 He became Director of Training at RAAF Headquarters, Melbourne, in November 1931.On 2 April 1932, he was taking off from Mascot, New South Wales, in a de Havilland Moth when he struck the perimeter fence and crashed, resulting in major damage to the aircraft and injuries to himself and his passenger.His performance in the early 1930s was highly regarded by his superiors, regularly being assessed as "above average" or "exceptional".