Educating Air Forces: Global Perspectives on Airpower Learning(Aviation & Air Power)

Compared to armies and navies, which have existed as professional fighting services for centuries, the technology that makes air forces possible is much newer. As a result, these services have had to quickly develop methods of preparing aviators to operate in conditions ranging from peace or routine security to full-scale war. The first book to address the history and scope of air power professionalization through learning programs, Educating Air Forces offers valuable new insight into strategy and tactics worldwide.

Here, a group of international experts examine the philosophies, policies, and practices of air service educational efforts in the United States, France, Italy, Germany, Australia, Canada, and the UK. First, the contributors discuss the founding, successes, and failures of European air force learning programs between the Great War and World War II. Chapters in section two explore how the tense political climate during the Cold War influenced the creation, curriculum, and results of various programs. The final section addresses the post--Cold War era, specifically examining how educational programs are adapting to soldiers' needs and the demands of modern warfare.

Featuring contributions from eminent scholars in the field, this volume surveys the learning approaches globally employed by air forces in the past century and evaluates their effectiveness. Educating Air Forces reveals how experiential learning and formal education are not only inextricably intertwined, but also necessary to cope with advances in modern warfare.

About the Author :
Randall Wakelam is associate professor of history and associate chair of war studies at the Royal Military College of Canada. A faculty associate at the Laurier Centre for Military Strategic and Disarmament Studies and a fellow at the Queen's Centre for International and Defence Policy, he is the author of Cold War Fighters: Canadian Aircraft Procurement, 1945--1954. David Varey is a former artillery officer and assistant professor of international and military history at the Royal Military College of Canada. Emanuele Sica is assistant professor of European and military history at the Royal Military College of Canada and author of Mussolini's Army in the French Riviera: Italy's Occupation of France.

Review :

"Each chapter offers something significant on the role of professional military education in the development of air power theory and doctrine. A strong contribution to the continuing -- and critical -- discussion on the necessity of education as opposed to mere training of the professional corps." -- Douglas Kennedy, United States Air Force Academy

"This fine collection is an interesting, worthwhile, and unique work. I can think of no other study that explicitly addresses the education of aviators across eras and national boundaries." -- Richard R. Muller, coauthor of The Luftwaffe's Way of War: German Air Force Doctrine, 1911--1945