34-609: Air commodore ( Air Cdre or Air Cmde ) is a air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force . The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. Air commodore is immediately senior to group captain and immediately subordinate to air vice-marshal . It
68-636: A Pilatus PC-12 landed at RAF Valley while the base was closed for maintenance work. Initially staff thought it was an emergency landing, but the pilot said he landed there "to go to the beach". When told about the lockdown and coronavirus restrictions he was reported to have replied "it was okay, because he had [the virus] two months ago". He had flown from Fairoaks Airport and had noticed RAF Valley on Google Earth and decided to land there as Misplaced Pages said it served civilian traffic. He left shortly after landing. The Ministry of Defence said that while civilian traffic were allowed at its sites, 24 hours notice
102-745: A fleet of 10 Texan T.1s, so that RAF Valley is now home to two-thirds of fast jet training, delivering both basic and advanced courses. In May 2020, Virginia Crosbie , MP for Ynys Môn and members of the Senedd wrote to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) seeking assurance that travel to and from the base was limited to critical journeys during the COVID-19 pandemic . The MoD told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that training remained under "constant review". On 25 May 2020
136-517: A general officer. In 1919 when the RAF introduced its own air officer ranks, the preceding RAF and equivalent army rank was brigadier-general , which was a general officer rank until its abolition in 1922. In some other countries — most notably the armed forces of the United States — Army, Air Force and Marine Corps one-star officers are considered to be general officers, and one-star officers of
170-676: A modified version of this type is still in use by 4 FTS called the BAE Systems Hawk T.2. RAF Valley previously hosted the Headquarters and 'C Flight' of No. 22 Squadron , part of the RAF's Search and Rescue Force . By October 2015, the RAF SAR Force had been relieved of their responsibility by a new contractor-led operation , run by Bristow Helicopters , and the nearest SAR unit is now based at Caernarfon Airport . The RAF Operational Conversion Unit , 203(R) Squadron ,
204-401: A project to upgrade the airfield was completed. The project involved resurfacing of the runway and link taxiways and the creation of a new section of airside perimeter road. New visual aids, aeronautical lighting and signage were installed. A hangar was refurbished to accommodate three Jupiter HT.1 helicopters which will be used to train pilots from all three British armed services , as part of
238-582: A similar rank structure to the RAF. Air officers holding command appointments receive the title Air Officer Commanding (AOC), whereas air officers holding commander-in-chief positions are titled as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C). In the British Armed Forces , where the term originated, an air officer is equivalent in concept to flag officer and general officer in the Royal Navy and Army respectively. Specifically, while
272-434: A single white star (air commodore is equivalent to a one-star rank) on an air force blue background. RAF air commodores are classed as air officers and as such have two rows of gold oak leaves on the peak of their service dress hats. The reigning monarch may appoint honorary air commodores for RAF flying squadrons and stations. For example, King Charles III is RAF Valley 's honorary air commodore and Winston Churchill
306-557: Is a Royal Air Force station on the island of Anglesey , Wales, and which is also used as Anglesey Airport . It provides both basic and advanced fast-jet training using the Beechcraft Texan T.1 and BAE Systems Hawk T.2 and provides mountain and maritime training for aircrew using the Airbus Jupiter HT.1 helicopter. The airfield was constructed to the south of the village of Valley (Y Fali) or Y Dyffryn in
340-752: Is also home to No. 202 Squadron, part of No.1 Flying Training School , flying three Airbus Jupiter HT.1 . The squadron trains RAF and Royal Navy students on maritime and mountain flying training and those who are destined for the Royal Navy's anti-submarine warfare Merlin or Wildcat . Flying and notable non-flying units based at RAF Valley. No. 22 Group RAF No. 38 Group (Air Combat Service Support) RAF The National Assembly for Wales announced on 21 February 2007 that public service obligation (PSO) flights would be launched from RAF Valley in April 2007, connecting north Wales with Cardiff International Airport . Flights from RAF Valley to Cardiff stopped after
374-560: Is required to make sure it does not impact military activity. The incident was reported to the Civil Aviation Authority . No. 4 Flying Training School (No. 4 FTS) trains RAF and Royal Navy pilots to fly fast jets, prior to training on an Operational Conversion Unit . No. 4 FTS consist of three units, No. 72 Squadron , No. 4 Squadron and No. 25 Squadron , flying the Texan T.1 and BAE Systems Hawk T.2. The base
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#1732801588458408-706: Is usually equivalent to a commodore or a brigadier / brigadier general . The equivalent rank in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force , Women's Royal Air Force (until 1968) and Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service (until 1980) was "air commandant". The rank was used in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) until the 1968 unification of the Canadian Forces , when army-type rank titles were adopted. Canadian air commodores then became brigadier-generals . In official Canadian French usage,
442-614: The Air Training Corps , an appointed air commodore holds ultimate authority over the cadet organisation as the Commandant Air Cadets . On 1 April 1918, the newly created RAF adopted its officer rank titles from the British Army , with officers at what is now air commodore holding the rank of brigadier-general . In response to the proposal that the RAF should use its own rank titles, it was suggested that
476-665: The LMSR Irish Mail train from Holyhead . Because of the large scale USAAF activities at Valley, RAF operations were scaled down, but on 1 November 1944, No. 1528 BAT Flight re-formed here operating Airspeed Oxford twin-engined aircraft which were used in the Beam Approach training role until moving out on 17 December 1945. RAF Valley's USAAF ferry role was reversed as soon as the European War ended, and over 2,600 bombers passed through on their way back to
510-582: The UK Military Flying Training System (UKMFTS). On 20 March 2018 a BAE Systems Hawk of the Red Arrows aerobatic team crashed, killing Corporal Jonathan Bayliss, an engineer. The pilot, Flight Lieutenant David Stark, survived and was treated in hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. Due to increased demand for RAF and Royal Navy pilots, No. 25 Squadron reformed at Valley on 8 September 2018. The squadron operates
544-507: The Army uses General Officer Commanding (GOC), the Air Force uses Air Officer Commanding (AOC) to designate the senior officer in a formation. Note, however, that in the British Armed Forces , while an air commodore is an air officer, their Royal Navy equivalent ( commodore ) is not considered a flag officer, nor is the British Army or Royal Marines equivalent ( brigadier ) considered
578-625: The Hawk T.2 alongside No. 4 Squadron as part of No. 4 Flying Training School. On 28 November 2019, No. 72 Squadron was officially "stood up" at RAF Valley, flying the Beechcraft Texan T.1 aircraft in the basic flying training role. The squadron transitioned from Short Tucano ( RAF Linton-on-Ouse ) to Texan (RAF Valley) in a major investment by the UK Military Flying Training System. The squadron operates
612-536: The Navy and Coast Guard are considered to be flag officers. There are multiple air officer command appointments. Additionally the RAF maintains two home country air officer appointments. These are Air Officer Scotland and the Air Officer for Wales. On ceremonial occasions, many RAF air officers are entitled to wear embellished shoulder boards and the gold and blue sash. This applies to all officers at or above
646-525: The RAF might use the Royal Navy's officer ranks , with the word "air" inserted before the naval rank title. Although the Admiralty objected to this simple modification of their rank titles, it was agreed that the RAF might base many of its officer rank titles on Navy officer ranks with differing pre-modifying terms. It was also suggested that air-officer ranks could be based on the term "ardian", which
680-708: The US for redeployment, each carrying 20 passengers and crew. The USAAF Movement Section closed in September 1945, and in June 1947 the airfield was put on a care and maintenance basis. During 1950 many improvements were made to the hangars and buildings at Valley, and on 1 April 1951 No. 202 Advanced Flying School was reformed here within No. 25 Group to train fighter pilots on de Havilland Vampire and Gloster Meteor jet aircraft. Vampire FB.5 and T.11 and Meteor T.7 marks were used until
714-500: The United Kingdom. Air commodore-in-chief is not a rank and such an appointment does not convey the rank of air commodore upon the recipient. Air officer An air officer is an air force officer of the rank of air commodore or higher. Such officers may be termed "officers of air rank". While the term originated in the Royal Air Force , air officers are also to be found in many Commonwealth nations who have
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#1732801588458748-604: The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II , the St Edward's Crown representing royal authority. Prior to 1953, the Tudor Crown (sometimes called the King's Crown) was used. The air officer ranks are as follows: The air officer terminology is currently used by the following air forces: RAF Valley Royal Air Force Valley or more simply RAF Valley ( Welsh : Llu Awyr Brenhinol Y Fali ) ( IATA : VLY , ICAO : EGOV )
782-412: The honorary rank. In such cases the individual is made an honorary air commandant and they retain their regular rank. Larger air force organisations or formations may be honoured by having an air commodore-in-chief appointed in their name. These RAF appointments are rare and to date (2020) have been given to just five senior members of the royal family, of whom three were reigning or future monarchs of
816-691: The latter part of 1940 and opened for operations on 1 February 1941 as a Fighter Sector Station under No. 9 Group RAF with the task of providing defence cover for England's industrial north-west and shipping in the Irish Sea . Initial detachments were made by Hawker Hurricanes of 312 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF and 615 (County of Surrey) Squadron RAuxAF . A detachment of Bristol Beaufighters of 219 (Mysore) Squadron provided night fighter cover. No. 456 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) formed at Valley on 30 June 1941 and became operational on 5 September flying Boulton Paul Defiants . By November
850-400: The rank of air vice-marshal and holders of the following air commodore posts: With the exception of marshals of the RAF, the embellished shoulder boards feature the golden air officers' eagle and wreath device surmounted by a lion statant guardant . For marshals of the RAF, the embellished shoulder boards display the air officer's eagle and wreath, two crossed marshal 's batons and, since
884-535: The rank title was commodore de l'air . The position of honorary air commodore still exists in the Royal Canadian Air Cadets . In the present-day RAF, air commodores typically hold senior appointments within groups , acting directly in support of the air officer commanding . However, during the inter-war period, and in the case of the contemporary No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group , the air officer commanding held or holds air commodore rank. In
918-590: The squadron had been completely re-equipped with Beaufighter IIs, and these provided defensive night patrols over the Irish Sea until March 1943, when the unit moved to RAF Middle Wallop . As a result of many accidents in the Irish Sea, due to the number of training aircraft active in the area, 275 Squadron formed at Valley in October 1941, equipped with Westland Lysanders and Supermarine Walrus amphibians and these performed Air-sea rescue (ASR) missions until
952-487: The tunic or on the shoulders of the flying suit or the casual uniform. On the mess uniform , air commodores wear a broad gold ring on both lower sleeves. The command flag of an air commodore has one narrow red band running through the centre and is rectangular with a cut-away section giving it two tails. It is the only RAF command flag of this shape and it is similar in shape to that of a Royal Navy commodore's broad pennant . The vehicle star plate for an air commodore depicts
986-556: The unit moved to RAF Warmwell in April 1944. The runways and taxiways were extended in early 1943, and on 19 June 1943 the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) Ferry Terminal became operational. This handled American aircraft arriving from transatlantic flights and on European sorties. Eleven Consolidated B-24 Liberators of the United States Navy arrived from Iceland on 17 August. During
1020-487: The unit was redesignated No. 7 Flying Training School (FTS) on 1 June 1954. On 15 August 1960 the unit was renumbered No. 4 FTS RAF which is still based at the airfield. The first Folland Gnat jet trainers were received on 7 November 1962 and many examples of the type were successfully operated for many years. These were supplemented by Hawker Hunters for advanced training, marks F.6 and T.7 being used. The first Hawker Siddeley Hawk T.1s arrived on 11 November 1976 and
1054-560: The winter of 1943/1944, the ferry route was switched to a southerly route via the Azores and Marrakesh and on 18 February, 62 Douglas C-47 Skytrains arrived from North Africa. One of Valley's busiest days was on 17 September 1944 when 99 USAAF Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses and Liberators were ferried in from Iceland. In the middle of 1944 there was a daily transatlantic Douglas C-54 Skymaster service from Stephenville bringing airmen of all ranks, who continued their journeys to London on
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1088-401: Was 615 Squadron 's honorary air commodore. As the title suggests, this is an honorary position bestowed by the reigning monarch and it does not grant the recipient command of a unit or formation. It is designed to strengthen the bond between the military unit and the individual and promote the role of the air force amongst the public. Serving officers may be granted an equivalent appointment to
1122-750: Was also based at Valley to train new aircrew onto the Westland Sea King HAR.3/3A, and prepare them for their SAR operations. The then Duke of Cambridge, Prince William , now heir apparent to the British Throne , was assigned to C Flight, 22 Squadron at RAF Valley, as a pilot flying the Sea King search and rescue helicopter. He finished his last shift as a pilot on Tuesday 10 September 2013. No. 208(R) Squadron , which provided legacy Hawk T.1 advanced flying training and tactical weapons training, disbanded in June 2016. In September 2017,
1156-516: Was derived from a combination of the Gaelic words for "chief" ( ard ) and "bird" ( eun ), with the term "fourth ardian" or "flight ardian" being used for the equivalent to brigadier-general and commodore. However, the rank title based on the Navy rank was preferred and air commodore was adopted in August 1919. The rank insignia is a light-blue band on a broad black band worn on both the lower sleeves of
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