As an indication, my father was a Beaufighter pilot, and joined up in early 1941. He did 5 weeks in Cornwall on classroom theory, then went to Meir, in Stoke on Trent, for EFTS on Miles Magisters, which took some 100+ hours. After that was Little Rissington (operating from a satellite airstrip at Windrush) for c 200 hours on Oxfords, after which he was awarded his wings.
January 1942 saw him do about 100 hours on Blenheim 1 & IV's, with an hour solo in a Beaufighter before being sent to 219 nightfighter squadron at Tangmere. One hour being little use, he went off to St Athan to get some hours up flying (top secret) radar tests, getting about 40 hours in 3 weeks.
Needless to say, after another 3 weeks back at 219 on operational night sorties, he was then sent to North Africa (603 Squadron) for anti shipping/day ops.....
