| No. 32 (The Royal) Squadron RAF XXXII Squadron RAF[1] | |
|---|---|
_Squadron_RAF.jpg) | |
| Active | 12 January 1916 – 1 April 1918 (RFC) 1 April 1918 – 29 December 1919 (RAF) 1 April 1923 – present |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Royal Air Force |
| Type | Flying squadron |
| Role | Command Support Air Transport[1] |
| Size | Three aircraft |
| Part of | No. 2 Group |
| Home station | RAF Northolt |
| Motto(s) | Adeste Comites (Latin for 'Rally round, comrades')[1][2] |
| Website | XXXII Squadron RAF |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron badge heraldry | A hunting horn stringed, representing the unit's ability to hunt the enemy. Approved by King George VI in December 1936.[3] |
| Post 1950 Squadron Roundel |  |
| Squadron codes | KT (Oct 1938 – Sep 1939) GZ (Sep 1939 – Nov 1942, Jul 1944 – May 1949) |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Helicopter | Leonardo AW109SP GrandNew |
| Transport | Dassault Envoy IV CC1 |
No. 32 (The Royal) Squadron Royal Air Force, also written XXXII Squadron Royal Air Force,[1] sometimes abbreviated as No. 32 (TR) Squadron of the Royal Air Force (RAF). No.32 is a current flying squadron which operates in the VIP and general air transport roles. It is based at RAF Northolt in Greater London, England.[1]
Originally formed in 1916[1] as part of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC), the squadron saw action during the First and Second World Wars with fighter aircraft, but was disbanded in 1969. The Metropolitan Communications Squadron, involved in the VIP transport role, was renamed as No. 32 Squadron at that time.[4] In 1995, the squadron was merged with the Queen's Flight, and incorporated 'The Royal' title into its name.[1] At this time, the squadron moved from RAF Benson in Oxfordshire to RAF Northolt in Greater London, where it remains.
The merger ended the RAF's provision of dedicated VIP transport aircraft; the squadron's aircraft are available to VIP passengers only if they are not needed for military operations. As of 2024[update], two flights within the squadron operate the Dassault Envoy IV CC1 fixed-wing and AgustaWestland AW109 rotary-wing aircraft.
- ^ a b c d e f g "XXXII Squadron". RAF.MoD.uk. Royal Air Force. 2024. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
- ^ Pine, L.G. (1983). A dictionary of mottoes (1 ed.). London, England: Routledge & Kegan Paul. p. 5. ISBN 0-7100-9339-X.
- ^ Halley 1988, pp. 78–79.
- ^ Wood, Chris (29 March 2015). "Royal Air Force BAe 125 retirement". GlobalAviationResource.com. Global Aviation Resource. Retrieved 20 March 2024.