Hal Far Fighter Flight RAF

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35°48′59″N 14°30′29″E / 35.81639°N 14.50806°E / 35.81639; 14.50806

The Hal Far Fighter Flight was a British fighter plane unit formed during the Siege of Malta in 1940, during World War II. For several weeks, the island of Malta was protected by a small force of Gloster Sea Gladiator biplane fighters (subsequently supported by Hawker Hurricanes), based at RAF Hal Far;^{[1][unreliable source?]} which was also known as the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) station HMS Falcon. The flight is the source of the myth, that only three aircraft, named Faith, Hope, and Charity (N5519, N5520, and N5531) formed the fighter cover for the island.^{[1][unreliable source?][2][unreliable source?][3][4][unreliable source?]} In fact, six aircraft were operational, though not always at the same time; others were used for spare parts.^{[5][unreliable source?]} The names Faith, Hope, and Charity were applied to the aircraft many months later, by a Maltese newspaper.^{[6][unreliable source?]}