The following timeline of British military aviation covers the military aviation activities of the British Armed Forces from its origins in the 19th century to the present day:

  • 1863 - Henry Coxwell demonstrates tethered balloon ascents to British Army personnel at Aldershot
  • 1878 - Balloon experiments are conducted at the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich
  • 1880 - a balloon section takes part in the Army's manoeuvres at Aldershot
  • 1882
    • a balloon section takes part again in the Aldershot manoeuvres
    • The Balloon Equipment Store at Woolwich is moved to the School of Military Engineering at Chatham
  • 1882 to 1884 - A balloon factory, depot and training school are established at Chatham
  • 1884 - Three balloons, two officers and 15 other ranks take part in the Bechuanaland Expedition
  • 1885 Balloons are used during the Sudan expedition
  • 1890 The Balloon Section is established as an official unit of the Royal Engineers
  • c. 1894 The balloon factory is moved to south Farnborough
  • 1899 to 1902 Balloons are used in the South African War
    • Balloons used to direct the fire of the British Artillery at Magersfontein
    • Balloons used to direct the fire of the British Artillery at the Battle of Lombard's Kop
  • 1905 The balloon factory is moved to a better site
  • 1906 Samuel Franklin Cody is appointed the balloon school's Chief Instructor in Kiting
  • 1907 The British Army airship, Nulli Secundus, is completed
  • 1908 The first British heavier-than-air military flight takes place when the British Army Aeroplane No. 1 flies
  • 1909 The War Office halts all work on aircraft at Farnborough on cost grounds
  • 1911 The S. E. 1 and the B.E. 1 are built at Farnborough under the pretext of repairing existing aircraft
    • 1 April The Balloon Section of the Royal Engineers becomes the Air Battalion
  • 1912
  • 1914
    • 1 July - The Royal Naval Air Service, having previously broken away from the Royal Flying Corps, is officially recognized
    • 13 August - The first RFC aircraft arrive in France
    • 27 August - The first RNAS aircraft arrive in Ostend
  • 1918
    • 1 April - The Royal Air Force is established by merging the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service
  • 1924
    • 1 April - The Royal Air Force establishes its Fleet Air Arm, consisting of RAF units normally embarked on aircraft carriers and fighting ships
  • 1937
    • 14 May - The Fleet Air Arm is placed under Admiralty control
  • 1940
    • November - The Battle of Taranto, the Fleet Air Arm launched the first all-aircraft naval attack in history
  • 1941
  • 1942
    • 24 February - The Glider Pilot Regiment is formally inaugurated as part of the Army Air Corps
  • 1999
  • 2000

See also

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