No. 6 Advanced Flying Unit RAF

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Brief History

The term Advanced Flying Unit appeared gradually during the early war years. 5 Flying Training School for example became 5 Service Flying Training School in September 1939. Then became 5 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit in April 1942 before reverting back to 5 FTS in April 1947.

Advanced Flying Units were there as part of the progressive training from light basic trainers (Tiger Moth and Magister) onto higher powered aircraft like Masters, Harvard, Hurricane (for pilots going into single engine flying, so fighter pilots) and twin engine types like the Anson and Oxford for multi engine training (bomber + transport etc). From 1942 things began to change, with the introduction of the PRC/AFU/OTU route. The reason for setting up the Advanced Flying Units in the UK was the "alien" flying conditions prevailing there as compared to the clearer (and comparatively uncrowded) skies of the three Dominions, which were not generally polluted with such objects as barrage balloons, fog, thousands of other operational aircraft (British and German) all milling about, and under the barrels of thousands of mad-keen anti-aircraft gunners, and familiarisation with UK weather conditions, where visibility was often nearer to nil than that of horizon-to-horizon whence they came.

There were also Advanced Flying Units for Observers (Navigators + Bomb Aimers), with No 6 being one of those.

Trainees

• † Ernest Ronald William Oliver 21 mar - 5 Jun 1944