' wings?
§ Major TRYONI am not prepared to make a personal inquiry from each of the officers in question, and there is no other method of ascertaining how many hours solo flying each officer has carried out.
With regard to the second part of the question, the tests at present qualifying for the wearing of pilots' wings have been published in Air Ministry Weekly Orders. The minimum for solo flying on the qualifying type of machine is five hours. Observers' wings were granted to officers who saw service as observers during the War. Officers can no longer qualify to wear these badges.
§ Captain REDMONDDoes the answer of the hon. and gallant Gentleman also apply to chorus flying?
§ Major TRYONNo, Sir.
§ 32. Mr. RAPERasked the Under-Secretary of State to the Air Ministry the names of all the members of the Committee which recommended that pilots' and/or observers' wings should not be worn on the Air Force mess kit, which recommendation was approved by the Air Council; and whether all the members serving on this Committee had themselves at that time passed all the usual tests to justify their wearing pilots' and/or observers' wings on their service uniforms?
§ Major TRYONThe members of this Committee were:—Air Commodore Lambe, C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O.; Air Commodore Longcroft, C.M.G., D.S.O., A.P.C.; Group Captain Longmore, D.S.O. All these officers are entitled to wear wings. They qualified respectively in 1915, 1912, and 1911. My hon. Friend will realise that when he suggested that the members of this Committee had not themselves the right to wear wings he was wrong both as to the records of these three officers and as to the motives which led to their decision.