THE SQUADRON

57 Squadron delivers elementary flying training which is the first stage of military flying training from RAF College Cranwell.

57 Squadron Instructors are a mixture of military and civilian pilots from a wide variety of backgrounds. Trainees undertake flying and simulation where they are taught basic aircraft handling, pilot navigation, instrument and low flying. During this phase they complete their ‘first solo’ flight on Prefect - often their first flight ever on their own. Upon completion, trainees are streamed to continue training as either Combat Air, Multi-engine or Rotary Wing pilots.

Those bound for Combat Air and Multi-engine complete further training on 57 Squadron, including formation and more advanced navigation. Students streamed for Rotary Wing progress directly to RAF Shawbury

I change my body, not my spirit

BASED AT

RAF Cranwell

What we fly

Prefect T1

Training, Current

History

1916   57 Squadron was originally formed at Copmanthorpe in Yorkshire as a Flying Training Squadron flying Avro 504s and B.E.2s, before moving to France in December of that year as a bomber unit.  At
the time that 57 Squadron was sent to France, 57 Training Squadron was activated in Egypt and operated until 1918, the two numbers running concurrently.

1919   Returned to the UK and was disbanded.

1931   Reactivated as a day bomber unit.

1943   Supplied the majority of the crews to 617 Squadron (The Dambusters) which stood up at RAF Scampton, where 57 was based.

1951   Began operating the B-29 Superfortress bomber on loan from the United States Air Force.

1982   Supplied crews and aircraft to perform air to air refuelling supporting the long range Vulcan
raids during the Falklands War.

2008   Reformed at RAF Wyton flying the Grob Tutor T1.

2018   Converted to Prefect T1 at RAF Cranwell.

BATTLE HONOURS

1916 – 1918*   Western Front

1916 – 1918*   Amiens

1939 – 1940*   France & Low Countries

1940*   Norway

1940*   Channel & North Sea

1941 – 1943*   Ruhr

1941 – 1944   Fortress Europe

1941 – 1943*   Berlin

1941 – 1943*   Walcheren

1944 – 1945*   France & Germany

1982   South Atlantic

*Honours marked with an asterisk, are emblazoned on the Squadron Standard