Air Scouts are a part of the Scout movement with a particular emphasis on aviation-themed programmes and/or flying-based activities. Air Scouts follow the same basic programme as other Scouts, but they devote certain amounts of time focused on their air activities.
Air Scouts often wear a slightly different uniform from the rest of the Scouting movement and/or may have additional badges/insignia.
Most air activities are ground-based like focusing on aviation-related activities, modelling aeroplanes, aircraft knowledge, and flight techniques. Depending on the age group, country and Scout group, the activities can also include parachuting or flights in light aircraft, helicopters, gliders or hot air balloons.
History There are claims that Major Baden Fletcher Smyth Baden-Powell, youngest brother of the founder of The Boy Scouts Association of the United Kingdom, Robert Baden-Powell and an aviator, first brought flying-based activities into Scouting. However, as late as July, 1932, Baden Baden-Powell wrote, in the Scouter:
"...it has been suggested that Air Scouts should be organised in the same way as Sea Scouts."
"Though the air is 'ever with us', access to aerodromes is not common and though Sea Scouts can mess about 'in any old boat', a Scout is unlikely to be able to get access to an aeroplane, and even if he did he would not be able to fly it. ...it seems hardly feasible to have special 'Air Scouts', yet a great deal may be accomplished by troops specialising in air-work... I shall always be pleased to give what advice I can."
An Airman's badge was introduced by The Boy Scouts Association in December 1911. However, these did not introduce Air Scouts.
Suggestions to have an Air Scout Branch within The Boy Scouts Association were first put forward in May 1927. They were not accepted for fear the Branch might be 'led away by attractive non-essentials' and there was insufficient manpower in the Movement to maintain it. However, by the late 1930s, Scout Troops in the vicinity of airfields and gliding clubs were encouraged to include air activities in their programmes and an 'Air Patrols' pamphlet was produced. In the Scouter of December 1937, there was an announcement about 'Air Patrols' by L A Impey, Headquarters Commissioner for Scouts:
"From time to time rumours reach me of troops that are co-operating with ground staff at certain aerodromes, but with the exception of the 30th Plymouth Troop, I have received no definite information."
"Let me add here quickly that there is no intention of starting a new branch of Scouting, namely Air Scouts..."
The Boy Scouts Association eventually introduced Air Scouts in 1941.
The 4th World Scout Jamboree in 1933 was the first international gathering where Air Scouts were represented. On 9 August, Robert Baden-Powell visited the Air Scouts, in the company of Pál Teleki, a Hungarian Chief Scout and László Almásy (known as The English Patient), who was a leader of the Hungarian Air Scouts.
Worldwide
Austria Austrian scouts were forerunners of Air Scouting in Europe. Air Scouts attended the 4th World Scout Jamboree held in Hungary (1933), in front of the contingent was Robert Kronfeld, prioneering of Austrian gliding and Rover Scout leader from Innsbruck.
Australia
Scouts Australia has a few active Air Scout groups. Air Scouts Canberra is located in Deakin, Australian Capital Territory.retrieved January 2012 The Morley Group is currently the only Air Scout Group in Western Australia as of the closing of the Bullsbrook Air Scout Group. There is one Air Scout Group in Victoria, 3rd Chelsea Air Scouts, located in Melbourne bayside suburb of Chelsea. There are also Air Scouts in individual Scout Groups. There is one Air Activities Centre at Camden airport, Sydney, New South Wales. While the group does not include any youth members, there are many adult members.
Bangladesh Bangladesh Scouts has an Air Scouts programme and is a branch of Scouting for all scouting sections. Organisationally there is a separate region for Air Scout among its 11 regions There are Air Rover Units in Bangladesh. All Scouting sections in Bangladesh follow the same programme for their section but Air Scouts sections then add an aeronautical flavour to the programme and activities. It is patronized by the Bangladesh Air Force. Every school which is run by the Bangladesh Air Force has an air scout section. There are also some open air scout groups in Bangladesh. Most air activities are ground based like visits to airports and air museums, radio controlled model flight, aero modelling and camping on airfields. The activities can also include parachuting or flights in light aircraft, helicopters, gliders or hot air balloons. That adds an Air Force flavour to the programme.
Barbados In March 2014, members of the newly formed 160th Barbados Deighton Griffiths Air Scout Troop where invested by the Chief Commissioner of the Barbados Boy Scout Association at the Barbados Concorde Experience. These are the only Air Scouts in Barbados.
Belgium Only one Group exists, which is hosted by a Belgian Paragliding Club.
Brazil Brazil and Chile vie for the first officially recorded Air Scout Groups in South America.
União dos Escoteiros do Brasil has an Air Scouting programme for its Air Scouts (Escoteiros do Ar), known in Portuguese as "Modalidade do Ar".
The first Air Scout Group in Brazil, named 'Captain Ricardo Kirk' was founded on 28 April 1938, and hosted by the local Brazilian 5th Army Aviation Regiment in Curitiba, PR which currently operates the Integrated Air Defense and Air Traffic Control Centre. The original founding was initiated by Army Aviator Lt. Col Vasco Alves Secco.:pt:Escotismo#Escotismo Modalidade do Ar
Subsequently, recognising the value of Air Scouting, the Brazilian Ministry of Aviation has issued decrees to all its units to provide support to Air Scout Groups at all its bases, as needed.
Besides the standard activities of Scouting, Air Scouts in Brazil have additional air activities and learn suitable technical aviation related skills.
Brunei Brunei Air Scouts is an extension programme run under Brunei Scout Federation (PPNBD). It was formed on 29 April 1999. The current appointed commissioner is Skipper Zakaria Mohamad Nor. There are a few schools that already have air scout troops namely,
Troop 1001 Sekolah Menengah Sultan Jamalul Alam,
Troop 1002 Maktab Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien,
Troop 1012 Sekolah Menengah Saiyyidina Husain,
Troop 1099 IGS College (Air Rovers).
Cambodia Although only a recent member of WOSM,Cambodia Scouts The National Association of Cambodian Scouts is reported to have some Air Scout Groups.
Chile Chile and Brazil vie for the first officially recorded Air Scout Groups in South America. The first Air Scout Group in Chile, "Rodolfo Marsh", was established on 17 September 1936 at the Chilean Air Force base at Quintero. The founder and first Scoutmaster was Don Leopoldo Sánchez.
Colombia At present, only one Air Scout Group—'Tigres Del Aire'—is known in Colombia. It is a member of Asociación Scouts de Colombia.
Cyprus Air Scouting in Cyprus is an active part of the Cyprus Scouts Association programme.
Czech Republic An Air Scouting troop exists within Junák, the Czech Scouting organisation.LETECKÝ SKAUTING
Egypt Egyptian Federation for Scouts and Girl Guides is structured into 4 central associations – Scouts, Sea Scouts, Air Scouts and Guides. The Air Scouts section headed is by the Commissioner for Air Scouts, Mohamed Abdel-Hamid.
Each of these four central associations has a corresponding regional association in the twenty-six governorates of Egypt; a coordination committee in each governorate organises the activities and the cooperation between the associations.
The first Air Scouts in Egypt where formed early in 1954, and in the same year the executive committee of the Air Scouts was formed and held its first meeting in the office of the Director-General of the Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority on 17 February 1954.
In January 2007, the first Air Scout Festival was held in Ismalia.
Finland
Current Finnish Air Scouting started in 2015 by a group based at the Helsinki-Malmi airport. However, aerial activities have existed in Finnish Scouting since the 1930s. By 2023 there are three active Air Scout groups.
France Air Scouts (Scouts de L'Air) started in the north of France in the mid-1930s. The first documented French Air Scout camp was held at Saint Cyr, 25 August to 1 September 1935. After World War II it was restarted by a few groups and at the 1947 Peace Jamboree many full-sized gliders built by various Air Scouts where shown to participants and demonstrated as well as activities such as aeromodelling.
Currently only two practising Air Scout Troops are known – one based in southeast France and one of the smaller French Associations.
Greece Air Scouting in Greece is an active specialist branch of the Soma Hellinon Proskopon (Scouts of Greece) programme. Air Scouts are called Aeroproskopoi. There is a Region for Air Scouts of approximately 57 Air Scout groups. The Greek Air Scouting branch was founded in 1945.
Hong Kong Air Scouting in Hong Kong started in 1967, when a Jesuit priest, Father Cunningham formed an Air Scout Troop in the 11th Kowloon Scout Group of Wah Yan College, Kowloon during the 5-year expansion plan of the Scout Association of Hong Kong. The 11th Kowloon Group (Wah Yan College, Kowloon) is a "closed school Scout Group" with Scout membership open only to students of this college in the Kowloon Peninsula of Hong Kong. As a result, there was only one Air Scout Unit in the territory from 1967 to 1972. In 1974, a Venture Air Scout Unit was added to the Group.
In 1972, the Chief Scout of Hong Kong appointed Francis Yiu Cheong Chin as the first Air Scout Commissioner to develop and expand Air Scouting. Mr. Chin is a Queen's Scout, a Trainer, and a member of the Hong Kong Chin Brothers aviators with the long-distance flying record of successfully completed "The First 100 horsepower Single-engine England to Hong Kong Long Distance Cross-Country Flight in History". As a result, Air Scouting spread and flourished after 1972. There are 18 Air Scout units in 5 Regions of Scout Groups in Hong Kong.The history of the development of the Air Scouting Movement in Hong Kong is excerpted from the official confirmed minutes of the First Meeting of the Air Activity Committee (2007/2008), Programme Branch, Scout Association of Hong Kong held on 9 January 2009. The Air Activity Committee is a policy-making committee oversees all Air Scouting activities in Hong Kong
Hungary Hungarian scouts were forerunners of Air Scouting in Europe. During the 1933 World Jamboree held in Hungary, they organized an air show with gliders. On August 9, there was a special Air Scout reception with Robert Baden-Powell, Pál Teleki, Hungarian Chief Scout, and László Almásy, Chief of the Hungarian Scout Air Squads. With the advent of democracy, after the years of communist rule when Scouting was banned, Magyar Cserkészszövetség (Hungarian Scout Association), a WOSM member, had not officially started an Air Scouting programme. Still, recently, an Air Scout Group – Repülőcserkész – has been formed in Gyor in the western region of Hungary and is believed to be the only one in Hungary (as of October 2014). The local flying organisations around Gyor Regional Airport have supported them with access to appropriate activities. The Group is adapting their Air Scouting Programme from a various of sources, including Poland, Ireland, Spain and the UK.
India The Bharat Scout and Guide organisation of India have Air Scouting and Air Guiding branches.
Indonesia "Saka Dirgantara" is the Air Scout specialism programme of the Indonesian Scout Association – Gerakan Pramuka aimed at the Rover Scout section (16–20) known as Satuan Karya. This aeronautical skills programme focuses on three different aspects: