RAF Fighter Pilot (World War II)

RAF Fighter Pilot, World War II. Royal Air Force pilots consisted of volunteers who were an average age of 20. Most volunteered because they were excited by the idea of flying Britain's brand new monoplanes, the Hawker Hurricane and the Supermarine Spitfire, while some saw it as an opportunity to become the envy of others. Pilot training was done in several phases, the first being initial training, in which cadets went through topics such as mathematics, navigation and the principles of flying. In the following phases, pilots went over the basics of flying, then moved on to flying more powerful aircraft. Once completed, the pilots would finish with a final examination and advanced training. On average, it took 200 to 320 flying hours or 18 months to 2 years for a pilot to gain his wings. RAF pilots wore a dark blue uniform and their equipment consisted of a leather flying helmet, oxygen mask, flying goggles, headphones, life jacket, a parachute, gloves that covered the wrists, a silk map, navigational computer and an Enfield Mark 1.38 revolver. After the outbreak of World War II in September of 1939, the Royal Air Force was sent to France. However, the fighter pilots wouldn't see much action until Operation Dynamo in May 1940. During the evacuation, the Royal Air Force was outmatched and outnumbered by the battle-experienced German fighter pilots. However, the British fighter pilots were able to give enough cover to the evacuating troops, helping the BEF reach Britain, even if their distance from the beach gave an impression to the army that they were absent. After Operation Dynamo, the Royal Air Force rapidly expanded by gaining many new volunteer pilots from other countries. So many that, during the Battle of Britain, 20% of the Royal Air Force's fighter pilots were foreign. One in ten were from Commonwealth nations, such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand, while others came from Nazi-occupied nations in Europe, including Czechs, Poles, French and Belgians. The Polish made up the largest of these forces and were the most motivated to fight and take revenge, as they had fought the Luftwaffe during the German invasion of Poland and the Battle of France. Polish pilots gained a reputation of getting close to the enemy aircraft at point blank range in order to effectively destroy them. The Battle of Britain would be the toughest test for the RAF fighter pilots. Germany sent three air fleets to achieve air superiority in advance for the naval invasion of the British Isles. Due to the German air bases in France, Britain could be hit by several raids in a day. As a result, most RAF squadrons had to scramble to meet the Luftwaffe on short notice, but they were assisted greatly by radar which detected enemy fighters early on. In the aircraft, the pilot would sit in a confined cockpit under a plexiglass canopy with their feet on the rudder control pedals, right hand on the control stick and left hand on the throttle. To look around, the pilots could only move their neck or the whole aircraft. Pilots had to keep a tight VIC formation of three aircraft insisted on by fighter command. However, veteran pilots started abandoning the VIC formations altogether, attacking the enemy as aggressively as possible. Outnumbered five to one, an RAF fighter pilot feared being dived upon by German aircraft, which would fire upon them from the back of the formations and then use their high speed to get away before the British pilots could react. Most pilots feared that their plane would catch fire during flight or in combat. If a British pilot had to bail out or make a crash landing, he did have the advantage of landing in friendly territory. For his enemy meanwhile, it was a different story. When a dogfight would ensue, with both fighter planes trying to out maneuver the other while firing short bursts, an effective pilot needed to have sharp flying skills, good eyesight and fast reaction speeds. The Luftwaffe's focus on night raids in October were particularly destructive to British cities, but the RAF had developed night fighters with airborne intercept radar sets to engage them. Night patrols were adding to the increased exhaustion for the RAF pilots, but mounting German losses forced Germany to abandon the Battle of Britain, realizing it could not defeat the RAF. The RAF airmen who fought in the Battle of Britain and defended Britain from German attack would be praised as the few by Churchill. He would say in a speech, never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few. Thank you guys for all your support on the Simple History YouTube channel. If you enjoy it, please consider visiting our Patreon page. There, you can show us your support for the channel by donating and make a huge difference in what we're able to create for you. Plus, you can get early access on upcoming videos. So let's keep it growing, and thank you for being part of this amazing community.