RAF officer ranks

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The officer ranks of the Royal Air Force, as they are today, were introduced in 1919. Prior to that Army ranks were used.

Ranks

NATO code	OF-10	OF-9	OF-8	OF-7	OF-6	OF-5	OF-4	OF-3	OF-2	OF-1		OF(D)
Royal Air Force epaulette rank insignia
rank title[1]	Marshal of the Royal Air Force	Air Chief Marshal	Air Marshal	Air Vice-Marshal	Air Commodore	Group Captain	Wing Commander	Squadron Leader	Flight Lieutenant	Flying Officer	Pilot Officer	Officer cadet
abbreviation	MRAF[note 1]	Air Chf Mshl	Air Mshl	AVM	Air Cdre	Gp Capt	Wg Cdr	Sqn Ldr	Flt Lt	Fg Off	Plt Off	Off Cdt

Command flags

MRAF	Air Chf Mshl	Air Mshl	AVM	Air Cdre	Gp Capt	Wg Cdr	Sqn Ldr

Notes

Origins

Lieutenant General

On 1 April 1918, Air Force Memorandum 2 specified rank insignia for the newly established independent force. Rank was to be worn on the jacket cuff and was derived from the Royal Navy's rings, each equivalent rank having the same number of rings. However, second lieutenants (now pilot officers) displayed a crowned eagle only and the Navy's loop was not used for any rank.^[3] Depending on the uniform, either gold or pale blue on grey braid was worn.

In August 1918, Air Ministry Weekly Order 617 added a single band of 1⁄4-inch (6 mm) braid below the second lieutenant's eagle and all other officer ranks also received a crowned eagle above their braid on the left arm only.

In 1919 the colour of the rank braid was changed to black with a central pale blue stripe. However, on RAF

Sleeve ranks

The ranks worn on the sleeve are common to all RAF uniform variants incorporating the Jacket. The centre of the rank (measured from the bottom of the lowest braid to the top of the highest) should be 3+3⁄4 inches (9.5 cm) from the cuff and each row of braiding should have a space of 1⁄8 inch (3 mm) from other rows. The thinnest braid, as found on the pilot officer's rank (and in the middle of the squadron leader's rank), is 1⁄4 inch (6 mm); the flying officer's braid common to all the ranks except air commodore and pilot officer, is 1⁄2 inch (1.3 cm), and the thickest braid, as found on all air officer ranks, is 2 inches (5.1 cm).

Shoulder boards

Air officers' ceremonial shoulder board

Shoulder board of marshal of the RAF

Shoulder boards (as shown) are worn by officers of general rank equivalent (air commodore and above). Officers entitled to wear

RAF officers typically wear composite braid rank slides with their working and operational uniforms. Composite braid consists of a single piece of fabric, where the "background" between the rank rings is made from blue-grey or olive green material. Composite braid rank slides are often referred to as "bar-code" in RAF slang.^{[citation needed]}

Distinction between ranks and appointments

Many RAF ranks do not imply the appointment or duties of an officer. For example, a pilot officer may well not be trained to pilot an aircraft. In fact, pilots skip the rank of pilot officer and go from officer cadet to flying officer on graduation from officer training school at RAF Cranwell. A squadron leader does not necessarily command a squadron, nor a wing commander necessarily command a wing, nor a group captain command a group.

A group will usually be commanded by an AVM. 'Flying' wings will be commanded by a group captain, with ground-based wings commanded by a wing commander. 'Flying' squadrons are commanded by wing commanders, and ground-based squadrons are typically commanded by squadron leaders.

RAF Air Cadets (Air Training Corps and Combined Cadet Force)

The majority of officers in the

rank slides. Volunteer officers who are members of an air experience flight (AEF) and who are pilots of aircraft providing air experience flying to air cadets and university air squadrons (UAS) continue to hold a VR(UAS) commission.

RAF Air Cadets officers use the rank system identical to the regular RAF, but the highest substantive rank is flying officer. Higher ranks within the Air Cadet organisation are acting appointments, up to wing commander. Other senior ranked appointments are generally full-time staff positions (such as regional commandants and commandant air cadets) held by regular and reserve (RAFR/FTRS) RAF officers. In certain circumstances, honorary appointments within the RAF Air Cadets may be made, however the rank may vary. After the

Royal Cypher

is expected to be created.

Timeline of changes

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers								Officer cadet
Royal Flying Corps (1912–April 1918)
					Lieutenant-General		Major-General		Brigadier-General		Colonel		Lieutenant Colonel		Major		Captain		Lieutenant			2nd lieutenant			Cadet
Royal Naval Air Service (1914–April 1918)																	Squadron Commander (less than 8 years seniority) Flight Commander Flight Lieutenant
											Wing Captain		Wing Commander		Squadron Commander (more than 8 years seniority)				Flight Sub-Lieutenant
April 1918 - August 1918
			General		Lieutenant-General		Major-General		Brigadier-General		Colonel		Lieutenant Colonel		Major		Captain		Lieutenant			2nd lieutenant
August 1918 - 1919
			General		Lieutenant-General		Major-General		Brigadier-General		Colonel		Lieutenant Colonel		Major		Captain		Lieutenant			2nd lieutenant
1919–1952
	Marshal of the RAF		Air chief marshal		Air marshal		Air vice-marshal		Air commodore		Group captain		Wing commander		Squadron leader		Flight lieutenant		Flying officer			Pilot officer /acting pilot officer			Officer cadet
Royal Observer Corps (1925–1996)
									Air commodore		Observer captain		Observer commander		Observer lieutenant commander		Observer lieutenant		Observer officer
1952–2022
	Marshal of the RAF		Air chief marshal		Air marshal		Air vice-marshal		Air commodore		Group captain		Wing commander		Squadron leader		Flight lieutenant		Flying officer			Pilot officer /acting pilot officer			Officer cadet
2022–Current
	Marshal of the RAF		Air chief marshal		Air marshal		Air vice-marshal		Air commodore		Group captain		Wing commander		Squadron leader		Flight lieutenant		Flying officer			Pilot officer /acting pilot officer			Officer cadet
NATO code	OF-10		OF-9		OF-8		OF-7		OF-6		OF-5		OF-4		OF-3		OF-2		OF-1						OF(D)						Student officer

See also

• Aircrew brevet
• Comparative military ranks of World War I
• Comparative military ranks of World War II
• Comparative military ranks
• List of Royal Air Force members
• Military rank
• RAF other ranks
• Ranks and insignia of officers in NATO air forces
• Ranks of the cadet forces of the United Kingdom
• Royal Observer Corps ranks
• Women's Auxiliary Air Force ranks

Notes

References