No. 16 Squadron (XVI Squadron), currently based at RAF Wittering, serves as a vital training unit within No. 1 Elementary Flying Training School. Flying the Grob Tutor T1, it is responsible for the early flight instruction of future RAF pilots, a mission it has held since reforming in 2008. The squadron is famously nicknamed "The Saints," a moniker immortalized by the distinctive "stick man" haloed figure that has adorned its aircraft tails for decades. Formed in 1915, the squadron's heritage lies in tactical reconnaissance—reflected in its motto Operta Aperta ("Hidden things are revealed")—which saw it operate the Westland Lysander in World War II. During the Cold War, it evolved into a formidable strike unit, flying the Blackburn Buccaneer and later the SEPECAT Jaguar, before transitioning to its current role in pilot development.
