No. 1 Basic Flying Training School RAAF
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No. 1 Basic Flying Training School (No. 1 BFTS) was a flying training school of the
Royal Australian Air Force The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal Air force, aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally the Governor-Gener ...
(RAAF). Along with No. 1 Initial Flying Training School (No. 1 IFTS), it was formed in response to increased demand for aircrew during the
Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
and
Malayan Emergency The Malayan Emergency, also known as the Anti–British National Liberation War, was a guerrilla warfare, guerrilla war fought in Federation of Malaya, Malaya between communist pro-independence fighters of the Malayan National Liberation Arm ...
. No. 1 BFTS was established in December 1951 at
RAAF Base Uranquinty RAAF Base Uranquinty was a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base located at Uranquinty, New South Wales. Land was requisitioned in 1940 as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, Empire Air Training Scheme during the Second World Wa ...
, New South Wales, where it operated
de Havilland Tiger Moth The de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s British biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and built by the de Havilland, de Havilland Aircraft Company. It was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and other operators as a primary traine ...
s and
CAC Wirraway The CAC Wirraway is a Trainer aircraft, training and general purpose military aircraft manufactured in Australia by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) between 1939 and 1946. It was an Australian development of the North American NA-16 ...
s. The school absorbed the activities of No. 1 IFTS in January 1955, as aircrew training requirements had eased following the end of the Korean War. No. 1 BFTS moved to
RAAF Base Point Cook Point Cook is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Wyndham local government area. Point Cook recorded a population of 66,781 at the 2021 census, making it t ...
, Victoria, in May 1958, by which time it was exclusively flying
CAC Winjeel The CAC CA-25 Winjeel is an Australian-designed and manufactured three-seat training aircraft. Entering service with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in 1955 as a basic to advanced trainer, it served in this role until 1975. Later, it was ...
s. Its training program expanded in the mid-1960s owing to Australia's commitments in the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
. No. 1 BFTS was re-formed as No. 1 Flying Training School at Point Cook in January 1969.


History

Prior to World War II, all pilot training in the
Royal Australian Air Force The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal Air force, aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally the Governor-Gener ...
(RAAF) was conducted under the auspices of one unit, No. 1 Flying Training School (No. 1 FTS), at
RAAF Point Cook RAAF Williams is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military air base set across two locations, at Point Cook and Laverton, located approximately south-west of the Melbourne central business district in Victoria, Australia. Both establishm ...
, Victoria. With the dramatic expansion of aircrew training under the wartime
Empire Air Training Scheme The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), often referred to as simply "The Plan", was a large-scale multinational military aircrew training program created by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand during the Second Wo ...
, No. 1 FTS was supplanted in 1940–41 by twelve elementary flying training schools (EFTS) and eight service flying training schools (SFTS).Stephens, ''The Royal Australian Air Force'', pp. 67–70 Post-war rationalisation saw all the EFTSs and SFTSs disbanded. No. 1 FTS, re-formed using the personnel and equipment of No. 5 Service Flying Training School in
Uranquinty Uranquinty is a small town approximately south of Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Wagga Wagga, in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. The population of the town, often referred to as "Quinty", is 909. Uranquinty was used as the ...
, New South Wales, returned to Point Cook and again became the RAAF's sole facility for training new pilots.RAAF Historical Section, ''Units of the Royal Australian Air Force'', pp. 38–39


Formation at Uranquinty

In response to demands for more aircrew to meet Australia's commitments to the
Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
and
Malayan Emergency The Malayan Emergency, also known as the Anti–British National Liberation War, was a guerrilla warfare, guerrilla war fought in Federation of Malaya, Malaya between communist pro-independence fighters of the Malayan National Liberation Arm ...
, flying training in the RAAF was again expanded in 1951–52, resulting in the functions of No. 1 FTS being split among three separately located units.Ilbery, ''Hatching an Air Force'', p. 118 No. 1 FTS itself was renamed No. 1 Applied Flying Training School (No. 1 AFTS) in March 1952, and assumed responsibility for advanced weapons and combat training on
CAC Wirraway The CAC Wirraway is a Trainer aircraft, training and general purpose military aircraft manufactured in Australia by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) between 1939 and 1946. It was an Australian development of the North American NA-16 ...
s. Meanwhile, in November 1951, No. 1 Initial Flying Training School (No. 1 IFTS) was raised at
RAAF Station Archerfield RAAF Station Archerfield was a permanent Royal Australian Air Force station at Archerfield Airport in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, from 1939 to 1956. History 1939–1945 At the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, the Royal Austr ...
, Queensland, to impart students with general aeronautical and military knowledge, after which they received their flight grading during twelve hours on
de Havilland Tiger Moth The de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s British biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and built by the de Havilland, de Havilland Aircraft Company. It was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and other operators as a primary traine ...
s. Graduate pilots of No. 1 IFTS went on to another new unit, No. 1 Basic Flying Training School (No. 1 BFTS) at
RAAF Base Uranquinty RAAF Base Uranquinty was a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base located at Uranquinty, New South Wales. Land was requisitioned in 1940 as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, Empire Air Training Scheme during the Second World Wa ...
, New South Wales, where they underwent further aerial instruction that included instrument, formation and night flying, as well as aerobatics and navigation. The first part of their training at No. 1 BFTS included 40 hours on Tiger Moths, after which they would fly 50 hours on Wirraways. Successful students finally transferred to No. 1 AFTS, before graduating as
sergeant pilot A sergeant pilot was a non-commissioned officer who had undergone flight training and was a qualified pilot in the air forces of several Commonwealth countries before, during and after World War II. It was also a term used in the United States Arm ...
s.Stephens, ''The Royal Australian Air Force'', pp. 199–200RAAF Historical Section, ''Units of the Royal Australian Air Force'', p. 43 When No. 1 BFTS formed at Uranquinty on 1 December 1951, it had 377 staff, 37 Tiger Moths and 37 Wirraways, and came under the control of Headquarters Southern Area ( Training Command from 1 October 1953). The first pilots' course commenced on 1 April 1952, and graduated on 1 August. The first course of graduates from No. 1 IFTS transferred in the same month. As well as RAAF pilots, No. 1 BFTS trained students from the
Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia. It is a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF), along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army ...
and the
Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the navy, naval branch of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (Australia), Chief of Navy (CN) Vice admiral (Australia), Vice Admiral Mark Hammond (admiral), Ma ...
's
Fleet Air Arm The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is the naval aviation component of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy (RN). The FAA is one of five :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, RN fighting arms. it is a primarily helicopter force, though also operating the Lockhee ...
.Ilbery, ''Hatching an Air Force'', pp. 121–129 In February 1953, a prototype
CAC Winjeel The CAC CA-25 Winjeel is an Australian-designed and manufactured three-seat training aircraft. Entering service with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in 1955 as a basic to advanced trainer, it served in this role until 1975. Later, it was ...
, designed and manufactured in Australia, arrived at the school to undergo trials. From January 1956 to February 1957, the Winjeel gradually replaced both the Tiger Moth and the Wirraway as No. 1 BFTS's training aircraft. As well as these aircraft,
Link Trainer The term Link Trainer, also known as the "Blue box" and "Pilot Trainer" is commonly used to refer to a series of flight simulators produced between the early 1930s and early 1950s by Link Aviation Devices, founded and headed by Ed Link, based o ...
instrument flying simulators were employed at the school. By November 1954, following the end of the Korean War, the RAAF's need for further aircrew to fulfill its international obligations had eased and the decision was made to combine the syllabus of No. 1 IFTS with No. 1 BFTS starting in January 1955, after which No. 1 IFTS was disbanded.


Relocation to Point Cook

In May 1958, No. 1 AFTS relocated to
RAAF Base Pearce RAAF Base Pearce is the main Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military air base in Western Australia, located in Bullsbrook, north of Perth. It is used for training by the RAAF and the Republic of Singapore Air Force. Pearce is the busies ...
, Western Australia, to re-equip with
de Havilland Vampire The de Havilland DH100 Vampire is a British jet fighter which was developed and manufactured by the de Havilland, de Havilland Aircraft Company. It was the second jet fighter to be operated by the Royal Air Force, RAF, after the Gloster Meteo ...
jet trainers. Its place at RAAF Base Point Cook was taken by No. 1 BFTS, which transferred from Uranquinty. RAAF Base Uranquinty closed on 18 December 1958, and No. 1 BFTS commenced operations at Point Cook the following day. Trainee pilots could now expect to fly approximately 85 hours on Winjeels at No. 1 BFTS, followed by 125 hours on Vampires at No. 1 AFTS, and gain a short-service commission as a
pilot officer Pilot officer (Plt Off or P/O) is a junior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Pilot officer is the lowest ran ...
upon graduation. On 31 December 1958, the Flying Training Squadron at
RAAF College The Royal Australian Air Force College (commonly known as the RAAF College and abbreviated as RAAFCOL) is the Royal Australian Air Force training and education academy which is responsible for all the Air Force's initial, career development, prom ...
, Point Cook, was closed, and graduates undertook their basic flying training at No. 1 BFTS. From 1961, cadets at the recently established RAAF Academy (successor to RAAF College) were given between 25 and 50 hours "motivational flying" at No. 1 BFTS, as practical relief from the "hard grind" of their four years of academic study. By mid-1964, the school had a staff of 182, including 22 flying instructors, and was operating 30 Winjeels. Students were flying 124 hours, including eight at night, over a 40-week course, and were generally expected to go solo after eight or nine hours in the air. The pace of flying training increased in the mid-1960s as the RAAF expanded and enlisted more aircrew to fulfill Australia's commitment to the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
. According to Air Force historian Alan Stephens, "It was not uncommon for thirteen aircraft, some flown by inexperienced solo students, to be in the circuit simultaneously at Point Cook, creating something of a 'sink or swim' environment for the trainees". The ratio of students to instructors was generally around 3:1; junior instructors might fly four times a day, plus twice more when night training.Stephens, ''Going Solo'', pp. 156–158 By mid-1967, No. 1 BFTS had 34 instructors, was operating 40 aircraft, and was logging around 2,000 flying hours per month; its training program necessitated the use of as many as five other airstrips at the nearby
RAAF Base Laverton The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal Air force, aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally the Governor-Gener ...
and
Bacchus Marsh Bacchus Marsh ( Wathawurrung: ''Pullerbopulloke'') is a town in Victoria, Australia, located approximately north-west of the state capital Melbourne, at a near equidistance to the major cities of Melbourne, Ballarat and Geelong. As of the ...
, to augment the four runways at its home airfield in Point Cook. On 31 December 1968, No. 1 BFTS was disbanded at Point Cook, re-forming there as No. 1 FTS on 1 January 1969. At the same time, No. 1 AFTS was disbanded at Pearce and re-formed as No. 2 Flying Training School. Subsequent rationalisation of RAAF flying training saw the disbandment of No. 1 FTS at Point Cook on 31 January 1993. Initial flight grading and basic instruction has since been conducted by civilian contractors at the Australian Defence Force Basic Flying Training School.


Notes


References

* * * * * * {{coord missing, Australia 1 Military units and formations established in 1951 Military units and formations disestablished in 1969 1951 establishments in Australia