Its areas of responsibility include: The CAA is a public corporation of the Department for Transport, liaising with the government via the Standards Group of the Cabinet Office.

The CAA was established in 1972, under the terms of the Civil Aviation Act 1971 (c. 75), following the recommendations of a government committee chaired by Sir Ronald Edwards.

[citation needed] The priorities of the chair, as recorded by letter upon the accession to government of the Cameron–Clegg coalition were, chief amongst others:[3] From 1 April 2014, the CAA took over a number of aviation security functions from the Department for Transport.

Sir Nigel Foulkes was Chairman of the CAA from 1977 to 1982, coming into the post from five years of chairing the British Airports Authority.

[15] General aviation is an official category that covers a wide range of unscheduled air activity such as flying clubs and training establishments.

The CAA and its predecessors have operated 49 aircraft of 13, primarily British, aircraft types including de Havilland Tiger Moths, Avro Ansons, Airspeed Consuls, Percival Princes, de Havilland Doves,[16] Hawker Siddeley HS 748s[17][18] and Hawker Siddeley HS 125s.

[19][20] The roles performed by CAFU aircraft included: Beyond the privatisation of the calibration service in 1996, the Civil Aviation Authority operated two HS 125-700 aircraft successively up until 2002, providing conversion and continuation flying for professional CAA pilots, conducting radar trials for National Air Traffic Services (NATS) and serving the CAA, NATS and Highlands & Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL) in the communications role.

In the early 70's CAASTE was based in Block D with further Navigation Aid and Radar classrooms on the northwest corner of the park (now occupied by housing).

STE also provided training facilities for existing technicians to keep up to date with technological developments or to enhance their skills on a broader range of equipments.

Apprentices had exclusive use of the 'AT Club' (Apprentice Technicians Club) and also to the Bletchley Park 'Radio Shack', based in the old DF hut near the entrance to Block D, with a call-sign of 'G4BWD' – 'Golf Four Building Works Department', able to access the 2-metre band, with a Yagi attached to the remnant of the DF antenna on top of the building, and a "long wire" for HF use.