Army Flying started in 1878 - see the following URL for more details:
http://www.army.mod.uk/aac/history/index.htm
Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm in 1912:
http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/server/show/nav.2235
Royal Air Force in 1918:
http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/ (History section still under development!!)
Kind of says it all really, perhaps the charity idea isn't so bad?
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