The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the aerial warfare service branch of the British While the British were not the first to make use of heavier-than-air military aircraft, the RAF is the world's oldest independent air force (independent of army or navy control). It was founded on April 1,1918, with headquarters located in the former Hotel Cecil, during the WWI, by the amalgamation of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). At that time it was the largest air force in the world. RAF officers fall into three categories: air officers, senior officers and junior officers.