RAF Cranwell

RAF Cranwell is a Royal Air Force station located in Lincolnshire, England, near the village of Cranwell. The site's military aviation history dates back to November 1915, when the Admiralty requisitioned land to establish the Royal Naval Air Service Training Establishment, Cranwell, which officially opened on 1 April 1916. Upon the formation of the Royal Air Force in 1918, it became RAF Cranwell, and the Royal Air Force College Cranwell was established there on 1 November 1919.

Currently, RAF Cranwell is an operational training station owned by the Ministry of Defence and operated by the Royal Air Force under No. 22 Group (Training). It serves as the home of the Royal Air Force College (RAFC), which oversees all RAF phase 1 Training, including the RAF Officer Training Academy (RAFOTA) for new officers. The Officer and Aircrew Selection Centre (OASC) is also located here, conducting the selection process for officer and non-commissioned aircrew applicants. Since 1995, RAF Cranwell has hosted the Headquarters of the Central Flying School (HQ CFS), which trains all RAF Qualified Flying Instructors.

The station is home to the headquarters of No. 3 Flying Training School (No. 3 FTS), which provides elementary flying training for fixed-wing and multi-engine student pilots from the RAF and Fleet Air Arm. This training is conducted by No. 57 Squadron, operating Grob Prefect T1 aircraft, and No. 703 Naval Air Squadron, primarily from RAF Barkston Heath. Multi-engine and rear-seat aircrew training is provided by No. 45 Squadron, flying Embraer Phenom 100 aircraft. Additionally, RAF Cranwell hosts the Headquarters of No. 6 Flying Training School, the East Midlands Universities Air Squadron, and No. 7 Air Experience Flight, all operating Grob Tutor T1 aircraft. Headquarters, Air Cadets, and the Air Cadet Organisation's Adult Training Facility have been based at Cranwell since the mid-1990s. Civilian units such as the RAF Cranwell Flying Club and Cranwell Gliding Club also operate from the base.

Future plans include the relocation of the RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine from RAF Henlow to RAF Cranwell by 2026, bringing specialized equipment like hypobaric chambers and hypoxia training rigs. The Recruit Training Squadron is also planned to relocate from RAF Halton to RAF Cranwell in December 2025.