AEROPLANE REPAIR—CAMP MOHAWK.
In British Columbia, the A.I.D. gave valuable services by the passing of all aeroplane lumber purchased by the Imperial Ministry of Munitions for aeroplane purposes, and from this source was drawn raw material required by Canadian factories. The quantities handled were very large, as much as four and a half million feet being inspected in the course of a month. Other services were the supervision of the manufacture of the many engines purchased by the brigade from the Curtiss Aeroplane and Engine Company in the United States.
In order that there might be a thorough consensus upon all technical questions, there was formed shortly after arrival of the R.A.F. an Aircraft Advisory Board. This consisted of representatives from the factory, from the R.A.F. and from the A.I.D., and dealt with the question of any changes required or contemplated in machines. It is hardly necessary to add that no alterations were actually made without conference between the Board and the A.I.D. The chief inspector states that always and under all circumstances the greatest possible harmony has existed between his organization and that of the R.A.F.
[THE INSTRUCTOR.]
Flying instructors are, for the most part, too good to be sent overseas. This is a bald and possibly astonishing statement. The rest are usually those who, being incapacitated at the front from further active duty, spend the rest of their service imparting valuable knowledge to others. From which it may be seen that the appointment is highly honourable as well as arduous.
In the early days of the R.F.C., Canada, the job was not as exacting as in the later months of the R.A.F., Canada. The instructor was then a man who could fly. To-day he is still a man who can fly, but has, to boot, a peculiar and well developed art of infusing his own skill and courage into the pupil by following a certain recognized procedure which has been demonstrated to be the last word in training. There is nothing in this derogatory to the early instructors. Their work was admirable. In a sense they took even greater risks, owing to the slight preliminary training then afforded to pupils before going up. But the instructor of to-day is one who himself has been instructed not only in the mechanics and dynamics of flight, but also in that inductive process by which he acquires the complete confidence of his pupil. It will be understood therefore, that on the introduction of the more modern system of training, to which reference is made on [page 211], it was necessary to re-examine all instructors and make sure that their abilities equalled the new requirements. In addition it was constantly necessary to be sure that instructors were not growing stale in their work.