447 Flight RAF, 705 Naval Air Squadron The squadron was formed from 447 Flight
Royal Air Force, standing up in June 1936. Operational control of naval aviation was returned to the
Royal Navy on 30 July 1937, and during this period the squadron operated the
Swordfish biplane torpedo bomber from the battlecruisers and . The aircraft were equipped with floats so that they could be launched from the ships by catapult and then recovered from the water by crane. Squadron status for 705 Naval Air Squadron (705 NAS) was achieved in 1939. Early in the
Second World War the squadron saw service protecting troop convoys and hunting raiders on the
North America and West Indies Station. After disembarkation to
RNAS Lee-on-Solent in 1939, the squadron was disbanded in 1940. The squadron was briefly reformed in 1945 and carried out the role of torpedo training.
Fleet Requirements Unit (1947–1950) In May 1947, 705 Squadron was re-commissioned at RNAS Gosport with the
Sikorsky Hoverfly element from
771 NAS. At first the squadron operated as a fleet requirements unit, and was responsible for the evaluation of the helicopter for use at sea. On 1 February 1947 Lieutenant K. Reed carried out the first helicopter deck landing on a Royal Navy ship when he landed on off
Portland.
Tri-service basic flying training (1997–2018) In April 1997 705 NAS disbanded and reformed at
RAF Shawbury in Shropshire as part of the
Defence Helicopter Flying School (DHFS), flying the
Eurocopter Squirrel HT Mk 1 helicopter. (1 FTS) and under 2 Maritime Air Wing (2 MAW), 705 Squadron provides basic and advanced rotary wing flying training for all three services pilots and rear crew. As the busiest Squadron within 1 FTS, 705 Squadron teaches both pilots and crewman a vast number of different disciplines including advanced handling, instrument flying, medium and low level navigation, mountain flying and night flying including low level navigation with
NVD. == Aircraft flown ==