RAF enlisted ranks
Encyclopedia
The term used in the Royal Air Force
to refer to all ranks below commissioned officer
level is Other Ranks
(ORs). It includes Warrant Officer
s, non-commissioned officer
s (NCOs), and airmen.
>
Abbreviation
WO
MAcr
FS
CT or Chf Tech
Sgt
Cpl
LCpl
SAC(T)
SAC
LAC
AC
, specifically the Royal Flying Corps
(RFC). The RFC ranks of Warrant Officer Class I, Warrant Officer Class II, Flight Sergeant, Sergeant, and Corporal were directly adopted, although the four-bladed propeller above the Sergeants' and Flight Sergeants' chevrons was dropped. The double-bladed propeller used as the badge of rank for an RFC Air Mechanic 1st Class was introduced as the trade classification badge for Leading Aircraftman
. The rank of Aircraftman
replaced the RFC rank of Air Mechanic 2nd Class.
. RAF warrant officers were given equivalent status to the continuing Army rank of Warrant Officer Class I.
Also in 1950, the unpopular NCO aircrew ranks were abolished, although Master Aircrew was retained as a rank. Aircrew I became Flight Sergeant Aircrew and Aircrew II, III and IV became Sergeant Aircrew. Both new ranks adopted a gold eagle above the chevrons to permit continuing distinction from ground trades. Aircrew cadets wore the eagle on its own.
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Master Aircrew
Flight Sergeant Aircrew
Sergeant Aircrew
introduced the rank of Lance Corporal for current SACs who undertake the role of section second-in-command/fire team commander. This gives them more authority on the ground, as well as a better pay band. It seems that the rank will not be moving to other trades, and will be solely in the RAF Regiment.
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
to refer to all ranks below commissioned officer
RAF officer ranks
- Ranks :-Origins:Lieutenant-General David Henderson originally proposed that Royal Air Force officers use a combination of British Army and Royal Navy ranks...
level is Other Ranks
Other Ranks
Other Ranks in the British Army, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force are those personnel who are not commissioned officers. In the Royal Navy, these personnel are called ratings...
(ORs). It includes Warrant Officer
Warrant Officer
A warrant officer is an officer in a military organization who is designated an officer by a warrant, as distinguished from a commissioned officer who is designated an officer by a commission, or from non-commissioned officer who is designated an officer by virtue of seniority.The rank was first...
s, non-commissioned officer
Non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
s (NCOs), and airmen.
Ranks
>
Origins
Upon the formation of the Royal Air Force in 1918, rank titles and badges for ORs were adopted from the British ArmyBritish Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, specifically the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
(RFC). The RFC ranks of Warrant Officer Class I, Warrant Officer Class II, Flight Sergeant, Sergeant, and Corporal were directly adopted, although the four-bladed propeller above the Sergeants' and Flight Sergeants' chevrons was dropped. The double-bladed propeller used as the badge of rank for an RFC Air Mechanic 1st Class was introduced as the trade classification badge for Leading Aircraftman
Leading Aircraftman
Leading aircraftman Leading aircraftman (LAC) Leading aircraftman (LAC) (or leading aircraftwoman (LACW) is a rank in some air forces, between aircraftman and senior aircraftman and having a NATO rank code of OR-2. The rank badge is a horizontal two-bladed propeller....
. The rank of Aircraftman
Aircraftman
Aircraftman , or Aircraftwoman , is the lowest rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of several other Commonwealth countries....
replaced the RFC rank of Air Mechanic 2nd Class.
Changes in 1939—Warrant Officers
In 1939, the ranks of Warrant Officer Class I and Warrant Officer Class II were combined as a single rank, Warrant OfficerWarrant Officer
A warrant officer is an officer in a military organization who is designated an officer by a warrant, as distinguished from a commissioned officer who is designated an officer by a commission, or from non-commissioned officer who is designated an officer by virtue of seniority.The rank was first...
. RAF warrant officers were given equivalent status to the continuing Army rank of Warrant Officer Class I.
Changes in 1946—Aircrew
On 1 July 1946, NCOs serving as aircrew were assigned different rank badges which distinguished them from ORs in ground trades. The new ranks were:| Master Aircrew Master Aircrew Master aircrew is the warrant-officer rank held by aircrew in the Royal Air Force. It is equivalent to warrant officer in other trades, and is effectively the highest non-commissioned aircrew rank... |
equivalent to Warrant Officer | Eagle within wreath below Royal Arms |
| Aircrew I | equivalent to Flight Sergeant | Three 6-pointed stars within wreath below eagle below crown |
| Aircrew II | equivalent to Sergeant | Three 6-pointed stars within wreath below eagle |
| Aircrew III | equivalent to Sergeant | Two 6-pointed stars within wreath below eagle |
| Aircrew IV | equivalent to Sergeant | One 6-pointed star within wreath below eagle |
| Aircrew Cadet | for trainee aircrew | Empty wreath below eagle |
Changes in 1950—Technicians and Aircrew
In 1950, a new grading system for technicians was introduced. This involved the creation of the following ranks:- Master Technician (for Warrant Officers in technical trades)
- Chief Technician (for Flight Sergeants in technical trades) with three inverted chevrons surmounted by a crown
- Senior Technician (for Sergeants in technical trades) with three inverted chevrons
- Corporal Technician (for Corporals in technical trades) with two inverted chevrons
- Junior Technician with one inverted chevron
Also in 1950, the unpopular NCO aircrew ranks were abolished, although Master Aircrew was retained as a rank. Aircrew I became Flight Sergeant Aircrew and Aircrew II, III and IV became Sergeant Aircrew. Both new ranks adopted a gold eagle above the chevrons to permit continuing distinction from ground trades. Aircrew cadets wore the eagle on its own.
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Changes in 1951—Junior Ranks
On 1 January 1951, two junior ranks were introduced:- Senior Aircraftman (or Senior Aircraftwoman) with a triple-bladed propeller.
- Leading Aircraftman (or Leading Aircraftwoman) with a double-bladed propeller (this had previously been only a trade classification and not a rank)
Changes in 1964—Technicians
In 1964, the technician ranks were abolished, with the exception of Junior Technician and Chief Technician, the latter becoming an intermediate rank between Sergeant and Flight Sergeant for Technical Trades. Junior Technicians adopted the four-bladed propeller as their badge of rank and Chief Technicians adopted a treble chevron surmounted by a four-bladed propeller as their rank insignia. Master Technicians, Senior Technicians and Corporal Technicians became Warrant Officer, Sergeant and Corporal respectively. The ORs structure became:- Warrant OfficerWarrant OfficerA warrant officer is an officer in a military organization who is designated an officer by a warrant, as distinguished from a commissioned officer who is designated an officer by a commission, or from non-commissioned officer who is designated an officer by virtue of seniority.The rank was first...
/ Master AircrewMaster AircrewMaster aircrew is the warrant-officer rank held by aircrew in the Royal Air Force. It is equivalent to warrant officer in other trades, and is effectively the highest non-commissioned aircrew rank... - Flight SergeantFlight SergeantFlight sergeant is a senior non-commissioned rank in the British Royal Air Force and several other air forces which have adopted all or part of the RAF rank structure...
/ Flight Sergeant Aircrew - Chief TechnicianChief TechnicianChief technician is a non-commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force which is only held by airmen in technical trades and by musicians. It is between sergeant and flight sergeant and, like the latter has a NATO code of OR-7. Airmen in non-technical trades progress directly from sergeant to flight...
- SergeantSergeantSergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
/ Sergeant Aircrew - CorporalCorporalCorporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
- Junior TechnicianJunior TechnicianJunior Technician is a junior non-commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the Pakistan Air Force. In the RAF it ranks equal to Senior Aircraftman Technician , above Senior Aircraftman and below Corporal and has a NATO rank code of OR-2...
- Senior AircraftmanSenior AircraftmanSenior Aircraftman , or Senior Aircraftwoman , is a rank in the Royal Air Force, ranking between Leading Aircraftman and Senior Aircraftman Technician and having a NATO rank code of OR-2. The rank, which is non-supervisory, was introduced on 1 January 1951...
(or Senior Aircraftwoman) - Leading AircraftmanLeading AircraftmanLeading aircraftman Leading aircraftman (LAC) Leading aircraftman (LAC) (or leading aircraftwoman (LACW) is a rank in some air forces, between aircraftman and senior aircraftman and having a NATO rank code of OR-2. The rank badge is a horizontal two-bladed propeller....
(or Leading Aircraftwoman) - AircraftmanAircraftmanAircraftman , or Aircraftwoman , is the lowest rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of several other Commonwealth countries....
(or Aircraftwoman)
Changes in 2005—phasing out of Junior Technician
From 2005 onwards, no more airmen have been promoted to Junior Technician. Although there are currently personnel in the rank of Junior Technician, once they have all been promoted or discharged from the RAF, the rank will cease to be used. From March 2005, SACs in technical trades who had attained the Operational Performance Standard were promoted to SAC(T) and given a new badge of rank, consisting of the three-bladed propeller inside a circle. This new rank was introduced, to distinguish airmen trained to work unsupervised from those who were not, and is equivalent to the old Junior Technician rank.Introduction of Lance Corporal
On 1 April 2010, the RAF RegimentRAF Regiment
The Royal Air Force Regiment is a specialist airfield defence corps founded by Royal Warrant in 1942. After a 32 week trainee gunner course, its members are trained and equipped to prevent a successful enemy attack in the first instance; minimise the damage caused by a successful attack; and...
introduced the rank of Lance Corporal for current SACs who undertake the role of section second-in-command/fire team commander. This gives them more authority on the ground, as well as a better pay band. It seems that the rank will not be moving to other trades, and will be solely in the RAF Regiment.
See also
- Royal Navy ratings rank insignia
- British Army Other Ranks rank insignia
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- List of Royal Air Force members
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