Air Experience Flight

An Air Experience Flight (AEF) is a training unit of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Training Branch) whose main purpose is to give introductory flying experience to cadets from the Air Training Corps and the Combined Cadet Force. As of 2010, twelve AEFs are active.

History

The AEFs, numbered from 1 to 13, were formed across the United Kingdom in 1958, all but two forming on the same day, 8 September.[1] All were equipped with the Chipmunk T.10 trainer. An exception was No. 5 AEF, which also operated a single Beagle Husky (XW635) from 1969 to 1989.[2][3]

In the mid-1990s they were merged with co-located University Air Squadrons (UASs), the Chipmunks being replaced by the existing UAS Scottish Aviation Bulldog T.1s. No. 13 AEF at RAF Aldergrove was disbanded in 1996.[1] In 1999, the Grob Tutor T.1 began to replace the Bulldog.[1]

On 10 March 2016, Julian Brazier, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence), announced the return of 13 AEF and a new 14 AEF.[4]

Current flights

• No. 1 Air Experience Flight RAF – RAF St Athan
• No. 2 Air Experience Flight RAF – MOD Boscombe Down
• No. 3 Air Experience Flight RAF –
• No. 4 Air Experience Flight RAF – Glasgow Airport
• No. 5 Air Experience Flight RAF – RAF Wittering
• No. 6 Air Experience Flight RAF – RAF Benson
• No. 7 Air Experience Flight RAF – RAF Cranwell
• No. 8 Air Experience Flight RAF – RAF Cosford
• No. 9 Air Experience Flight RAF – RAF Linton-on-Ouse
• No. 10 Air Experience Flight RAF – RAF Woodvale
• No. 11 Air Experience Flight RAF – RAF Leeming
• No. 12 Air Experience Flight RAF – RAF Leuchars
• No. 13 Air Experience Flight RAF – JHFS Aldergrove
• No. 14 Air Experience Flight RAF – TBA planned

Aircraft

Aircraft	In fleet	Order	Notes
Grob Tutor T.1	91 [5]	0	RAF "Tutor" designation with flight stick instead of yoke.

Previously operated:

• Scottish Aviation Bulldog T.1
• Beagle Husky
• de Havilland Canada Chipmunk T.10

• 
  Chipmunk T.10 in RAF colours
• 
  Bulldog T.1 in RAF colours
• 
  10 AEF Grob Tutor and hangar at RAF Woodvale
• 
  No. 8 Air Experience Flight Grob Tutor in flight

References

1. "RAFVR Units". Air of Authority. 25 April 2009. Archived from the original on 8 May 2009. Retrieved 7 September 2010.
2. "Beagle D-5/180 Husky aircraft". airliners.net. Retrieved 7 September 2010.
3. "UK Serials (XW)". ukserials.com. UK Serials Resource Centre. Retrieved 7 September 2010.
4. "Air Cadet Aviation Relaunch:Written statement – HCWS605". MoD. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
5. "UK armed forces equipment and formations 2017". GOV.UK. MoD. 6 July 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2018.