This article contains a list of the facilities of the Joint Air Training Scheme which was a major programme for training South African Air Force, Royal Air Force and Allied air crews during World War II.
An Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS) gave a recruit 50 hours of basic aviation instruction on a simple trainer like the Tiger Moth. Pilots who showed promise went on to training at a Service Flying Training School (STFS). The Service Flying Training School provided advanced training for pilots, including fighter and multi-engined aircraft. Other trainees went on to different specialties, such as Wireless, navigation or bombing and gunnery. In South Africa, the Elementary Flying Training School and Service Flying Training School were renamed Air Schools.
Training schools Air School Base Major types of aircraft Training Established Opened Disbanded Motto Unit publication Comment1 Air SchoolBaragwanathTiger MothElementary flying11 Nov 1940(ex 1 EFTS)30 Apr 194429 Feb 1944”Start Well, Finish Well"2 Air SchoolRandfonteinTiger MothElementary flying11 Nov 1940(ex 2 EFTS)2 Oct 1944”Knowledge is Light"3 Air SchoolWonderboomTiger MothElementary flying11 Nov 1940(ex 3 EFTS)25 Sep 1944”Tertius Primus Erit"4 Air SchoolBenoniTiger MothElementary flying11 Nov 1940(ex 4 EFTS)1 Sep 194124 Jun 1945”Vier sal eerste wees"”Big Ben"5 Air SchoolWitbankTiger MothElementary flying11 Nov 1940(ex 5 EFTS)13 Oct 194115 Dec 1944”Wings for Victory"”Tiger Rag"6 Air SchoolPotchefstroomTiger MothElementary flying11 Nov 1940(ex 6 EFTS)4 Aug 19416 Aug 1946”Eendrag en Vryheid"”Hotchpotch"7 Air SchoolKroonstadTiger MothElementary flying22 Dec 1941Jul 194216 Jan 1945”Nil Sine Labore"”The Dust SheetBuildings taken over by SA Army21 Air SchoolKimberleyHind, Hart, OxfordService flying11 Nov 194030 Apr 19411 Feb 1945”Pro Patria"”21"Now Kimberley Airport22 Air SchoolVereenigingHind, HartService flying11 Nov 1940(ex 2 SFTS)”Ad Unum Ad Astra"”Clamp"23 Air SchoolZwartkop Air StationHind, HartService flying11 Nov 1940(ex 3 SFTS)”Superna Petimus"”Tale-Spin"24 Air SchoolNigel (Dunnottar)Master, Oxford, Harvard,HartService flying11 Nov 194029 Jul 194103 Sep 1946”Per Artem Ad Astra"Now Dunnottar Military Base. (-26.347741, 28.459463)25 Air SchoolStandertonHind, Hart, Master, HarvardService flying11 Nov 1940(ex 5 SFTS)”Ex Unite Ad Victoria"26 Air SchoolPietersburgHind, HartService flying11 Nov 1940”Nemo Mortalium Omnibus Hors Sarit"27 Air SchoolBloemspruitHind, HartService flying11 Nov 1940”Finis Coronat Opus"Now AFB Bloemspruit/Bloemfontein Airport41 Air SchoolCollondale, East LondonHart variants, Battle, Northrop Nomad, Oxford, AnsonService flying, Bombing & gunneryNow East London Airport42 Air SchoolPort ElizabethBattle, Northrop Nomad, Oxford, Anson, HarvardService flyingLocated on the south side of Port Elizabeth Airport. Part preserved as SAAF museum branch, remainder used by Army43 Air SchoolPort AlfredOxford, Anson, HarvardService flyingStill in use for civil flying training as 43 Air School44 Air School GrahamstownOxford, Anson, BattleNavigation & bombing11 Nov 194012 Jan 1942"All for the Same Cause"Taken over by SA Army, now 6 SA Inf Bn45 Air School OudtshoornOxford, Anson, BattleAir Observer (Type B)11 Nov 194020 Aug 1945"Primus Inter Pares""Sprog"Civil airfield & SA Army47 Air SchoolQueenstownAnson, OxfordAir Observer (Type B)11 Nov 1940(ex 7 AONS)30 Apr 19417 Apr 1945"The Signal"Civil airfield & SA Army48 Air SchoolWoodbrook, East LondonTiger Moth, TutorElementary navigation14 July 19421 Sep 19421 May 1945"Sic itur ad astra" and "Bobaas""B.O.N."Now industrial area and Army base61 Air SchoolGeorgeAnsonGeneral Reconnaissance11 Nov 1940(ex 1 S of GR)30 Apr 194114 Jun 1945"Duff Gen"Civil airfield until replaced by George Airport62 Air SchoolTempe, BloemfonteinAll typesFlying Instructor Training11 Nov 1940(ex CFS)"Facta Nostra Vivent"63 Air SchoolTempe, BloemfonteinGround Instruction11 Nov 1940Jan 1941Absorbed into 75 Air School Lyttelton64 Air SchoolTempe, BloemfonteinDominie, AnsonElectrical & Wireless Operator5 Feb 194120 Dec 1945"Ut Servient Discimus""Sparks"65 Air SchoolYoungsfield, Cape TownOxford, Anson, WapitiAir Armament11 Nov 194013 Apr 1944Resurrected 1 Jun 1944 – 10 Sep 194566 Air SchoolYoungsfield, Cape TownAnson, Valentia, Harvard OxfordNavigation & bombing11 Nov 194030 Apr 19411 Apr 1945Became SA Army base. Latterly used to house refugees from xenophobic violence.67 Air SchoolZwartkop Air StationDH Dragon, EnvoyPhotography & Photographic Training11 Nov 1940Currently SAAF AFB Swartkop68 Air SchoolVoortrekkerhoogteTechnical Training11 Nov 1940 (1 STT)1 Oct 1962Currently an SAAF base69 Air SchoolGermistonTechnical Training(Airframes & Engines)11 Nov 1940(ex 2 STT)Dec 1944Absorbed into 68 Air School70 Air SchoolAlexanderfontein, KimberleyTechnical Training11 Nov 1940(ex 3 STT)Sep 194371 Air SchoolMilner Park, JohannesburgBasic Workshop Training11 Nov 1940(ex 1 Basic Training Centre)1 Feb 1945"The Fledgling"Now part of University of Witwatersrand campus72 Air SchoolSt George's ParkPort ElizabethWAAF Basic Training11 Nov 1940(ex 2 Basic Training Centre)Situated at Park Lane junction with Park Drive, the last remaining bungalow from camp, which was home to Sea Scouts Group, has now been demolished.73 Air SchoolWonderboom, PretoriaWAAF Technical Training11 Nov 1940(ex 3 Basic Training Centre)75 Air SchoolLyttelton, Pretoria77 Air SchoolPretoriaWAAF Basic Training15 Jul 1942(ex WAAF Basic Training Centre)30 Jan 1943100 Air SchoolVoortrekkerhoogteRegimental training11 Operational Training UnitSt Albans, Port ElizabethKittyhawk, HurricaneFighter Operational Training1 July 1943September 1945"Learn and Live""Tale-Spin" (ex 23 Air School)29 Operational Training UnitNigelVentura, Lodestar, Oxford, AnsonTwin engine ConversionJuly 1943June 19444 WingQuaggaspoortGrunau Baby, Slingsby Kirby Cadet, MinimoaGliding Training19401943Gliding field after the war. Later became SA Police Dog School Air School 27 Squadron SAAFFisantekraalLockheed VenturaAdvanced flying19431951 relocated AFB Ysterplaatairfield sold in 1960 to Durbanville municipality, since 1993 in private hands with two flight schools
Training aircraft The JATS used the following types of aircraft for training:
Airspeed AS.10 Oxford I & II Avro 621 Tutor Avro 652a Anson Curtiss P.40E/N Kittyhawk I, III & IV DH 82a Tiger Moth DH.89a Dominie Fairey Battle Hawker Hart (variants) Hawker Hurricane IIb & IIc Lockheed L.37 Ventura I and II Miles M.19 Master II North American Harvard I, IIa and III Northrop 8-A5 Nomad I
Minor aircraft types used in any significant numbers included the Curtiss H-75A-4 Mohawk IV, Hawker Hartbees, Hawker Fury, Martin167F Maryland and Westland Wapiti.
Glossary
AFB — Air Force Base CFS — Central Flying School EFTS – Elementary Flying Training School SAAF — South African Air Force SFTS – Service Flying Training School WAAF —Women's Auxiliary Air Force
See also List of British Commonwealth Air Training Plan facilities in Australia List of British Commonwealth Air Training Plan facilities in Canada List of British Commonwealth Air Training Plan facilities in Southern Rhodesia Aircrew brevet
References
af:Suid-Afrikaanse Lugmag cs:South African Air Force es:Fuerza Aérea Sudafricana fr:South African Air Force it:Suid-Afrikaanse Lugmag