Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 26:45-27:15

RAF pilots and the Navy's observer corps

The interwar Fleet Air Arm combined RAF pilots with Royal Navy observers, giving the Navy an institutional foothold in aviation even before it regained full control.

Fleet Air ArmInterservice RelationsNaval AviationObserver CorpsRoyal Air Force
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Question

Was the RAF still manning the aircraft during the 1929 fleet exercises?

Short answer

Yes; RAF pilots flew them, while Royal Navy observers supplied the naval component and carried aviation experience back into the fleet.

Notes

The RAF still supplied the pilots during the 1929 exercises, but that did not make the effort wholly non-naval. Royal Navy observers flew in the aircraft and provided navigation, reconnaissance, and a flow of operational experience back into the fleet. Their participation helped the Navy develop carrier doctrine despite the divided command arrangement. Naval aviation knowledge could therefore survive inside an Air Ministry-controlled system.