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originally favoured officer pilots and the few enlisted pilots were usually civilian-qualified. The adoption of transport and strategic bombing missions meant that a larger number of pilots were needed to perform monotonous and gruelling jobs. Officer pilots were usually assigned to fly fighters and
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had several programmes to train civilian pilots and enlisted personnel to become naval aviators. There were also programmes to train enlisted men to serve as enlisted pilots to fly torpedo and dive bombers, transport and reconnaissance planes, and airships.
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sergeant pilots were redesignated pilots IV, III or II, and flight sergeant pilots were redesignated pilots I between 1946 and 1950, when the old ranks were restored. Warrant officer pilots were redesignated
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in 1946, and this was retained after 1950. There were still master pilots flying helicopters with the Royal Air Force until at least 1979, but all RAF pilots must now be commissioned officers.
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usually were assigned to fly light reconnaissance and artillery-spotter aircraft, cargo aircraft, and medium- and heavy-weight bombers.
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announced that it would begin training enlisted airmen to fly remotely piloted aircraft, specifically the
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The Flight
Officer Act of 1942 created the warrant officer rank of
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Other ranks may still qualify and operate as pilots in the
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fighter-bombers and commanded units. Enlisted pilots, called
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Black Sheep Ace: Flying
Sergeant Sammy Alpheus Pierce
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456:'Flying Sergeants' helped forge Air Force legacy
255:. Until 2022, personnel had to hold the rank of
364:(Supplement). 28 December 1979. p. 48041.
344:(Supplement). 27 August 1971. p. 9451.
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