De Havilland Flying School Lapel Badge

The De Havilland Aircraft Company was one of the leading aviation enterprises of the interwar period. Along with designing and manufacturing aircraft, De Havilland produced their own engines and established their own Flying School.

The De Havilland Flying School opened in 1923 at Stage Lane in North London. Here, RAF Reserve officers would maintain their flying skills following their three years of regular service. In 1935 the school moved to Hatfield where became the first of the many Elementary Flying Training Schools, teaching Volunteer Reserve pilots the basic skills required for a rapidly expanding air force.