No. 72 Squadron (LXXII Squadron), currently stationed at RAF Valley in Wales, is a key component of No. 4 Flying Training School, where it is responsible for Basic Fast Jet Training (BFJT). Operating the Beechcraft Texan T1, the squadron bridges the gap between elementary flying and the advanced Hawk jets, teaching student pilots the mental and physical rigour required for fighter operations. Formed in 1917, the squadron spent its early years in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) and later earned fame during the Battle of Britain, where its Spitfires helped defend the north of England. Uniquely, the squadron spent a significant portion of the Cold War (from the 1960s to 2002) as a helicopter unit, flying the Westland Wessex and Puma in support of Army operations in Northern Ireland, before returning to its fixed-wing roots. Its badge features a Swift, chosen for the bird's speed and agility, a trait succinctly captured in its one-word motto, Swift.
