When most people think of the Royal Flying Corps, Royal Naval Air Service and Royal Air Force in the First World War, it is invariably of aeroplanes and pilots. Whilst it was possible for a pilot to just jump in a plane and fly off, unless he was very quick and agile when starting his plane, it usually took at least one other person to swing the propeller to start the engine.
Since the advent of military aviation, all units operating not only aircraft and boats but also radar stations and a myriad of other tasks associated with aviation have always had a complement of officers and other ranks (airmen).
