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((Short description|Type of military unit))
((Use British English|date=September 2021))((Use dmy dates|date=September 2021))
((More citations needed|date=July 2010))
[[File:RNZAF Strikemaster (crop).jpg|thumb|A flight of four RNZAF Strikemasters]]
((Air force units))
A '''flight''' is a small [[military unit]] within the larger structure of an [[air force]], [[Naval aviation|naval air]] service, or [[Army aviation|army air]] corps; and is usually subordinate to a larger [[Squadron (aviation)|squadron]]. A [[military aircraft]] flight is typically composed of four aircraft, though two to six aircraft may also form an aircraft flight; along with their aircrews and ground staff. In some very specific examples, typically involving historic aircraft, a flight may contain as many as twelve aircraft, as is the case with the [[Battle of Britain Memorial Flight]] (BBMF) of the British [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF). In most usages, two or more flights make up a [[Squadron (aviation)|squadron]]. Foreign languages equivalents include ''[[escadrille]]'' ([[French language|French]]), ''escuadrilla'' ([[Spanish language|Spanish]]), ''esquadrilha'' ([[Portuguese language|Portuguese]]), ''zveno'' ([[Russian language|Russian]]), and ''Schwarm'' ([[German language|German]]).

In the case of a non-flying, or "ground flight", such as Mechanical Transport Flight (MTF), Supply Flight, Accounts Flight, etc; no aircraft, and a roughly equivalent number of support personnel may be utilised.

The term "flight" is also a basic unit for [[intercontinental ballistic missile]]s (ICBMs).

==Origins==
The use of the term "flight" originated in the [[United Kingdom ]] to describe a collection of aircraft (typically four in the early days of aviation), and dates back to around 1912. It has been suggested that the term was coined by technical sub-committee of the [[Committee of Imperial Defence]], which was examining the British air arrangements around the same time.<ref>((Cite book|last=Joubert de la Ferté|first=Air Chief Marshal Sir Philip|author-link=Philip Joubert de la Ferté|year=1955|title=The Third Service|location=[[London]], England|publisher=[[Thames and Hudson]]|pages=14, 15|isbn=))</ref>

==Commonwealth flights==
===Aircraft flight===
In the [[United Kingdom]] [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF), and the other air forces of the [[Commonwealth of Nations|British Commonwealth]], from where much air force terminology emanated, an aircraft flight, in the first decades of air forces, was commanded by a [[flight lieutenant]] (FltLt), a rank equivalent to [[Captain (land)|captain]] in armies and other air forces, or a naval [[lieutenant]].  More recently, however, it has become common for a flight to be led by a [[squadron leader]] (SqnLdr); a formal rank distinct from a squadron commander;<!--squadron commander is an appointment, NOT a rank--> equivalent to an army [[Major (rank)|major]] or naval [[lieutenant commander]].

On rare occasions, a flight may further be sub-divided into two sections, each containing two to three aircraft, which share ground staff with the other section, and are usually commanded by a flight lieutenant.

The Royal Navy's (RN) [[Fleet Air Arm]] (FAA), the [[Army Air Corps (United Kingdom)|Army Air Corps]] (AAC), and other Commonwealth naval and army aviation arms also have flights.  In the Fleet Air Arm, a flight could be as few as a single helicopter operating from a smaller ship.((Citation needed|date=May 2015))

===Ground flight===
A ground flight within an air force is roughly equivalent to a [[platoon]] in an army, and may be commanded by a flight lieutenant, [[flying officer]], [[pilot officer]], or [[warrant officer]].  These ground flights may carry out operational roles (such as [[air traffic control]], [[airfield defence]], or [[Aircraft rescue and firefighting|firefighting]]), engineering roles (such as [[aircraft maintenance]], ground-based [[mechanical engineering]], or other ground systems maintenance), support roles (including [[Military medicine|medical]], dental, [[Military fitness|physical training]], [[Military logistics|supply and logistics]], training and education, and [[Military law|legal]] units), or purely administrative roles (such as [[Military finance|finance]], infrastructure, or [[Military human resources|human resource]] management).

A flight is also a basic unit of guided missiles, such as [[surface-to-air missile]]s (SAMs).

==American flights==
The [[United States Air Force]] (USAF) has three types of flights: numbered, alphabetic, and aircraft (which may be designated by alpha-numerics or name).

A numbered flight is a unit with a unique base, [[Wing (military aviation unit)|wing]], [[Group (air force)|group]], or [[Numbered Air Force]] mission; such as training or finance, though not large enough to warrant designation as a [[Squadron (aviation)|squadron]]. Numbered flights are uncommon, and are usually only found in [[basic training]] facilities.

An alphabetic flight is an operational component of a flying or ground squadron, not an independent unit; alphabetic flights within a squadron normally have identical or similar functions, and are normally designated A, B, C, and so, on within the squadron. Flights in the USAF are generally authorised to have between 20 and 100 personnel, and are normally commanded by a company-grade officer ([[lieutenant]] or [[Captain (land)|captain]]), and/or a flight chief, usually a senior [[non-commissioned officer]] with the rank of [[master sergeant]] or [[Master sergeant|senior master sergeant]].

In USAF flying squadrons, the term flight also designates a tactical sub-unit of a squadron consisting of two or three elements (designated "sections" in [[U.S. Army]] and [[Naval Air Systems Command|U.S. Naval Aviation]]), with each element consisting of two or three aircraft. The flight operates under the command of a designated flight leader. In [[United States Army Aviation Branch|U.S. Army Aviation]], the equivalent organisational level of a flight is called a "platoon", while in U.S. Naval Aviation the flight is known as a "division".

In [[LGM-30 Minuteman|Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile]] units of the U.S. Air Force, a flight is composed of ten unstaffed launch facilities, remotely controlled by a staffed [[Launch control center (ICBM)|launch control center]], containing two personnel. Five of these flights make up one missile squadron. The Air Force has a total of 45 [[ICBM]] missile flights.

Under U.S. military and [[FAA]] common usage, for [[air traffic control]] and separation purposes, a "flight" of aircraft is simply two or more aircraft intentionally operating in close proximity to each other (typically in formation) under a designated "flight leader", without regard to military organisational hierarchy.

==French flights==
An ''escadrille'' (literal translations: "squad" or "small squadron") is the label given to flights in the air forces and navies of some French-speaking countries. While the term is frequently translated into English as "squadron", an ''escadrille'' was originally a smaller unit (whereas the French ''escadron'', also translated as "squadron", in the context of aviation is a much larger unit, comparable in status to a naval squadron).

The first air ''escadrilles'' were formed in France before [[World War I]], in 1912.<ref name="Chant"/> They were initially a loosely defined group of aircraft capable of similar tasks, in most cases not more than six aeroplanes in each.<ref name="Aeroplane">((in lang|en)) ((cite journal | date=1913-07-03 | title =French manœuvres | journal =The Aeroplane | volume =5 | page =262 ))</ref> During the war, the ''escadrille'' became the basic independent unit of aviation within the French armed forces. An escadrille was a homogeneous unit, armed with a single type of aeroplane, with permanent flying and ground personnel attached, motorised transport and tent [[hangar]]s.<ref name="Chant">((in lang|en)) ((cite book |author1=Christopher Chant |title=The illustrated history of the air forces of World War I & World War II|year=1979 |publisher=Galley Press |isbn=978-0-86136-792-4 |pages=28–32 ))</ref> By mid-1915, the ''[[Armee de l'Air]]'' had grown to 119 ''escadrilles'' of 10 aircraft each: 14 of fighters, 50 of bombers and the rest reconnaissance, spotter and communications units.<ref name="Chant"/> While ''escadrilles'' initially operated independently, during the [[Battle of Verdun]] (1916), ''chasseur'' (fighter) ''escadrilles'' were formed into larger formations, for easier coordination.<ref name="Almanac">((in lang|en)) ((cite book |author1=David F. Burg |author2=L. Edward Purcell |title=Almanac of World War I|chapter=29 February 1916 |date=2004-03-31 |publisher=[[University Press of Kentucky]] |page=104 ))</ref>

During [[World War II]], French ''escadrilles'' usually fielded between 10 and 12 aircraft. Hence they were roughly equivalent to a German ''[[Organization of the Luftwaffe (1933–1945)#Staffel|staffel]]'', Italian ''gruppo'' or Polish ''eskadra'' (10 aircraft in 1939). This was in contrast to air squadrons of the [[Commonwealth of Nations|British Commonwealth]] or [[United States]], which usually had 12&ndash;18 aircraft, divided into two to four [[flight (unit)|flight]]s.

Until 1949, between one and four French ''escadrilles'' formed a ''[[groupe]]''. Since then, however, ''escadrilles'' have been subordinate to ''escadrons''. As such, ''groupes'' and ''escadrons'' are the equivalent of the German language terms ''[[Gruppe (military)|gruppe]]'' and ''[[geschwader]]''; and the English language terms "[[wing (military unit)|wing]]" and "[[group (air force)|group]]" (the definitions of which also vary from one nation to another).

==German flights==
A ''Schwarm'' (meaning swarm) as part of a ''Staffel'' (squadron) comprises four aircraft and can be further subdivided into twoships called ''Rotte'' (meaning rout, two aircraft). The tactical formation, however, is the ''twoship with hot spare'' (the English term is used), the third aircraft being released before reaching the target if none of the others had to be sent back earlier. The ''Kette'' (meaning chain) of three aircraft is a historic term. These terms refer to groups of aircraft only and are not used for ground units.

==See also==
*[[Naval air squadron]]

==References==
((Wiktionary|flight))
((Reflist))

==External links==
*[https://www.AWM.gov.au/index.php/learn/understanding-military-structure/raaf/structure RAAF: Structure] — at the [[Australian War Memorial]] website
((Portal bar|Aviation))

[[Category:Flights (military unit)| ]]
[[Category:Air force units and formations]]

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