Timeline of British military aviation facts for kids

The following is a timeline of how the British military started using aircraft, from early balloons to modern helicopters. It shows how military aviation grew and changed over time.

Early Days: Balloons and First Flights

Balloons Take to the Sky

• 1863 – Henry Coxwell showed the British Army how to use balloons that were tied down. This happened at Aldershot.
• 1878 – The army started trying out balloons at the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich.
• 1880 – A special group using balloons joined the army's training exercises at Aldershot.
• 1882
  • The balloon group took part in the Aldershot training again.
  • The place where balloon equipment was stored moved from Woolwich to the Royal School of Military Engineering at Chatham.
• 1882 to 1884 – A factory, storage area, and training school for balloons were set up at Chatham.
• 1884 – Three balloons, two officers, and 15 other soldiers went on the Bechuanaland Expedition.
• 1885 – Balloons were used during the Sudan expedition.
• 1890 – The Balloon Section became an official part of the Royal Engineers.
• c. 1894 – The balloon factory moved to south Farnborough.
• 1899 to 1902 – Balloons were used in the South African War.
  • Balloons helped direct the British artillery fire at the Battle of Magersfontein.
  • Balloons also helped direct artillery fire at the Battle of Lombard's Kop.

From Balloons to Airships and Planes

• 1905 – The balloon factory moved to a better location.
• 1906 – Samuel Franklin Cody became the main instructor for kiting at the balloon school.
• 1907 – The British Army's airship, called Nulli Secundus, was finished.
• 1908 – The first military flight in a machine heavier than air happened. This was the British Army Aeroplane No. 1.
• 1909 – The War Office stopped all work on aircraft at Farnborough because it cost too much.
• 1911 – The S. E. 1 and the B.E. 1 planes were secretly built at Farnborough. They were said to be repairs of older aircraft.
  • 1 April – The Balloon Section of the Royal Engineers became the Air Battalion.

The Birth of Air Forces

Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service

• 1912
  • 13 May – The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was created from the Air Battalion.
• 1914
  • 1 July – The Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) was officially recognized. It had separated from the Royal Flying Corps earlier.
  • 13 August – The first RFC aircraft arrived in France.
  • 27 August – The first RNAS aircraft arrived in Ostend.

The Royal Air Force is Formed

• 1918
  • 1 April – The Royal Air Force (RAF) was created. This happened by combining the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service.

Specialised Air Units

Fleet Air Arm and Army Aviation

• 1924
  • 1 April – The Royal Air Force created its Fleet Air Arm. These were RAF units that usually worked from aircraft carriers and warships.
• 1937
  • 14 May – The Fleet Air Arm was put under the control of the Admiralty (the navy's command).
• 1940
  • November – During the Battle of Taranto, the Fleet Air Arm launched the first ever naval attack using only aircraft.
• 1941
  • 21 December – The British Army got its own aviation part back. This was when the Glider Pilot Regiment was formed.
• 1942
  • 24 February – The Glider Pilot Regiment officially became part of the Army Air Corps.

Modern Joint Commands

• 1999
  • 5 October – The Joint Helicopter Command was formed. This group brings together helicopters from different parts of the military.
• 2000
  • 1 April – The Joint Force Harrier was formed. This group combined Harrier jet squadrons from the RAF and Royal Navy.

See also

• Timeline of the Royal Air Force
• History of air traffic control in the United Kingdom