Timeline of the Royal Air Force

1900–1918: The origins of the Royal Air Force

  • 1901
    • 29 October – The Aero Club of Great Britain is established. In the following years many early military pilots were trained by members of the Club.
  • 1905
  • 1908
  • 1909
    • The Aero Club establishes the first British flying ground near Leysdown in Kent.
    • 2 May – John Moore-Brabazon becomes the first Englishman to make an officially recognized aeroplane flight in England.
  • 1910
    • The Aero Club moves its flying from Leysdown to the nearby Eastchurch.
    • June – Charles Rolls becomes the first Englishman to fly across the Channel.
  • 1911
  • 1912
    • 13 April – The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) is established by Royal Warrant. An Air Committee to liaise between the Admiralty and the War Office is also created.
    • 13 May – RFC assume control of Air Battalion of the Royal Engineers and the Naval Air Service.
    • 19 June- Central Flying School (CFS) is formed at Upavon.
  • 1914
  • 1916
    • 15 February – The Joint War Air Committee is established to co-ordinate the activities of the RFC and RNAS.
    • 15 May – The Air Board replaces the ineffective Joint War Air Committee.
    • 12 December – RFC expands to 106 front-line squadrons and 95 reserve and training squadrons.
  • 1917
    • 29 November – The Air Force (Constitution) Act passed, providing for creation of an Air Force and an Air Ministry.

1918–1939: The inter-war years and policing the Empire

1939–1945: World War II

  • 1939
  • 1940
  • 1941
  • 1942
    • 30 May – Over 1,000 bombers set out to raid Cologne, severely damaging the city.
    • 1 June – Around 1,000 bombers set out to raid Essen, however many crews mistakenly bomb other cities.
    • 25 June – Around 1,000 bombers set out to raid Bremen, severely damaging the city and successfully bombing the Focke-Wulf aircraft factory.
  • 1943
    • 5 March – In an effort to decimate the German industrial base, Bomber Command begins bombing the Ruhr region.
    • 25 March – Transport Command is formed by redesignating Ferry Command.
    • 16 May – Aircraft of 617 Squadron set out on Operation Chastise, commonly known as the Dambusters Raid. The Mohne and Eder dams are breached.
    • 18 November – This is the first night of a four-month bombing campaign against Berlin.
  • 1944
  • 1945
    • 22 February – Allied Air Forces launch Operation Clarion, a concerted effort to destroy German transportation within 24 hours.

1945–1990: The Cold War years

1990–present: Expeditionary operations

Tail of Tornado GR4 ZG750, marking 25 years of Tornado GR operations, at the 2016 Farnborough Airshow.

See also

References

  1. "Ministry of Defence | Fact Sheets | Operations Factsheets | Operations in Afghanistan: Background Briefing 1". 26 October 2009. Archived from the original on 26 October 2009. Retrieved 25 May 2016.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. Hansard, 14/12/04

Royal Air Force website timeline

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