RAF Flying Training Command

RAF Flying Training Command
Unit name	RAF Flying Training Command
Dates	1936–1968
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Type	Training Command
Role	Pilot and aircrew training

RAF Flying Training Command

The formation managed pilot and aircrew training across United Kingdom and overseas stations, coordinating schools, colleges, and units to prepare personnel for Royal Air Force operations; it operated alongside commands such as RAF Bomber Command, RAF Fighter Command, RAF Coastal Command, and interacted with allied organizations including the United States Army Air Forces, Royal Navy, Royal Australian Air Force, and Royal Canadian Air Force.

History

Established in 1936 amid expansion of Royal Air Force training capacity, the command consolidated responsibilities previously held by disparate units including the No. 23 Group RAF and No. 21 Group RAF; it grew rapidly during the Second World War following agreements such as the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan and in response to demands driven by campaigns like the Battle of Britain and the North African Campaign. Wartime exigencies led to links with civilian institutions including the Air Transport Auxiliary and with industry partners such as de Havilland and Avro, while postwar demobilization and Cold War pressures prompted reorganizations involving entities such as Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom) and commands like RAF Technical Training Command until its functions were subsumed during the 1968 reorganization that created new structures influenced by NATO commitments including Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe.

Organization and Structure

The command was organized into numbered groups and schools including No. 1 Group RAF (Training), No. 2 Group RAF (Training), and wartime groups such as No. 23 Group RAF, with headquarters coordinating with establishments like the Empire Air Training Scheme administration and liaison offices with the Air Ministry. Units reported through group headquarters to centralized staff responsible for curriculum, standards, and allocation of aircraft procured from manufacturers such as Fairey Aviation Company and Gloster Aircraft Company, and it maintained links with training committees including those formed under the Air Council and advisory panels staffed by figures from Royal Aeronautical Society.

Training Schools and Units

Training elements encompassed Elementary Flying Training School, Service Flying Training School, Advanced Flying Unit, Operational Training Unit, and specialized institutions such as the Central Flying School, Empire Air Navigation School, and Air Gunnery School; many were located at stations including RAF Cranwell, RAF Halton, RAF Church Fenton, and RAF Little Rissington. The command also managed reserve and Volunteer Reserve connections with Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve units, linked to overseas facilities in Canada, Australia, South Africa, and Rhodesia under schemes like the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan and cooperative arrangements with the Royal Canadian Air Force and Royal Australian Air Force.

Aircraft and Equipment

Aircraft types used for training ranged from primary trainers such as the de Havilland Tiger Moth and Avro Tutor to intermediate and advanced types including the North American Harvard, Fairey Battle (advanced training variants), and twin‑engined trainers converted from service types like the Bristol Blenheim and Avro Anson; specialist instruction used aircraft such as the Supermarine Spitfire for conversion units and the Boulton Paul Defiant for turret training. Training command maintenance and procurement worked with manufacturers including Rolls-Royce, Armstrong Whitworth, and Handley Page to equip schools with radios, navigation aids from firms like Marconi Company, and armament trainers supplied through depots such as Royal Ordnance Factories.

Operations and Role During World War II

During the Second World War the command expanded to meet the demands of global conflict, implementing programs tied to the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan and supporting operations for theatres such as the Western Desert Campaign, Burma Campaign, and the Italian Campaign by supplying trained crews to RAF Bomber Command, RAF Fighter Command, and RAF Coastal Command. It coordinated with allied training efforts including those of the United States Army Air Forces under agreements like the Arnold Scheme and maintained links with operational conversion units attached to squadrons engaged in campaigns such as the Battle of Britain and the Strategic bombing campaign against Germany to stream qualified aircrew into combat units.

Postwar Reorganization and Disbandment

After 1945, reductions in force and shifts in strategic posture prompted mergers and transfers involving RAF Technical Training Command and group-level consolidations reflecting Cold War priorities such as NATO integration with Allied Command Europe; the command oversaw jet conversion training on types like the Gloster Meteor and later trainers before eventual realignment. Continuing reorganizations in the 1950s and 1960s, influenced by defence reviews including those led by the Secretary of State for Defence (United Kingdom), culminated in the 1968 disbandment and redistribution of its functions into successor training organizations and centralised establishments within the Royal Air Force and allied training arrangements.

Category:Royal Air Force