Historic Army Aircraft Flight facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Historic Army Aircraft Flight
Active	1980; 45 years ago (1980) (as Army Historic Aircraft Flight)–present
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army (originally)
Type	Historic flying display unit
Role	Memorial
Size	7 aircraft
Location	Army Aviation Centre, Middle Wallop, Stockbridge, Hampshire, England, SO20 8DY
Nickname(s)	HAAF
Motto(s)	Let their glory not fade
Aircraft	See list
Website	HAAF.uk

The Historic Army Aircraft Flight (HAAF) is a special group that keeps old British Army aircraft flying. Think of it like a "living museum" in the sky! They make sure that important planes and helicopters from the past are looked after. This helps people remember the history of Army flying. It also helps teach new people about the Army. The HAAF even puts on amazing air shows with aircraft like the de Havilland Beaver, Westland Scout, Agusta-Bell Sioux, and Auster AOP.9.

History of the Flight

How it Started

The HAAF began in 1980. It was first called the Historic Aircraft Flight (HAF) of the Army Air Corps (AAC). Later, in 1990, it became the Army Historic Aircraft Flight (AHAF). Its main goal was to save and keep one example of every aircraft the Army Air Corps had used since it started in 1957. This helped preserve the AAC's flying history for everyone to see.

Becoming a Charity

For a while, the AHAF received some money from the Ministry of Defence (MoD). They also got donations and money from the air shows they performed. However, in 2013, the MoD stopped all its funding. This meant the AHAF had to pause its activities.

To keep the aircraft flying, four of them (the Auster, Beaver, Scout, and Sioux) were moved to the UK Civil Aviation Authority (UK CAA) register. This change helped to lower the costs and time needed for maintenance. Now, the group is known as the Historic Army Aircraft Flight (HAAF). It operates as a registered charity, which means it relies on donations and public support to keep these historic planes in the air.

Amazing Aircraft Collection

The Historic Army Aircraft Flight has a collection of retired Army Air Corps aircraft. These planes and helicopters are a big part of British Army history. Some of them can still fly, while others are kept for display.

Historic Army Aircraft Flight (HAAF) aircraft

aircraft manufacturer	aircraft model	aircraft type	military registration	civil registration	ref	Image
flying
de Havilland Canada	Beaver AL.1	fixed-wing single-engine monoplane	XP820	G-CICP
Auster Aircraft Limited	AOP.9	fixed-wing single-engine monoplane	XR244	G-CICR
Bell / Westland Aircraft	Sioux AH.1	rotary-wing single-engine helicopter	XT131	G-CICN
Westland Helicopters	Scout AH.1	rotary-wing single-engine helicopter	XT626	G-CIBW
De Havilland Canada	Chipmunk T.10	fixed-wing single-engine monoplane	WD325	TBA
non flying
Saunders-Roe	Skeeter AOP.12	rotary-wing single-engine	XL812	G-SARO

You can find more details about these aircraft on the HAAF website.

Other Cool Aviation Groups

• Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) — This is the official group that flies historic aircraft for the Royal Air Force (RAF).
• Royal Navy Historic Flight (RNHF) — This used to be the official group that flew historic aircraft for the Royal Navy (RN).
• Blue Eagles — This was a helicopter air display team from the Army Air Corps (AAC).
• Army Flying Museum — This is the official museum for the Army Air Corps (AAC), where you can see many aircraft.
• Shuttleworth Collection — This is another famous collection of historic aircraft located in England.
• Commemorative Air Force — This is a similar group in the USA that preserves and flies historic military aircraft.