With the outbreak of World War II, British Royal Air Force (RAF) 
officials sought to train aircrews outside of England, safe from 
enemy attack and poor weather. In the United States six civilian 
flight schools dedicated themselves to instructing RAF pilots; the 
first, No. 1 British Flying Training School (BFTS), was located in 
Terrell, Texas, east of Dallas.

    Tom Killebrew explores the history of the Terrell Aviation School 
and its program with RAF pilots. Most of the early British students 
had never been in an airplane or even driven an automobile before 
arriving in Texas to learn to fly. The cadets trained in the air on 
aerobatics, instrument flight, and night flying, while on the ground 
they studied navigation, meteorology, engines, and armaments—
even spending time in early flight simulators. By the end of the war, 
more than two thousand RAF cadets had trained at Terrell, 
cementing relations between Great Britain and the United States 
and forming lasting bonds with the citizens of Terrell.
_________________________________________________________

TOM KILLEBREW, a native of Dallas, Texas, received a master’s 
degree in history from the University of Texas at Arlington. A 
licensed private pilot, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve 
and as an air intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve. He 
currently teaches American history at Navarro College.


Number Eight: War and the Southwest Series


What people are saying about this book

“Killebrew’s book adds substantially to an understanding of the 
history of RAF flight training on U.S. soil in World War II.”—Tod 
Roberts, editor, RAF Wings over Florida