Oldest air force.

[fedex727]

I was reading a magazine article today, on the subject of the Bulgarian Air Force. It claims to be one of the oldest air forces, being formed around 1906. There seems to be a lot of debate as to which is actually the oldest. Can any of you learned ladies and gents come up with a definitive answer please? Thanks.
Fedex727.

[Dan Winterland]

Does it mean the oldest Air Force as an entity, or the oldest military air wing? If the former, I was always led to believe it was the RAF which was the very first Air Foce in it's own right, formed 1 Apr 1918.

Some people think that date is significant!

[fedex727]

Airforce or Air Wing?

As an independent Air Force, the RAF would as you say, be first, followed by the RAAF, SAF and RCAF. If we include observation baloons for example, who recorded the earliest dedicated units?
Fedex727.

[Exascot]

I was always led to believe it was the RAF which was the very first Air Foce in it's own right, formed 1 Apr 1918.

The Royal Flying Corps was formed 13 April 1912 if we are talking military. However surely the Royal Navy were the first to operating aircraft.

[chevvron]

I always thought the Turkish military had an air wing before the RFC and RNAS were established.

[looking for]

Nov 1913 the Spanish were droping bombs on Marruecos but like pure independent RAF

[con-pilot]

The world's first military aircraft was a Wright Flyer A purchased in 1909 by the US Army.

Does that count?

[Herod]

Some people think that date is significant!

Yep. I was commissioned into Her Majesty's Finest 1st April 1965.

[VX275]

The world's first military aircraft was a Wright Flyer A purchased in 1909 by the US Army.

There were military aircraft before that Wright flyer. A number of nations had operated gas balloons (balloons are aircraft) in a military role long before the US Army bought their first aeroplane.

[H.Finn]

Finnish Air Force was founded 6 March 1918...

[Brian Abraham]

The RAF is recognised as the oldest independent air force. Prior to its formation its predecessor, the RFC, came under army jurisdiction. While the Bulgarians were very early into the aviation game, once again it was a corp of the army. Not until 30 May 1940, the Armed Forces Act was adopted by the National Assembly, defining the Air Force as an independent armed service.

Bulgarian Air Force History

[fedex727]

Thanks for your contributions everyone. The consensus seems to be that the Royal Air Force was the first Independent Air Force and that the earliest organised use of baloons for observation was most likely by the French Aerostatic Corps in 1794.