§ 40. Mr. Geoffrey de Freitasasked the Under-Secretary of State for Air what proportion of those who qualified as Service pilots in 1947, 1948, 1949 and 1950, respectively, had previously qualified as glider pilots.
§ Mr. de FreitasIs the hon. Gentleman aware that some years ago the practice was instituted of having some cadets take gliding instruction before flying instruction? Unless figures like these are available it is impossible to assess the value of preliminary gliding training.
§ Mr. BirchPilots' records do not show whether they have had gliding experience before flying. On the other hand, as the hon. Gentleman knows, considerable tests have been carried on at Cranwell and elsewhere into this matter, and these are perhaps the best tests, because one can carry straight through to see what is the value of gliding training.
§ Mr. de FreitasIs the hon. Gentleman aware that it is because no such records are kept of a pilot that I put down the Question?
Air Commodore HarveyIs it not a fact that the hon. Member for Lincoln (Mr. de Freitas) was formerly Under-Secretary of State for Air and should have kept the records?