THEY were the real-life magnificent men in their flying machines, early aviators who took to the skies on little more than a wing and a prayer.

Today Calshot is a popular place for leisure activities as present generations enjoy windsurfing, sailing and various indoor sporting facilities, oblivious to the importance that this place has in the country's aviation heritage. For it was here that pioneering pilots took the first steps that eventually lead to the Royal Air Force.

When the Royal Flying Corps was created on April 13, 1912, a section of the Admiralty was set up known as the Air Department, which was to be responsible for all questions relating to naval aircraft. Later that year the Admiralty decided to establish a chain of air stations from Scapa Flow to Pembroke for the defence of the UK's coastal waters, and on March 29, 1913, Calshot Naval Air Station officially came into being. The first aircraft to arrive at the newly-formed Naval Air Station was the Sopwith Bat Boat, while one of the first buildings constructed at the base was the Sopwith Hangar, which still stands on the site today.

The original station consisted of three sheds built to house 12 aircraft, with a few Coastguard cottages, both on the spit and at Warsash, for accommodation while the officer commanding lived in Southsea and arrived each morning by floatplane.

In this early period the main function of the station was to test various types of seaplanes for the naval wing of the Royal Flying Corps. By August 1913, Calshot assumed responsibilities for area customs, coastal intelligence and meteorology. The months leading up to the First World War was an intense period of aircraft testing and armament trials with the first successful torpedo drop from a seaplane. From July 18 to 20 the King's Review of the Fleet took place at Spithead, and as many RNAS aircraft were concentrated at Calshot they were formed into a mass review of 17 aircraft, which flew past the Royal Yacht.

As the political situation worsened the personnel at Calshot were moved to emergency accommodation with the Castle Yacht Club becoming the officers' mess. When war was declared on August 4, 1914, Calshot, together with Dover and some smaller stations, was responsible for Channel defence. Calshot continued to carry out aircrew training, using aircraft such as Sopwith Schneiders and Wight School Machines.

During 1916 Calshot-based aircraft flew 3,400 hours with the loss of four men and one officer missing. In 1917 more than 3,500 hours were flown on anti-submarine patrols, while 270 aircrew personnel underwent training. As the war progressed Calshot was reorganised into three Flights, numbers 345 and 346 with flying boats and 410 with seaplanes. These were later combined to become 240 Squadron. Flying intensified to such an extent that from July to September 1918, 9,000 hours were flown, 13 German submarines were sighted and eight attacked.