The 'Arnold Scheme' (1941-43) and the British Flying Training Schools (1941-45), with the co-operation of Squadron Leader Mills DFC and President Roosevelt, enabled the setting up of flight training in the USA for RAF pilots to train alongside American servicemen. The Lend-Lease Act was instrumental in paving the way for training British pilots and aircrew in the USA and in total seven BFTS were set up in the USA in Texas, Oklahoma, California and Florida.



There were minimum requirements for each airfield used. Each BFTS was required to be one mile square with two runways and a control tower. PT-17A (Stearman) and AT-6A (Harvard) aircraft were mainly used for training giving RAF pilots an opportunity to train on more suitable aircraft than the Tiger Moths used in the UK and in an environment where they would not be under attack.



The BFTS were RAF establishments with the Commanding Officer, Adjutant, CFI’s and PT instructors being RAF personnel. American civilians became instructors trained to RAF standards.



Courses 1 and 2 did their primary training at Carlstrom but, on 25th September 1941, 5 BFTS moved from Carlstrom to Clewiston. Course 3 was the first to do their entire training at Riddle Field.



Air cadets’ training usually lasted 27 weeks and, between 1941 and 1945, 1,325 RAF 5BFTS cadets graduated from the Riddle-McKay fields at Clewiston and Carlstrom in Florida.



5 BFTS Pupil Statistics

US Civilians (in RAF) 11

USAAF Cadets 125

RAF Cadets 1741

Total Cadets: 1877



Graduates:

RAF 1325

USAAF 109

Total: 1434



201 RAF Cadets from Courses 25 and 26 did not finish as Riddle Field was closed following VE day.



Overall failure rate - 23.6% (RAF 24.4% and USAAF 12.8%) Fatalities = 1%



From 23rd July 1943 Fly Paper – projected reminiscences of Course 13.



“…..Remember the day we arrived there? “Number 5 BFTS” was all we knew about it. Hot and sweating in those blues and awkward as they come. A blaze of sun and a lot of old Stearmans in the air and for us they held more glamour than all the legs in filmdom. ….. I wonder how they ever flew? Ground loops and first solos and that big hot field… the sulphur water and mosquitoes and binding… remember it Jack?



…Then the Harvards and cross countries and night flying and rat-chasing and blathering over the R/T. ….

…whatever became of Hill who stood one on its nose on the parking line and then laconically called the tower and announced he was switching off?



Ollie, who dropped one in at that little Field with the funny name up north of us, then got out and watched it burn? The American chap …Bob Agne, wasn’t it who radioed in and said he’d lost his instructor? Operations looking for a ‘chute floating down into the swamp, when all the time Bob was on the ground waiting for the Instructor to come out for a dual period? …..

And the Instructors…. They taught us well. Queer little things that stuck and will be somewhere in our minds for many more years, even if we are never nearer an airplane than an occasional glance upwards. “Pop” Ellis wasn’t it, who once remarked that the most important thing to know in aviation was when to make a 180 degree turn?....



And that little town …. Clewiston. Remember the Inn and the pub down at the other end and no money putting up with that awful American beer? Took us hours to convince the Americans that our planes were better….or did we ever convince ‘em?



There’s another snap of you here when we sneaked the camera into the airplane and landed at that place where we picked up all the grapefruit. You have a silly grin and a pillow case full of the things…Wimonta or Wimauma or something…..”

As ever, ‘Bill’ - George Morse