The Royal Air Force in Texas: Training British Pilots in Terrell During World War II (War and the Southwest Series): 8

World War II, British RoWith the outbreak of yal Air Force (RAF) officials sought to train aircrews outside of England, safe from enemy attack and poor weather. In the United States the first of six schools, No. 1 British Flying Training School (BFTS), was located in Terrell, Texas, east of Dallas. The cadets trained in the air on aerobatics, instrument flight, and night flying, while on the ground they studied navigation, meteorology, engines, and armaments—even spending time in early flight simulators. Not all survived their training. By the end of the war, more than two thousand RAF cadets had trained at Terrell.

TOM KILLEBREW, a native of Dallas, Texas, received a master’s degree in history from the University of Texas at Arlington. A licensed private pilot, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and as an air intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve. He currently teaches American history at Navarro College and lives with his wife, Ann, in DeSoto, Texas.