History - War in the Air

Wright Brothers

Two American brothers credited with inventing and building the world's first successful airplane and achieving the first controlled, powered flight on December 17, 1903.

Ace (pilot)

A pilot who has shot down five or more enemy planes.

Manfred von Richthofen

Germany's top ace during WWI known as the 'ace-of-aces' who shot down 80 airplanes and was killed in April 1918.

Billy Bishop

Canada's top ace during WWI who shot down 72 airplanes and was part of the Royal Flying Corps.

Initial use of planes in WWI

Planes were first used to observe enemy troops and trenches.

First armed planes in WWI

By 1915, planes were armed with machine guns and bombs.

True or False: At the start of WWI Canada had no airplanes and no air force.

TRUE

Royal Air Force

The RAF stands for Royal Air Force, established during WWI.

RCAF establishment

The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) was established in 1924.

Dogfights

A form of aerial combat between fighter aircraft, notable for combat maneuvering at short range.