Chief of air staff praises founders of the RAF
Those who founded the Royal Air Force would be proud of what it has become a century on from its creation, the chief of the air staff has said.
It was 100 years ago on April 1 1918 that the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service merged to created the RAF - the world’s first independent air service.
Just 15 years after the first ever powered flight undertaken by the Wright Brothers, the decision was made after the War Cabinet inquiry criticised the poor organisation of Britain’s air forces.
Those recognised as the founders of the RAF include Lieutenant General Sir David Henderson and Lord Hugh Trenchard - the first chief of the air staff.
The current head of the RAF since 2016, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier, has previously said his inspiration for joining the service was his father, Aircraftsman Victor Hillier.
When pressed on what the founders of the RAF would make of the service today, he said: “Trenchard said ‘We are building the foundations of a castle’, and what we have done for the next 100 years is build the walls and complete that castle. Trenchard put in place our apprentices scheme to ensure we could attract talent from across society, train them and develop them.
“What he put in place then gave us so much strength and capability in the Second World War. Well, a month ago we won the national apprentice employer of the year award he would look at that and say ‘Yes, you are doing good’.
“What they would also look at is the spirit and the ethos and the character of the Air Force and say ‘Yes, we recognise that’.”