History

The NSFK (Nationalsozialistisches Fliegerkorps = National Socialist Flyers Corps) was originally established in January of 1932. However, in March of 1933, the NSFK was, together with all other air sports organisations, absorbed into the newly founded DLV (Deutscher Luftsportverband = German Air Sports Association), an organisation that was used as a means to secretly rebuild the German air force under the guise of a civilian association. After the Luftwaffe was officially unveiled in 1935, the DLV was dissolved in 1937. On April 17, 1937, the NSFK was re-established as a civilian and paramilitary air sports organisation.

The NSFK’s mission was to provide the means for (young) Germans to pursue an interest in flying, and thus to secure new blood for the Luftwaffe. For this reason, the organisation worked closely with the aviation sub-section of the Hitler Youth.
Membership in the NSFK was on a voluntary basis. Members were forbidden from holding simultaneous SA, SS, or NSKK membership.
NSFK aviation training was no substitute for training in the Luftwaffe if a member decided to join the military. Since Luftwaffe planes were motorised without exception, the NSFK was the only organisation to teach its members how to fly gliders and hot air balloons.

The Collar Tabs of the NSFK were made of wool. They are blue-grey. The highest rank, Korpsführer, has a gold-coloured twist cord border, while the officer ranks from Ehrenführer to Sturmführer have a silver-coloured twist cord border with inner golden-yellow piping, and the enlisted ranks from Obertruppführer to NSFK-Mann only have golden-yellow piping.

They are similar to the SA and NSKK tabs. For the lowest ranks up to the officer rank of Obersturmbannführer the wearer’s right tab indicated the unit he belonged to, while the left tab indicated his rank. Starting with the rank of Standartenführer both tabs were rank-indicating tabs that were mirrored versions of each other.

The unit numbers were made of silver-coloured metal. The first number indicates the Sturm of the wearer. A slant bar follows, and the second number indicates the wearer’s Standarte. If just one number was given, the wearer served on the Staff of a Standarte. Members of the Staff of a Group wore the Gothic letters “Gr.” followed by the Group number, while members of the Staff of the NSFK headquarters wore a Gothic or Latin “K” (for Korpsführung). These last two were embroidered using aluminum wire. Bandleaders wore a metal lyre followed by the embroidered Group number.

Hauptsturmführer wore three pips and two tresses, each made of two silver-coloured stripes with a black middle stripe.