Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service The Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service ( " Marinens Flyvevesen " ) was alongside the Norwegian Army Air Service the forerunner to the modern - day Royal Norwegian Air Force . History . The RNNAS was established on 1 June 1912 , with the maiden flight of the HNoMS Start , piloted by Hans Dons . The founding of the Air Service was based largely on pride . On 19 April 1912 newspapers had reported that a Swedish pilot was planning to fly over Moss and Horten . Horten was the site of the main base of the Royal Norwegian Navy . Three officers of the Norwegian submarine " Kobben " decided that it would be a shame if they were not able to beat him to it . Later that year , the Maurice Farman biplanes " Njaal " and " Gange Rolf " were purchased . In 1915 the Navy established its own aircraft factory and a flying school . The main flight base was established in Horten . Other naval air stations were established in Kristiansand in 1918 , Bergen in 1919 and in Tromsø shortly before the invasion in 1940 . Second World War . The Norwegian Campaign . In 1940 most of the planes in Norwegian service were outdated , and the 1 100 transport and fighter planes of the Luftwaffe soon gained air superiority . The armed resistance in Norway was abandoned 9 June 1940 , although some Norwegians would continue the fight abroad . The aircraft of the Norwegian Naval Airforce were the only ones which had the range to fly all the way from the remaining bases in Northern Norway to Britain . Amongst the Norwegian aircraft which reached Britain were four German made Heinkel He 115 sea plane s , a fifth escaping to Finland . Three Marinens Flyvebaatfabrikk M . F . 11 maritime reconnaissance aircraft also made it to Finland , landing on Lake Salmijärvi in Petsamo on 8 June . Six He 115s were bought before the war , and another two were captured from the Germans during the Norwegian Campaign . A captured Arado Ar 196 from the German heavy cruiser " Admiral Hipper " was also flown from Norway to Britain for testing . The RNNAS in exile . The Army and Navy air forces established themselves in Britain under the command of the Joint Chiefs of Staff . Norwegian air and ground crews operated as part of the British Royal Air Force , both in wholly Norwegian squadrons , and in others . The first exile air unit was the 330 Squadron equipped with Northrop torpedo - bombers . This squadron was established in the autumn of 1940 and was operating from Akureyri , Iceland , from July 1941 . On 28 January 1943 the entire squadron relocated to Oban , Scotland where it began to re - equip with Short Sunderland s . The second maritime squadron was the 333 squadron established in 1943 in Woodhaven , Scotland equipped with Catalina sea planes and Mosquito fighter - bomber s . At the start of the war , Norwegian personnel received flight training at Toronto , Canada , at Toronto Island Airport . The advantage of this site was its ability to provide both basic flight and seaplane training . Although the airport is located on an island in the harbour , personnel were housed in barracks on the mainland , in a neighbourhood which is still known today as Little Norway . On 10 May 1945 the Mosquitos were formed into a third separate squadron - 334 Squadron . Both planes and running costs were financed by the exiled Norwegian government . The Royal Norwegian Air Force . The Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service ceased to exist on 10 November 1944 when the Royal Norwegian Air Force was established . In honour of the achievements of the RNoAF Squadrons of the WWII The Royal Norwegian Air Force has maintained the RAF squadron names . Thus Norway still has 330 and 333 squadrons , respectively flying Sea King helicopters and Orion Maritime Patrol Aircraft . 334 Squadron is currently deactivated and is going to reform with NH90 utility helicopter s sometime in 2007 .