The Royal Ceylon Air Force was born on 2nd March 1951. The founding of the Royal Ceylon Air Force began with the presentation of 41 of 49; Bill No. 41 of 1949, which was presented to Ceylon's House of Representatives, by Mr R.G.Senanayake, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Defence and External Affairs on 9th August 1949.

The Bill was read in the House for the second time on 30th August 1949. The Bill provided for a Regular Air Force, a Regular Air Force Reserve, a Volunteer Air Force and a Volunteer Air Force Reserve. The RCyAF thus became the youngest of the Defence Services of Ceylon.

The Governor-General, Lord Soulbury, ratified the Bill on 3rd October 1949 and the legislative work was at last, complete . The Air Force Act was born.

The British Government seconded Group Captain Graham Clerke Bladon to set up the RCyAF, and command it through its formative years. Gp Capt Bladon was Senior Air Staff Officer of the RAF's 62 Group, the Reserve Command covering the whole of the South West of England. He had also been in charge of training auxiliary squadrons, volunteer reserves and the RAF cadets. In 1946, he was Commander of the RAF base in Singapore, and later, Staff Officer (Administration) at Air HQ Malaya. He was honoured with the Order of the British Empire in 1951, whilst serving in Ceylon.