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
  • 13 May - The Royal Flying Corps is established from the Air Battalion
• 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
  • 21 December - The British Army regains an aviation element as the Glider Pilot Regiment is formed.
• 1942
  • 24 February - The Glider Pilot Regiment is formally inaugurated as part of the Army Air Corps
• 1999
  • 5 October - Joint Helicopter Command is formed
• 2000
  • 1 April - Joint Force Harrier is formed
• 2024
  • May - Joint Aviation Command is formed from the Joint Helicopter Command with the addition of unmanned aerial systems from 32 Regiment, Royal Artillery ^[1]

See also

• Aviation in the United Kingdom
• Timeline of the Royal Air Force
• History of air traffic control in the United Kingdom

References