§ 74. Commander Courtneyasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will arrange for Royal Air Force duty officers and station fire brigade parties to be trained in light signals for aircraft control and emergency runway fire fighting duties, respectively, with a view to permitting light aircraft to utilise Royal Air Force stations when closed down at weekends.
§ Mr. MillanI do not think the arrangements envisaged in the Question would be 81W consistent with the standards of safe and efficient operation of their stations which commanding officers of Royal Air Force stations are required to maintain. It would, in any case, be impracticable for all those who may be called upon to serve as duty officers or as members of station fire parties to be trained in the way suggested.
§ Commander Courtneyasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will instruct Royal Air Force master airfields to accept messages from radio-equipped light aircraft for onward transmission to Royal Air Force stations in their areas when necessary, to enable private aircraft to land at Royal Air Force airfields without obtaining prior permission before leaving the ground as required by present regulations.
§ Mr. MillanI regret that the operational commitments and flying programmes at R.A.F. airfields, including the master airfields through which the messages would have to be passed, make it essential that longer notice of landings is given than would be possible under the arrangements proposed. There would, in any case, be technical and administrative difficulties in such an arrangement.
We are reviewing the existing regulations on the use of R.A.F. airfields by private aircraft and whilst we are anxious to be as helpful as we can, we are at present doubtful whether it will be found practicable to do much more than we do now.