From THE ROYAL FLYING CORPS A HISTORY by Geoffrey Norris.
March 4th 1912 Colonel Seely, Under-Secretary of Stat for War, rose to present the Army Estimates, he announced that he had appointed a committee, of which Lord Haldene was chairman. This committee was to set up a Royal Flying Corps to embrace “soldiers, sailors and civilians” . No one would hold executive rank unless he were an expert flyer. The present air battalion would cease to exist and would be absorbed into the new corps. The head-quarters would be at Netherton (should this read Netheravon?) on Salisbury plain, and a large tract of land had to be purchased for this purpose for the sum of £90,000.
The Royal Flying Corps was constituted on 13th May 1912.