RAF Booker was opened as the home of
No. 21 Elementary Flying Training School RAF in 1941. The flying school operated 72
de Havilland Tiger Moths and
Miles Magisters. No. 21 EFTS trained 120 pupils on a seven-week course - later to become 11 weeks. In May 1942, training was also started on the airfield for the
Glider Pilot Regiment. In 1950, the
University of London Air Squadron (ULAS) resumed flying out of Booker, and it also temporarily hosted the Manchester and Liverpool University Squadrons. In 1955, a hard runway (made of 90 feet wide pierced steel planking) was added to the four wartime grass runways. From 1956, part of the facilities, including a hangar, were used for accommodation and annual training of Air Training Corps staff of Warrant Officer rank. This week of training was an intense course in gaining a deeper understanding of duties and of the modern requirements of an ever-improving service. During the
Cold War the
Director UKWMO was located at the United Kingdom Regional Air Operations Command (UK RAOC) at RAF Booker tasked with instigating the national
four-minute air raid warnings. The RAF continued to base its
Bomber Command Communications Flight RAF at RAF Booker until 1963. The following units were also here at some point: • No. 1 (Basic) Flying Training School RAF (1950-53) using
de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk T.10s •
No. 5 Maintenance Unit RAF •
No. 126 Gliding School RAF • Air Crew Allocation Unit • Home Command Modified Officer Cadet Training Unit • Joint Services Staff College Flight ==Current use==