Today the RAF has a history. An element of the contemporary RAF’s challenge is to innovate, while grappling with the legacy of one hundred years of existence and experience. In 1918 it did not have a history and this may well have been one of its most significant advantages. The newly-created RAF had to fight not only for its survival but to create a culture and sustainable pedigree with very little legacy. In this lecture, Sophy Gardner explores the nature of this advantage to the RAF in its early years.