Army Aviation History
The Army Air Corps can trace its roots back to the Glider Pilot Regiment and beyond to the formation of the Royal Flying Corps. The Army's first flights took place in balloons, which were used operationally for the first time during the Boer War. Kites followed, before the first fixed winged aircraft were developed at the begining of the 20th century.
The Royal Flying Corps of the Army fought throughout the First World War before being amalgamated into the newly formed RAF in 1918. During the Second World War, Army pilots flew gliders into battle as the Glider Pilot Regiment and directed fire on the battlefield with the Air Observation Post Squadrons. Post war, the emergence of the helicopter as a potent battlefield weapon shaped the modern Army Air Corps into the powerful force it is today.
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