§ 67. Sir C. Osborneasked the Secretary of State for Defence, in view of the fact that most Royal Air Force stations are unused at weekends, if he will encourage their greater use by amateur flying clubs and gliding clubs and seek to give greater financial assistance to these clubs; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MillanAbout 60 R.A.F. airfields are available for landings by civil aircraft when operational requirements permit, when adequate control and safety 217W facilities are available and with the prior permission of the station commander. At weekends when many R.A.F. stations are unused the necessary control and safety facilities are not available and thus a civil aircraft cannot be permitted to land.
Gliding is permitted at certain R.A.F. airfields but the available facilities are often fully utilised by Air Training Corps Gliding Schools. I am always ready to look at the question of the use of specific airfields by amateur flying or gliding clubs. The question of greater financial assistance to amateur flying and gliding clubs is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science.