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Aviation History
1934
1934 - 0238.PDF
FLIGHT, MARCH 15, 1934 A GROUP OF R.N.A.S. OFFICERS AT CALSHOT IN 1914 : Back row—(1) Staff Surgeon O'Connell, (2) Fit. Lt. F. G. Brodribb, (3) Fit. Lt. A. J. Mackean, (4) Fit. Lt. E. R. C. Nanson, (5) Fit. Lt. Lord Edward Grosvenor, (6) Fit. Lt. I. G. V. Fowler, (7) Fit. Lt. W. G. Sitwell, (8) Fit. Lt. R. H. Kershaw, (9) Fit. Lt. D. Hyde- Thomson, (10) Fit. Lt. R. P. Ross, (11) Fit. Lt. H. A. Busk. Middle row—(12) Mr. W. A. Hancock, (13) Mr. F. W. Scarff, (14) Fit. Lt. H. A. Williamson, (15) Fit. Lt. Cave-Brown-Cave, (16) Fit. Lt. J. T. Cull, (17) Fit. Lt. F. W. Bowhill, (18) Fit. Lt. A. C. Barnby, (19) Fit. Lt. E. T. R. Chambers, (20) Fit. Lt. H. Fawcett, (21) Fit. Lt. A. W. Bigsworth, (22) Sqd. Com. J. W. Seddon, (23) Fit. Lt. R. J. Bone\ Seated—(24) Fit. Com. C. E. Rathbone, (25) Fit. Com. J T. Babington, (26) Fit. Com. D. A. Oliver, (27) Fit. Com. F. E. T. Hewlett, (28) Sqd. Com. C. E. Risk, (29) Wing Com. F. R. Scarlett, (30) Sqd. Com. A. M. Longmore, (31) Sqd. Com. R. Gordon, (32) Sqd. Com. R. H. Clark-Hall, (33) Fit. Com. J. L. Travers, (34) Staff Surgeon O'Hea. first commanding officer was Lt Spenser D. A. Grey,R.N. On this page we publish a group of K.N.A.S. officers at Calshot in 1914, taken just before the war.There are many well-known names in the group. Through- out the war Calshot trained seaplane pilots, but from 1917onwards developed also into a base for anti-submarine patrol work, for which seaplanes were especially suitable.After the Armistice, Calshot became a school of naval co- operation and aerial navigation. In 1922 some flying boatsand personnel from No. 230 Squadron at Felixstowe were moved to Calshot, and ultimately developed into No. 201(Flying Boat) Squadron, which still has its headquarters at this base. lt is really quite a little bit of an effort for men whohave time and again haunted Calshot on high-speed occa- sions to turn their minds from the comparative frivolityof racing seaplanes to the good solid work of flying boats. Yet, after all, there is no branch of R.A.F. work whichis of greater importance to the Empire than the work con- nected with flying boats, and there is certainly none whichit is more fascinating to study. It seems pretty clear that the pilots get bitten by the work and speedily becomeenthusiasts about it. In winter the water is cold, as well as the air, and there are difficulties and problems about allforms of seaplane work which never worry the pilot of land- planes, but the boat pilots become sailors as well as airmenand get the sea as well as the air into their blood. Every- one knows what that means to a Briton. In Air Force parlance, Calshot is a Base. Its_ functions are three. First it is the home of the Seaplane Training Squadron which carries out flying training on marine air- craft for the whole Royal Air Force, including the Fleet Air Arm. Its duties comprise putting pilots through the Flying Boat Pilot's Course, conversion courses, refresher courses, and providing facilities for flying for the officers of the Base. Secondly, Calshot is responsible for a long specialist course in navigation, and when a man has successfully passed through that course he is entitled to write the initial or symbol (N) after his name in the Air Force List. Thirdly, Calshot is the home of No. 201 (Flying Boat) Squadron. Calshot also trains the crews, of marine surface craft of the R.A.F. (see. page 242). In this article it is only possible to give some brief accounts of the first two functions of Calshot. No. 201 (F.B.) Squadron must be dealt with in a separate article in a subsequent issue of FLIGHT. The Navigation Course takes 32 weeks, including two weeks' leave. In that time the officers under instruction spend 900 hours at lectures and in the air. The division of time which is considered right is 70 hours on instruction in the air and 830 hours at lectures. The subjects in the syllabus include logarithms and nautical astronomy, an important subject which should occupy 150 hours ; general navigation with practical work in marine craft, which is normally carried out in one of H.M. ships attached to H.M. Navigation School, Portsmouth ; air pilotage and 238
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