Editing Air Ministry (section)

===1921–1927===
In February 1921 [[Lloyd George]] appointed Churchill to the [[Colonial Office]] and appointed his Chief Whip, [[Frederick Guest]] as Secretary of State for Air on 1 April. During his eighteen months in office he played "a minor part in the desperate struggle to maintain the air force's institutional independence in the face of hostile attacks from the War Office and the Admiralty".<ref name="ReferenceA">Oxford Dictionary of National Biography</ref> More importantly in the long term he was also responsible for the appointment of [[Sir Sefton Brancker]] to develop civil aviation.

With the fall of Lloyd George [[Samuel Hoare, 1st Viscount Templewood|Sir Samuel Hoare]] became the Secretary of State for Air in October 1922 under [[Bonar Law]]. On Law's death [[Stanley Baldwin]] became Prime Minister and gave the position Cabinet status in May 1923,<ref>David Butler and Gareth Butler 1986: British Political Facts 1900–1983 Sixth Edition {{ISBN|0-333-39949-8}} pp.12–15</ref> and Hoare remained in the post until January 1924, when a Labour government took power. [[Christopher Thomson, 1st Baron Thomson|Lord Thomson]] was made Secretary of State for Air. A supporter of airships, Thomson was responsible for the [[Imperial Airship Scheme]], which involved the construction of R101 at the Royal Airship Works at Cardington.<ref name="ReferenceA" />

After the fall of the MacDonald government in November 1924 Hoare returned to the Air Ministry. He was interested in developing air links to the Empire and Dominion countries, particularly India and South Africa. He negotiated a subsidy from the Treasury for [[Imperial Airways]] to start a service from Cairo to India. Hoare, with his wife Lady Maud, flew on the inaugural 13-day flight to Delhi, leaving Croydon on 26 December 1926 and arriving on 8 January 1927. The air route to Cape Town, after much negotiation, was finalised in 1929, before he left office, but only commenced in 1932.<ref>Cross J.A. (1977) ''Sir Samuel Hoare: A Political Biography''. London: Jonathan Cape {{ISBN|0-224-01350-5}} p.101</ref>