S ) ▁and ▁eight ▁service ▁flying ▁training ▁schools ▁( S FT S ). ▁The ▁E FT S ▁provided ▁a ▁twelve - week ▁intro duct ory ▁flying ▁course ▁to ▁personnel ▁who ▁had ▁graduated ▁from ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁RA AF ' s ▁initial ▁training ▁schools . ▁F lying ▁training ▁was ▁undert aken ▁in ▁two ▁stages : ▁the ▁first ▁involved ▁four ▁weeks ▁of ▁instruction ▁( including ▁ten ▁hours ▁of ▁flying ) ▁to ▁determine ▁tra ine es ' ▁suit ability ▁to ▁become ▁pil ots . ▁Those ▁that ▁passed ▁this ▁grad ing ▁process ▁then ▁received ▁a ▁further ▁eight ▁weeks ▁of ▁training ▁( including ▁si xty - five ▁hours ▁of ▁flying ) ▁at ▁the ▁E FT S . ▁Pil ots ▁who ▁successfully ▁completed ▁this ▁course ▁were ▁posted ▁to ▁an ▁S FT S ▁in ▁either ▁Australia ▁or ▁Canada ▁for ▁the ▁next ▁stage ▁of ▁their ▁instruction ▁as ▁military ▁av i ators . ▁ ▁No .   1 1 ▁Element ary ▁F lying ▁Training ▁School ▁( No .   1 1 ▁E FT S ) ▁was ▁formed ▁at ▁Ben alla , ▁Victoria , ▁on ▁ 2 6   J une ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁and ▁came ▁under ▁the ▁control ▁of ▁Southern ▁Area ▁Command . ▁Its ▁inaug ural ▁command ing ▁officer ▁was ▁Squadron ▁Le ader ▁I . C . C . ▁Thom son . ▁Before ▁being ▁taken ▁over ▁by ▁the ▁RA AF , ▁Ben alla ▁was ▁an ▁emer gency ▁run way ▁for ▁civil ▁aircraft ▁on ▁the ▁journey ▁between ▁Sydney ▁and ▁Melbourne . ▁No .   1 1 ▁E FT S '