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You won’t find 727 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) in any combat zone – but as the unit that gives potential Royal Navy pilots their first taste of airborne life, it’s one of the most important in the Fleet Air Arm.
Based at RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset, 727 Naval Air Squadron is made up of just two full-time Royal Navy personnel, assisted by five civilian flying instructors. The squadron can accommodate up to ten students at any one time. In addition to elementary flight training, students with the squadron can choose to experience aerobatics during their time in the cockpit. The squadron’s motto is ‘Regere Mare, Regite Caelum’ (‘To Rule The Sea, Rule The Sky’).
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The pilots of 727 Air Squadron are among the most experienced in the Royal Navy. Their skills include:
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727 Naval Air Squadron’s primary role is to provide the Royal Navy with its newest aviators, both by assessing the suitability of potential Royal Navy pilots for further flight training, and by providing flight experiences to youth organisations through the Royal Navy Flying Scholarship. The squadron offers introductory flight courses to Royal Navy personnel, cadets, and any member of the public who is considering a career in the Fleet Air Arm. The squadron plays a key role in discovering the next generation of Royal Navy pilots.
727 Naval Air Squadron is formed during the Second World War on 26 May 1943 in Gibraltar, using the obsolete Fairey Swordfish, Hawker Hurricane IIC and Bolton-Paul Defiant aircraft. It supports the fleet with tracking and target-towing aircraft from detachments in Tafanoni, Blida and Bizerta in North Africa.
Following a move to RAF Ta Kali, Malta, the squadron was disbanded on 7 December 1944.
On 23 April 1946, 727 was recommissioned at RNAS Gosport. The squadron provided air courses for junior Royal Navy and Royal Marines officers using a collection of DeHavilland Tiger Moth, Supermarine SeaFire, Fairey Firefly and North American Harvard aircraft.
With cadet flight training being undertaken by Britannia Royal Naval College, 727 NAS was disbanded for the second time on 17 January 1950.
On 4 January 1956, the squadron was reformed as the Dartmouth Cadet Air Training Squadron.
The squadron continued to operate throughout the 1950s, using DeHavilland Sea Vampires, a Sea Prince and two Westland Dragonfly helicopters, before disbanding again on 16 December 1960.
The Royal Navy’s Tiger Moth training aircraft were collated at Roborough Airport, where it began flight-grading aviators with a view to identifying those who would succeed at further training.
By the end of 1966 the ageing Tiger Moths were replaced with seven DeHavilland Chipmunk aircraft. Recreational and summer camps continued between grading courses.
A new contract with Shorts Brothers saw the replacement of the Chipmunk with five Grob 115D Tutor aircraft.
On 6 December 2001 the RN Grading Flight was commissioned as 727 NAS.
The Grob 115D was replaced in 2004 with the Grob 115E, which uses a three-bladed variable pitch propeller, a slightly uprated engine and a much improved avionics fit.
727 NAS moved out of Roborough, where it had operated for approximately 45 years, to the hub of naval aviation, RNAS Yeovilton. Here, the young officers and cadets experience life in a busy operational air station.
During the latter half of 2013, the aircraft of 727 NAS underwent a major upgrade program to include new propellers and an upgraded oil system.
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