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Aviation History
1926
1926 - 0075.PDF
FEBRUARY 4, 1926 <*IPWI<*L~* HOW TO BECOME A SERVICE PILOT ENQUIRIES are constantly received by the Editor of FLIGHT from correspondents who wish to become pilots in one or other branch of the air force, but who do not know which branch to select or what step to take first. A certain mystification on the part of the most intelligent inquirer is more than excusable, for the dull blue uniform, which typifies the normal hue of the British skies, covers a greater multitude of services than can contrive to hide beneath the dark blue of the navy or the khaki of the army. During the war some people did get confused among R.N., R.N.R., R.N.V.R., and R.N.A.S. ; and some dear old ladies were overheard arguing as to whether Lord Kitchener's army was better than the army of King George. But when it comes to all the air forces, Royal and otherwise, one may be excused for recalling and adapting the lines of Lewis Carroll :— But it fairly lost heart, and outgrabe in despair, When the fifth repetition occurred. Yes, Dear Reader, though you may find it hard to believe, there are five categories of commissioned pilots serving H.M. the King—and even that leaves out of account the naval officers who are piloting in a seconded, attached, posted, or other capacity. Let us enumerate the five categories. 1. Officers of the Royal Air Force, regular and permanent. 2. Officers of the Royal Air Force who are regular but not permanent, holding only short service commissions. 3. Officers of the Royal Air Force Reserve. 4. Officers of the Royal Air Force Special Reserve. 5. Officers of the Auxiliary Air Force. We will take each category in turn, and attempt to make the situation clear in brief language. Many points of more or less importance must be omitted for want of space, but the following remarks may serve as a guide to the Editor's correspondents in selecting the category most suited to their needs. When that choice has been made, it is a simple matter to procure the appropriate volume of regulations through any bookseller. 1. The Royal Air Force, Regular and Permanent This is a career, and a very fine career, too. Moreover, it is not at all badly paid. A pilot officer starts on 16v per diem, and a flight lieutenant, after two years' service in that rank, receives 28s. p.d. There are three ways of obtaining a permanent regular commission :—(a) Through Cranwell Cadet College, (b) through a recognised University, and (c) by selection after holding a short-service commission. In this article we are not considering promotions from the ranks. 2. Short-Service Commissions This category may deserve the careful consideration of some of the Editor's correspondents. It is one way in which a man may be taught to fly at Government expense without taking up service flying as his life's career. His obligation is only five years on the active list, and four years on the R A.F. Reserve. Gentlemen between the ages of 18 and 29 who believe that if only they could provide for themselves for the next five years, they would then find handsome openings in aerial transport for a good pilot (as we sincerely hope that there will be) might do much worse than apply for a short-service commission. The first step is to procure the form of application, Air Ministry form 696, and to do so a letter should be addressed to :—The Secretary, Air Ministry, Kingsway, London, W.C.2. 3. The Royal Air Force Reserve This must be carefully distinguished from the R.A.F. Special Reserve Squadrons, which are dealt with below. Probably, at the present time, though not necessarily in the future, this category will be the one chosen by the majority of the Editor's inquirers. There are seven classes of officers in the RAF Reserve, according to whether they are employed on flying or technical duties, and whether they have previously held a commission and received instruction or need training ab initio. This article is intended for the guidance of men who want to be taught to fly. If they want the Air Ministry to bear all responsibilities, financial and other, of their training, and if they do not want to spend five years in the H.A.I'., and if they do not reside in Northern Ireland, then they will probablydecide in favour of the R.A.F. Reserve. The Reserve is not organised in squadrons. When an emergency arises its personnel will be merged in that of the R.A.F., and in that respect it resembles the Royal Naval Reserve. The initial period of service is for four years, which may be extended by mutual consent of the Air Ministry and the officer. When called up for service officers receive exactly the same pay and allowances as the R.A.F. Pay and allowances are also given during annual training. Officers employed on flying duties also receive a retaining fee of £30 p.a. They are not obliged to wear uniform, except when serving with the R.A.F., and in that case they are given an outfit allowance of £25, unless a particular officer has recently held a regular R.A.F. Commission. The Government sends Reserve officers to a civil flying school either for a refresher course or for training ab initio. There are five such schools, the De Havilland school at Edgware, the Bristol school, the Armstrong Whitworth school at Coventry, the Blackburn school at Brough near Hull (where seaplane instruction can be given), and the Beardmore school at Renfrew, Glasgow. Training ab initio is given at present only at Edgware and Bristol. The proper form of application can be obtained from theSecretary to the Air Ministry as above. 4. The R.A.F. Special Reserve This force is the least advanced of all the martial flying organizations. Only one squadron is as yet in process of formation, viz., No. 502 (Ulster) Bombing'Squadron, which is located at Aldergrove aerodrome, near Belfast. Its CO. is Squadron-Lcader R. D. Oxland, and its equipment is Vickers Vimy bombers. Candidates for commissions who are resi- dent in Ulster should apply to the Adjutant at Aldergrove. The Special Reserve trains its officers to fly at the expense of the State and, therefore, in districts where a S.R. squadron is located the attractions which it offers to civilians are about equal with those of the R.A.F. Reserve. In certain other respects the attractions differ, and one man will prefer the Reserve and another the Special Reserve. At present the choice only affects Ulster, but presumably more S.R. squadrons will be formed in course of time. In the S.R. a single-engined bombing squadron is composed of a head- quarters and three flights ; a twin-engined squadron of a headquarters and two flights. In each the equivalent of one flight and also part of the headquarters is composed of regular personnel, and the CO. is usually to be a regular officer. The squadrons are raised direct by the Air Ministry and take precedence after the R.A.F. and the R.A.F. Reserve. The uniform is the same as that of the regular R.A.F., and service dress must be provided. Pay is given when serving, and an officer receiving his first commission gets an outfit allowance of /40. The force is intended for home defence only, and owing to the large leaven of regulars, the squadrons should, when an emergency occurs, be able to get into the air almost as quickly as the regular squadrons can do. In situations of grave emergency, when a proclamation calling out the Air Force Reserve has been issued, officers of the Special Reserve can be called upon to serve overseas—a liability which few would wish to shirk. 5. The Auxiliary Air Force This last, but not least, of the branches of the flying services is on very much the same footing as the Territorial Army, in that the units are raised by the County Associations. The wisdom of instituting both the S.R. and' the A.A.F., and so creating confusion by the multitude of organizations, remains to be either vindicated or condemned by results. The Regu- lations for the Auxiliary Air Force, Air Publication 968, has just been issued, and is reviewed elsewhere. The following resume may be of help to enquirers. The Auxiliary squadrons are intended to appeal as widely as may be to the civil population, to popularise flying, and at the'same time, to provide a section of air defence at the least possible cost to the tax-payer. About 25 per cent, of the personnel in a squadron will be regulars, including the Adjutant and the stores officer. The CO. and the other officers will be auxiliaries. Applications for commissions must be made on Form 1442 and forwarded, together with a copy of the candidate's birth certificate, to the CO. of the squadron, either direct or through the County Association concerned. The minimum age for appointment as pilot officer or flying officer is 18 and the maximum is 25. After the application has been sent in, the next thing that happens is a personal interview and a thorough medical examination. If the candidate is then approved, the next question is his ability to fly. The A.A.F. does not undertake flying training, as the'four preceding categories do. If the candidate possesses a licence, well and good. If not, then he must go away and learn to fly. After he has done so and has been commissioned, he can be refunded the cost of his flying instruction up to a limit of /115. If he fails to get his " ticket," the State has nothing more to do with him. This provision seems to be a 63
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