No. 2 Flying Training School RAF
No. 2 Flying Training School | |
---|---|
Latin for 'A word to the wise is sufficient')[1] | |
Aircraft | Grob Viking T1 |
Website | https://www.raf.mod.uk/rafsyerston/ |
Commanders | |
Current commander | Group Captain Barry "Baz" Dale LLM CMgr FCMI RAF |
Notable commanders | Arthur Tedder, 1st Baron Tedder |
No.2 Flying Training School is a Flying Training School (FTS) of the Royal Air Force (RAF). It is part of No. 22 (Training) Group that delivers glider flying training to the Royal Air Force Air Cadets. Its headquarters is located at RAF Syerston in Nottinghamshire and gliding takes places from several sites throughout the UK using the Grob Viking T1. The RAF Central Gliding School is also under its command.
Throughout its history, No. 2 FTS has had various roles including being the first military flying school to use jet-powered aircraft throughout pilot training.
History
First formation (1920)
No. 2 Flying Training School (FTS) was formed at RAF Duxford in Cambridgeshire[2] as part of No. 3 Group on 26 April 1920, from No. 31 Training Squadron. The school had a special flight attached to it to carry out research for the Professor of Aeronautical Services at University of Cambridge. At the end of August 1921 the school was transferred to No. 1 Group, but returned to No. 3 Group on 1 July 1923. Initially equipped with Avro 504K's and Ns for basic training, it used Airco DH.9As, Bristol F.2B's and Sopwith Snipes for service training. The 504s were eventually replaced by the Avro Tutor, whereas Armstrong Whitworth Siskins and Gloster Grebes replaced the Snipes. The school moved to RAF Digby in Lincolnshire on 30 June 1924, but ceased operations on 29 July 1933 and disbanded on 15 December of that year.
Second formation (1934)
The school reformed on 1 October 1934 as part of
With the outbreak of the
Third formation (1947)
On 23 July 1947, No. 20 FTS at RAF Church Lawford was re-designated No. 2 FTS and on 6 April 1948 it moved to RAF South Cerney in Gloucestershire. It was equipped with de Havilland Tiger Moths and Harvards but in June 1949 the Tiger Moths were replaced by Percival Prentices. However, the school did not last long as it was re-designated as Central Flying School (Basic) on 1 May 1952.
History of 20 FTS
20 FTS was formed on 10 July 1940 at Cranborne in Southern Rhodesia as No. 20 Service FTS and disbanded there during April 1945. The unit was reformed at Church Lawford, England as 20 FTS on 3 April 1945 but was renamed 2 SFTS on 4 September 1946.[3]
Fourth & Fifth formations (1953 and 1970)
As a result of the Korean War there was an increase in demand for pilots and No. 2 FTS re-formed on 1 March 1953 at RAF Cluntoe in Northern Ireland, with Prentices and Harvards. It moved to RAF Hullavington in Wiltshire on 1 June 1954, equipped with Percival Provosts and Chipmunks.
In 1955, it became the first school in the world to offer
Sixth formation (1976)
On 31 March 1976, the school was reformed as No. 2 (Advanced) Flying Training School at
On 30 March 1997, No. 2 FTS was disbanded and was replaced at Shawbury by the Defence Helicopter Flying School, which now trains helicopter pilots for all three British armed services.[4]
Seventh formation (2014)
The school reformed at RAF Syerston on 31 January 2014 and took control of the RAF's Volunteer Gliding Squadrons (VGS) and the Central Gliding School (CGS), previously part of No. 3 Flying Training School.
In April 2014, three months after reforming, all gliding operations were 'paused' due to
- No. 611 VGS – RAF Honington
- No. 612 VGS – Dalton Barracks
- No. 613 VGS – RAF Halton
- No. 616 VGS – RAF Henlow
- No. 618 VGS – RAF Odiham
- No. 624 VGS – RMB Chivenor
- No. 631 VGS – RAF Woodvale
- No. 633 VGS – RAF Cosford
- No. 634 VGS – MOD St. Athan
- No. 635 VGS – RAF Topcliffe
- No. 636 VGS – Swansea Airport
- No. 642 VGS – RAF Linton-on-Ouse
- No. 663 VGS – Kinloss Barracks
- No. 664 VGS – Newtownards
- No. 662 VGS – RM Condor
It was anticipated that the relaunched Vigilants would be disposed of in October 2019, however this was brought forward and the Vigilant was retired from service on 5 May 2018, leaving the Viking T1 as the RAF's only glider aircraft.[9]
Headquarters No. 2 FTS was heavily criticised for not communicating the plans to withdraw the Vigilant T1 from service and the restructuring resulting in closure of many volunteer gliding squadrons.[10] Criticism was also voiced with respect to its retention policy of volunteer personnel, management of its contracted maintenance organization, failure to achieve continued airworthiness management organisation approval during two years of non-flying,[11] limited recovery of aircraft, and the approach for acquiring Part Task Trainers with grants from the RAF Charitable Trust.
During 2017, No. 621 VGS & No. 637 VGS at Little Rissington, No. 644 VGS at Syerston and No. 645 VGS at Topcliffe returned to flying.
By February 2019, seven VGS had returned to flight (No. 621 ,622, 632, 637, 644, 645, and 661). The remaining three squadrons, No. 614, 615 and 626, are awaiting return to flight, but continue to train cadets on ground school elements and Part Task Trainers.[12]
Role and operations
No. 2 Flying Training School provides glider training to RAF Air Cadets through several Volunteer Gliding Squadrons located throughout the UK.
The Central Gliding School teaches qualified gliding instructors who will go on to teach students within a VGS. The CGS also maintains instructor standards. CGS provide instructor training and standardisation both from their base at RAF Syerston and on visits to squadrons. The RAF Central Gliding School is co-located with HQ No. 2 FTS and the Gliding Examining Wing of the
Command
No. 2 Flying Training School is part of the RAF Air Cadets (RAFAC) within No. 22 Training Group.[13]
The unit is commanded by a Group Captain in Full Time Reserve Service (FTRS), the first full-time flying appointment given to an officer of that rank.[14]
No. 2 FTS units
- Central Gliding School – RAF Syerston
- No. 611 VGS – RAF Honington
- No. 615 VGS – Kenley Airfield
- No. 621 VGS – Little Rissington Airfield
- No. 622 VGS – Trenchard Lines
- No. 626 VGS – RNAS Predannack
- No. 632 VGS – Ternhill Airfield
- No. 637 VGS – Little Rissington Airfield
- No. 644 VGS – RAF Syerston
- No. 645 VGS – RAF Topcliffe
- No. 661 VGS – RAF Kirknewton
References
Citations
- ISBN 0-7100-9339-X.
- ISBN 1-899808-06-X.
- ^ Lake 1999, p. 185.
- ^ Lake 1999, p. 104.
- ^ "Duty Holder Advice Notice" (PDF). HQ 2 FTS. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
- ^ a b "Air Cadet Aviation Relaunch:Written statement - HCWS605". MoD. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
- ^ "Air cadet cuts will see more than half of squadrons axed". Telegraph. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
- ^ "New funding initiative for Air Cadet aircraft needed" (PDF). The Honourable Company of Air Pilots. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
- ISSN 0140-0460.
- ^ "Social Media Site". Facebook.
- ^ "Continued Airworthiness Management Organisation Initial Approval Audit Report" (PDF). Military Aviation Authority. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
- ^ Ellwood, Tobias (7 February 2019). "Air Force: Cadets:Written question - 216335". UK Parliament. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
- ^ "No 22 Group". Royal Air Force. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
- ^ "New Gliding School Launches for Air Cadets". Air Cadets. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
Bibliography
- Lake, A (1999). Flying units of the RAF. ISBN 1-84037-086-6.
External links
- Flying Training Schools, Air of Authority.