bftstexas.comThe British Flight Training School Museum

The British Air Ministry set up the massive training program after participating countries signed an agreement in December 1939. The United Kingdom was an unsuitable location for air training, due to the possibility of enemy attack, the strain caused by wartime traffic at airfields and the unpredictable climate, so the plan called for the Dominions to train the majority of personnel. The organizers initially planned to train nearly 50,000 aircrew each year, for as long as necessary: 22,000 aircrew from Great Britain, 13,000 from Canada, 11,000 from Australia and 3,300 from New Zealand. Under the agreement, air crews received elementary training in the various Commonwealth countries before travelling to Canada for advanced courses.

The plan was agreed in Ottawa between delegates from the various countries; Lord Riverdale led the British contingent and the articles named after him as the “Riverdale Agreement” were signed on 17 December.

Under Article XV of the agreement, graduates from Dominion air forces were to be assigned to squadrons either formed by their own air forces, or with a specific national designation, under the operational control of the Royal Air Force (RAF).^[3] If it was intended that they would be under RAF control, Dominion air force squadrons were usually given numbers in the 400–490 range — 400–449 was allotted to the Royal Canadian Air Force, 450–467 to the Royal Australian Air Force and 485–490 to the Royal New Zealand Air Force.^[4][5] These were known as “Article XV squadrons”. A few other prewar RCAF, RAAF and RNZAF units were also under RAF operational control, and Rhodesian squadrons were formed within the RAF. However, in practice — and technically in contravention of Article XV — most personnel from other air forces, while they were under RAF operational control, were assigned to British units.

Canada

Canada was chosen as the primary location for “The Plan” due to ample supplies of fuel, wide open spaces suitable for flight and navigation training, industrial facilities for the production of trainer aircraft, parts and supplies, the lack of any threat from Luftwaffe and Japanese fighter planes and its relative proximity to both the European and Pacific theatres. ^[7]

The RCAF would run the plan in Canada, but to satisfy RAF concerns, Robert Leckie, a senior RAF commander (at the time in charge of RAF squadrons in Malta) and a Canadian, was posted to Ottawa as Director of Training. From 1940 he directed BCATP training.^[8]

Due to its prominence in the plan, US President Franklin D. Roosevelt referred to Canada as “the Aerodrome of Democracy”, a play on his earlier description of theUnited States as “the Arsenal of Democracy.” At its height, The Plan included 231 training sites and more than 10,000 aircraft and 100,000 military administrative personnel. Infrastructure development including erecting “some 8,300 buildings of which 700 were hangars or of hangar-type construction.”^[7]Fuel storage totalling more than 26 million gallons was installed along with 300 miles of water mains and a similar length of sewer mains laid, involving two million cubic yards of excavation. A total of 100 sewage treatment and disposal plants and 120 water pumping stations were completed; and more than 2,000 miles of main power lines and 535 miles of underground electrical cable placed, grout steam cleaner servicing a total connected electrical power load of over 80,700 horsepower.^[7]

In late 1944, the Air Ministry announced the winding-up of the plan, since the Commonwealth air forces had long had a surplus of air crews. At the conclusion of the war, over 167,000 students, including over 50,000 pilots, trained in Canada under the program from 55 led tv May 1940 to March 1945. While the majority of those who successfully completed the program went on to serve in the RAF, over half (72,835) of the 131,553 graduates were Canadians.

Australia

The “Scheme” cost Australia about £100,000,000 for her commitments. In addition to the Empire Air Training Scheme, wartime demands used golf balls had led to training for home requirements. The RAAF built air training and ground training schools, airfields and specialized schools that served the country well in wartime as well as postwar. All the service flying training schools were disbanded, except Uranquinty. The Uranquinty Base continued to provide refresher courses for qualified pilots and even ts briefly became a migrant centre in the late 1940s until it reopened as No 1 Basic Flying Training School between 1951 and 1959 when it finally closed. The Wireless Air Gunners’ School at Ballarat remained as the RAAF Radio School until 1961.

A Memorial was dedicated to 5 Service Flying Training School RAAF, within the Empire Air Training Scheme at Uranquinty, 19 September 1999.

EATS pilot training schools at Evans Head, New South Wales, Cunderdin, Western Australia, Point Cook, Victoria,Essendon, Victoria and Laverton, Victoria are on state best blu-ray or national heritage lists. Wireless operator/air gunners’ schools atMaryborough, Queensland, and Ballarat, Victoria, are currently recommended for state heritage listing.

New Zealand

During the war, the RNZAF contributed 2,743 fully trained pilots to serve with the RAF in Europe, the Middle East, and Far East. Another 1,521 pilots who completed their training in New Zealand were retained in country; either as instructors, staff pilots, or manning skin cancer pictures operational squadrons formed during the latter half of the war. In 1940, before the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan was fully developed, New Zealand also trained 183 observers and 395 air-gunners for the RAF. From 1943 onwards, the cheap external hard drives training of wireless operator/air-gunners, and navigators was carried on in New Zealand for Pacific operations. In addition, some 2,910 pilots were trained to elementary standards and sent to Canada to continue their training. More than 2,700 wireless operator/air-gunners, 1,800 navigators, and 500 bombardiers passed through the Initial Training Wing before proceeding to Canada. Of the 131,000 trainees who graduated in Canada under the Commonwealth Air Training Plan, New Zealanders formed 5.3%.

Mission

The RAF’s mission is to support the objectives of the British Ministry of Defence (MoD), which are to “provide the capabilities needed: to ensure the security and defence of the United Kingdom and overseas territories, including against terrorism; to support the Government’s foreign policy objectives particularly in promoting international peace and security.”^[6]

The RAF’s own mission statement reads as thus, to provide (paraphrase) “An agile, adaptable and capableAir Force that, person for person, un55c6500 is second to none, and that makes a decisive air power contribution in support of the UK Defence Mission.”^[7]

The above statement goes hand in hand with the RAF’s definition of air power, the concept that guides the RAF strategy. Air Power is defined as: “The ability to project military force in air or space by or from a platform or missile operating above the surface of the earth. Air platforms all in one printer are defined as any aircraft, helicopter or unmanned air vehicle.”^[8] Although the RAF is the principal British air power arm, the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm and the British Army’s Army Air Corps also deliver air power which is integrated into the maritime, littoral and land environments.

A flying squadron is an aircraft unit which carries out the primary tasks of the RAF. RAF squadrons are somewhat analogous to the regiments of the British Army in that they have histories and traditions going back to their formation, regardless of where they are based, which aircraft they are operating, etc. They can be awardedstandards and battle honours for meritorious service. Whilst every squadron is different, most flying squadrons are commanded by a wing commander and, for a fast-jet squadron, have an establishment of around 100 personnel and 12 aircraft, but 16 aircraft for Tornado F3 Squadrons.(note that this type is now flown only by 111 Squadron).

The term squadron can be used to refer to a sub-unit of an administrative wing or small RAF station, e.g. Air Traffic Control Squadron, Personnel Management Squadron etc. There are also Ground Support Squadrons, e.g. No 2 (Mechanical Transport) Squadron which is located at 18v cordless drills RAF Wittering. Administrative squadrons are normally commanded by a squadron leader.

Strike, attack and offensive support aircraft

The mainstay of the offensive support fleet is the Tornado GR4. This supersonic aircraft can carry a wide range of weaponry, including Storm Shadow cruise missiles, laser-guided bombs and the kodak playsport ALARM anti-radar missile.

The Tornado is supplemented by the Harrier GR7/GR7A, which is used in the strike and close air support roles, and to counter enemy air defences. The Harrier is being upgraded to GR9/GR9A standard with newer systems and more powerful Rolls Royce Pegasus engines dealing with anxiety. The Harrier GR9 was formally accepted into RAF service in late September 2006.

The Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 has from June 2008 achieved the required standard for multi-role operational deployment.^[18]

Air defence and airborne early warning aircraft

The Panavia Tornado F3 and Eurofighter Typhoon F2 are the RAF’s air defence fighter aircraft, based at RAF Leuchars and RAF Coningsby respectively. Their task is to defend the UK’s airspace. In October 2007 it was announced that RAF Boscombe Down would become one of a number of quick reaction alert airbase from early 2008, used golf clubs offering around the clock fighter coverage for the South and South West of UK airspace when a direct threat has been identified, otherwise the aircraft will be based at RAF Leuchars and Coningsby as described above.^[19]

The Tornado, in service in the air defence role since the late 1980s, is being replaced by the Eurofighter Typhoon F2, based at RAF Coningsby. The RAF’s second operational Typhoon unit, 11 Sqn, reformed on 29 March 2007, joining 3 Sqn, also based at RAF Coningsby. The Tornado F3s at RAF Leuchars will gradually be phased out and replaced with Typhoons, which will also be based at RAF Leuchars.

The Sentry AEW1, based at [[RAF Waddington], provides airborne early warning diabetes to detect incoming enemy aircraft and to co-ordinate the aerial battlefield. Both the Sentry and the Tornado F3 have been involved in recent operations including over Iraq and the Balkans.

The now withdrawn Nimrod MR2′s primary role was that of Anti-Submarine Warfare and Anti-Surface Unit Warfare. TheNimrod MR2was additionally used in a Search and Rescue role, where its long range and communications facilities allowed it to co-ordinate rescues by acting as a link between rescue helicopters, ships and shore bases. It could also drop pods containing life rafts and survival supplies to people in the sea. However the Nimrod MR2 discontinued active service at midnight on 31 March 2010, due to be replaced by the Nimrod MRA4 program due to fully enter service from late 2011. The Nimrod MRA4 is undergoing test flights and training by BAE, who got the contract to rebuild and fit the Nimrod MR2 fleet. In total 9 MRA4′s have been ordered (one of these a former development airframe). The search and rescue role has been adopted by the C-130 Hercules force for this gap, and the anti-submarine role by the Royal Navy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Air_Force