No. 18 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit RAF

No. 18 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit
Active	Second World War
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Role	Training

No. 18 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit was formed on 27 October 1942 at RAF Church Lawford. The unit was previously 2 Central Flying School which was founded on 15 June 1941 which then turned into 1 Flying Instructors School (FIS) on 13 January 1942 and then finally No. 18 (P)AFU.^[1]

Bases used

• RAF Church Lawford from 27 October 1942
• RAF Snitterfield firstly as an relief landing ground (RLG) from 7 May 1944 until 3 April 1945 then permanently until the unit disbanded on 29 May 1945.^[2]
• RAF Warwick
• RAF Southam
• RAF Hockley Heath.^[3][4][5]

Aircraft operated

The majority of the flying training took place using an Airspeed Oxford, which was good, as most of the students had come from overseas training programs where they were mainly using single-engined airplanes.^[6] However Boulton Paul Defiants^[1] and Miles Magisters ^[7] were also used.

See also

• List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons
• List of RAF Regiment squadrons
• List of Fleet Air Arm aircraft squadrons
• List of Army Air Corps aircraft squadrons
• List of Air Training Corps squadrons
• Battle of Britain RAF squadrons
• University Air Squadron
• Air Experience Flight
• Volunteer Gliding Squadron
• List of Royal Air Force & Defence Units & Establishments
• List of Royal Air Force & Defence Schools
• List of Royal Air Force aircraft independent flights
• List of RAF Squadron Codes
• Royal Air Force Conversion Units
• United Kingdom military aircraft serials
• United Kingdom aircraft test serials
• British military aircraft designation systems
• Royal Air Force roundels

References

Citations

1. Aviation Archaeology - Flying Units
2. RAF WEB - RAF Snitterfield
3. Halley 1988, p. 00.
4. Jefford 2001, p. 00.
5. Lake 1999, p. 00.
6. RAF Museum - Aircraft History
7. Aviation Archaeology - Crashes within the south-west midlands during 1944

Bibliography

• Halley, J.J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth 1918-1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air Britain (Historians) Ltd, 1988. ISBN 0-85130-164-9.
• Jefford, C.G, MBE, BA, RAF (Retd). RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 2001. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.
• Lake, A. "Flying Units of the RAF". Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1999. ISBN 1-84037-086-6.