Central Flying School

Central Flying School
Badge of the Central Flying School
Active	12 May 1912 (1912-May-12) – present
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Type	Flying training school
Role	Instructor training and flying training oversight
Part of	No. 22 Group
Stations	RAF Cranwell (HQ) RAF Shawbury (Helicopters Squadron)
Motto(s)	Imprimis Praecepta (Latin: Our teaching is everlasting)
Commanders
Current commander	Group Captain Anthony R Franklin

The Central Flying School (CFS) is the Royal Air Force's primary institution for the training of military flying instructors. Established in 1912 at the Upavon Aerodrome, it is the longest existing flying training school. The school was based at RAF Little Rissington from 1946 to 1976. Its motto is Imprimis Praecepta, Latin for "The Teaching is Everlasting".

The school currently manages a series of training squadrons and the RAF Display Team.

History[]

The Central Flying School was established by the Royal Navy at Upavon Aerodrome, near Upavon, Wiltshire, on 12 May 1912.^[1] The school’s strength at the outset was ten Staff Officers and eighty flying students, whose course lasted for sixteen weeks.^[2] Its first commandant was Captain Godfrey Paine RN, and it also trained pilots for the Royal Flying Corps, created in 1912, and the Royal Naval Air Service, 1914–1918. It has been responsible for instructor training since 1920, with pilot training being delegated to the Flying Training Schools.

In 1926, the school moved from Upavon to RAF Wittering, but in 1935 it returned to Upavon.^[2] The school was based at RAF Little Rissington from 1946 to 1976.^[3]

Display teams[]

When the Red Arrows, the RAF's sole aerobatic team was formed by amalgamation of other teams, the responsibility was transferred to the CFS from Fighter Command. The Red Arrows moved to RAF Scampton in 1983 when the CFS was moved there and out in 1995– though the Red Arrows returned in 2000.

Elementary flying training[]

The section started using de Havilland Chipmunk T.10 and Scottish Aviation Bulldog T.1.^[4]

In 2000 the Grob Tutor T.1 replaced the Scottish Aviation Bulldog as the initial trainer operated by the unit.

Fast jet training[]

During the 1950s the CFS was equipped with the Gloster Meteor. During 1976 the Hawker Siddeley Gnat T.1s were based at RAF Valley however during 1977 these were replaced as the CFS main advanced jet trainer by the Hawker Siddeley Hawk T.1.

From 1993 the Short Tucano took the place of the BAC Jet Provost.

Helicopter training[]

Helicopter instruction began in 1955 on the Westland Dragonfly and Bristol Sycamore at RAF South Cerney in Gloucestershire. It moved to RAF Ternhill in August 1961. From 1966, the Westland-built Sioux helicopter began service, lasting until 1973, when replaced with the more modern Westland Gazelle HT.2s. During the 1970s the Westland Whirlwind HAR.10s were also used and the School had a detachment at RAF Valley, Anglesey, Wales for SAR and mountain rescue training.^[5]

In 1997 the Gazelle HT.2's and HT.3's were replaced by the Squirrel (Eurocopter AS350), and the Griffin (Bell 412) is also used. RAF Shawbury has been the home of the helicopter training school since 1977, becoming the Defence Helicopter Flying School in 1997. A satellite unit of the CFS is maintained at RAF Shawbury to train and develop helicopter instructors.

Current training squadrons[]

Under the new UK Military Flying Training System, provided by Ascent Flight Training, a consortium of Lockheed Martin and Babcock International, new aircraft will be procured for the pipeline:^[6][7]

UK military aircrew from all three services start their flying careers with elementary flying training:^[8]

• Grob 120TP Prefect T1 (RAF Cranwell/RAF Barkston Heath)^[9]
  • No. 57 (R) Squadron – Elementary Flight Training (EFT)
  • 703 Naval Air Squadron – Elementary Flying Training (EFT)
  • Grob 115E Tutor T1 (RAF Cranwell/RAF Wittering)
  • No. 16 (R) Squadron – Legacy Elementary Flight Training (EFT)
  • No. 115 (R) Squadron – training of QFI Instructors for EFT and UAS/AEF squadrons

Following EFT, aircrew students are streamed to either fast jet, rotary-wing or multi-engine pipelines.

Fast jet[]

• Beechcraft T-6 Texan II – (RAF Valley)
  • 72(R) Squadron – Basic Fast Jet Training (BFJT)^[10]
• BAE Systems Hawk T.2 – (RAF Valley)
  • 4(R) Squadron – Advanced Fast Jet and Tactics Training

Following Fast Jet training, successful students go on to the Typhoon or F-35 Lightning.

Multi-engine[]

• Embraer Phenom 100 – (RAF Cranwell)
  • No. 45 (R) Squadron RAF – Multi-Engine training.^[11]

Multi Engine students will go on to fly the C-17, Atlas, Hercules or Voyager transport aircraft or ISTAR assets like the Shadow, Sentry, Sentinel or Rivet Joint.

Rotary wing[]

No. 1 Flying Training School (replaced Defence Helicopter Flying School in 2020).

• Airbus H135 Juno – (RAF Shawbury)
  • 660 Squadron Army Air Corps – Basic Rotary Training: 660 AAC and 705 NAS take alternate intakes from all three services^{[citation needed]}
  • 705 Naval Air Squadron^[12]
  • No. 60 Squadron – Advanced and Tactical rotary training^[13]
• Airbus H145 Jupiter – (RAF Valley)
  • No. 202 Squadron – Advanced Helicopter training (Maritime and Mountain flying)^[14]

RAF rotary wing students stream onto the Chinook or the Merlin.

Future system[]

• Advanced Fast Jet Training: BAe Hawk T.2, already in service at RAF Valley
  • 4 Squadron
  • 25 Squadron

Training[]

Suitable pilots are trained as Qualified Flying Instructor (QFIs) on the Grob Tutor, Grob Prefect and Embraer Phenom^[15] at RAF College Cranwell. Texan and Hawk QFI's are trained by CFS personnel at RAF Valley.^[15] Helicopter instructors (QHI's), both pilots and rearcrew, are trained at RAF Shawbury, home of No. 1 Flying Training School.

Flying instructors are awarded the Qualified Flying Instructor qualification for fixed-wing types. Helicopter instructors are referred to as Qualified Helicopter Instructors (QHI) or Qualified Helicopter Crewman Instructors (QHCI).

Commandants[]

Ranks given are the highest rank the officer in command held during his tenure.

1912 to 1919

• 19 June 1912 Captain G. M. Paine RN
• 15 November 1915 Lieutenant-Colonel D. le G Pitcher
• 1 February 1916 Colonel C. J. Burke^[16]
• 18 June 1916 Lieutenant-Colonel A. C. H. MacLean
• 1917 Lieutenant-Colonel A. J. L. Scott^[17]

1919 to 1920 (as Commandant, Flying Instructors' School)

• 17 January 1919 Lieutenant-Colonel P. H. L. Playfair
• 7 April 1919 Lieutenant-Colonel (later Wing Commander) C. D. Breese

1920 to 1944

1946 to present

This section needs expansion. You can help by . (June 2008)

Assistant Commandants

• 1912 Lieutenant Colonel Henry Cook^[20]
• 23 September 1913 Lieutenant Colonel Hugh Trenchard^[21][22]
• 7 August 1914 Major, later Lieutenant Colonel, Tom Webb-Bowen^[23][24]
• 6 March 1915 Lieutenant Colonel D. Le G Pitcher^[25]

Notable former instructors[]

• Air Marshal Sir Richard Atcherley (1925–28)
• Air Marshal Sir Lawrence Pendred (1924–30)
• Air Chief Marshal Sir James Robb (1927–30)
• Air Chief Marshal Sir Rex Roe (1953–55)
• Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir John Salmond (1912)
• Air Marshal Sir Anthony Selway (1932–34)
• Air Vice-Marshal Sir Tom Webb-Bowen (1912–15)

See also[]

• List of Royal Air Force & Defence Schools
• Robert Smith-Barry

References[]

Citations

Bibliography

• Green, W; Swanborough, G (1976). Royal Air Force Yearbook 1976. Bromley: Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund.
• Lake, A (1999). Flying units of the RAF. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-84037-086-6.
• Taylor, John W R (1987) [1958]. Central Flying School, Birthplace of Air Power. Jane's Publishing. ISBN 0-7106-0486-6.
• Thetford, O (1995). Aircraft of the Royal Air Force since 1918. London, UK: Putnam Aeronautical Books. ISBN 0-85177-865-8.

External links[]

• RAF website
• RAF Shawbury
• Central Flying School Association
• Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Other Establishments – Flying Schools and Colleges

Coordinates: 53°01′53″N 0°29′36″W / 53.0314°N 0.4934°W / 53.0314; -0.4934