Sustaining Airpower: Influence of Logistics on RAF Doctrine

摘要

In 1942, Sir Frederick Sykes, the first commander of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC), and later chief of the Air Staff, briefly outlined how the motto, Per Ardua ad Astra (Through Adversity to the Stars), had been selected. Although he noted that some thought it bad Latin, he did not choose to elaborate on why it was the best possible choice. For Sykes and his contemporaries, the reasons would have been self-evident. The RFC had emerged in the face of institutional hostility, interservice rivalry, political indifference, and significant technical and environmental challenges. The struggle to master the air had exacted a heavy price. The ethereal (the heavens) had been gained through human (mortal) effort. But, there was perhaps an even deeper message—the paradox that was the aspirational nature of airpower and the laborious, sometimes mundane and frequently complex arrangements needed to support military aviation. Thus, while the bravery and dedication of those individuals who helped to create the RFC was not in question, it was evident that the freedom of the skies (and the boundless military potential they offered) was in stark contrast to the fragility (often literal) of powered flight.