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Dancing in the Sky: The Royal Flying Corps in Canada
Dancing in the Sky is the first complete telling of the First World War fighter pilottraining initiative established by the British in response to the terrible losses occurring in the skies over Europe in 1916. This program, up and running in under six months despite enormous obstacles, launched Canada into the age of flight ahead of the United States.
The results enabled the Allies to regain control of the skies and eventually win the war, but at a terrible price. Flying was in its infancy and pilot training primitive. This is the story of the talented and courageous men and women who made the training program a success, complete with the romance, tragedy, humour, and pathos that accompany an account of such heroic proportions.
A valuable addition to Canada's military history, this book will appeal to all who enjoy an exceptional adventure story embedded in Canada's past.
The results enabled the Allies to regain control of the skies and eventually win the war, but at a terrible price. Flying was in its infancy and pilot training primitive. This is the story of the talented and courageous men and women who made the training program a success, complete with the romance, tragedy, humour, and pathos that accompany an account of such heroic proportions.
A valuable addition to Canada's military history, this book will appeal to all who enjoy an exceptional adventure story embedded in Canada's past.
360 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
7 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 11, 2014
This book is about an air training scheme in Canada that was developed by Great Britain during the First World War to redress the alarmingly high losses it sustained in trained airmen over the Western Front in 1916. As a result of these losses, in the short run, Britain was forced to cut corners in its own training of pilots. Consequently, through the summer of 1917, many rookie pilots in the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) went into combat barely able to fly a plane, much less fight in one. The average longevity of an RFC pilot on the Western Front in early 1917 was 11 days.
In the meantime, Britain had been in negotiations with the Canadian government to establish an air training establishment in Canada. After much wrangling over cost, an agreement was reached before the end of 1916 and, with Britain underwriting "the Canadian project" (designated the Imperial Royal Flying Corps [IRFC], which was later renamed the Royal Air Force Canada [RAF-Canada] in the spring of 1918), a cadre of RFC personnel under the command of Cuthbert G. Hoare was dispatched to Canada. Hoare "would be given a free hand to set up" a training school "and command it."
Fortunately, despite many obstacles and challenges, Hoare proved to be the ideal commander. By the time of the Armistice (November 11th, 1918), more than 3,100 pilots and 130 observers had been successfully trained. Furthermore, through a reciprocal agreement Hoare helped bring about with the United States (following its entry into the war on April 6th, 1917), the IRFC/RAF-Canada had trained 456 American pilots who would later fly for the United States Army Air Service and the U.S. Navy.
What is all the more remarkable is that this air training scheme was, in little more than 6 months after its creation, up and running. The first class of trainees won their wings in May 1917. Later that year, through the reciprocal agreement, Hoare had secured land for a training base in Texas, where both Canadian and American aircrews, mechanics, and other support personnel could be trained without hindrance from the harshness of the Ontario weather during the winter of 1917-18.
The greatest value of this book is in showing the reader how Canada (in terms of its communities in which the training program was based and the numbers of women who were given opportunities - albeit limited - to be trained as mechanics and clerical staff) became more assured of itself as a nation apart from the British Empire. In fact, "the RFC/RAF training plan kickstarted Canada into the aeronautical age. Canada was one of the first nations in the world to formally regulate aviation, licensing pilots, and certifying aircraft." There was also the beginning of airmail service in Canada in June of 1918, thanks to the RAF-Canada.
Truly an inspiring story.
In the meantime, Britain had been in negotiations with the Canadian government to establish an air training establishment in Canada. After much wrangling over cost, an agreement was reached before the end of 1916 and, with Britain underwriting "the Canadian project" (designated the Imperial Royal Flying Corps [IRFC], which was later renamed the Royal Air Force Canada [RAF-Canada] in the spring of 1918), a cadre of RFC personnel under the command of Cuthbert G. Hoare was dispatched to Canada. Hoare "would be given a free hand to set up" a training school "and command it."
Fortunately, despite many obstacles and challenges, Hoare proved to be the ideal commander. By the time of the Armistice (November 11th, 1918), more than 3,100 pilots and 130 observers had been successfully trained. Furthermore, through a reciprocal agreement Hoare helped bring about with the United States (following its entry into the war on April 6th, 1917), the IRFC/RAF-Canada had trained 456 American pilots who would later fly for the United States Army Air Service and the U.S. Navy.
What is all the more remarkable is that this air training scheme was, in little more than 6 months after its creation, up and running. The first class of trainees won their wings in May 1917. Later that year, through the reciprocal agreement, Hoare had secured land for a training base in Texas, where both Canadian and American aircrews, mechanics, and other support personnel could be trained without hindrance from the harshness of the Ontario weather during the winter of 1917-18.
The greatest value of this book is in showing the reader how Canada (in terms of its communities in which the training program was based and the numbers of women who were given opportunities - albeit limited - to be trained as mechanics and clerical staff) became more assured of itself as a nation apart from the British Empire. In fact, "the RFC/RAF training plan kickstarted Canada into the aeronautical age. Canada was one of the first nations in the world to formally regulate aviation, licensing pilots, and certifying aircraft." There was also the beginning of airmail service in Canada in June of 1918, thanks to the RAF-Canada.
Truly an inspiring story.
June 22, 2020
Loved this book, particularly since my late father-in-law signed up for the Royal Flying Corps and this book reflected the times of WWI. Very insightful and true to the times.
March 24, 2017
Excellent book about the Royal Flying Corps Canada - Great Britain's pilot training program conducted to recruit and train Canadians as pilots and observers during the First World War. The program ran from 1917 to 1918 and achieved enormous success against considerable odds. Unlike the official history of the RCAF or another book published around 1979 whose name escapes me at the moment, this is very readable as well as very informative. It suffers from the occasional typo - Camp Rathbun is spelled Rathburn in the appendix of aviators who died during training, for instance - and if I could subtract a half star for that I would.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews