Hon Air Cdres and Hon Air Cmdts: always?

[wilf_san]

On the basis that Prince Edward is an Honorary Air Commodore of Waddo (the more traditional honorific, wouldn't you agree), but the rather-more junior Prince (aka Flt Lt) William was only appointed as Honorary Air Commandant of Coningsby,(this link) (http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/news/ROYAL-COMMAND/article-381797-detail/article.html) what is the break-point for the difference in title?

Also, when/where did the Hon Air Commandant appointment lable come from?? Was it always there, and I just never heard of it until HRH Flt Lt Wales? I was aware of there having been WRAF/WAAF air offrs, many moons ago, in the one-star equivalent of Air Cdre, but this HAC is puzzling me...

Not a biggie, I just thought I would pop over to Prune (for the first time in ages) to get the dead gen on this...

wilf_san
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e336/wilfsan/w.jpg

[Mr C Hinecap]

The appointments of Prince William and Prince Harry as Honorary Air Commandants will confer no rank, in recognition of the existing ranks of Princes William and Harry as serving military officers. The role and activities of Honorary Air Commandants and Honorary Air Commodores are the same.

Serving officers therefore Commandants not Commodores.

[brakedwell]

In my day WRAF Queen Bees held the rank of Air Commandant.

List of Directors WRAF

Air Commandant Dame Felicity Hanbury, 1949–1950
Air Commandant Dame Nancy Salmon, 1950–1956
Air Commandant Dame Henrietta Barnet, 1956–1959
Air Commandant Dame Anne Stephens, 1959–1962
Air Commandant Dame Jean Conan Doyle, 1962–1966
Air Commodore Dame Felicity Hill, 1966–1969
Air Commodore Philippa Marshall, 1969–1973
Air Commodore Molly Allott, 1973–1976
Air Commodore Joy Tamblin, 1976–1980
Air Commodore Helen Renton, 1980–1986
Air Commodore Shirley Jones, 1986–1989
Air Commodore Ruth Montague, 1989–1994
[edit]Notes

[wilf_san]

Mr C Hinecap

Thank you for this clear elucidation. Honorary Air Commandant= already a serving Offr; Commodore=not a serving Offr.

I was being deflected from this trail of reasoning by the apparent puzzle that Prince Harry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Harry_of_Wales) is shown on his wiki as being *both* an Honorary Air Commodore and an Honorary Air Commandant, for Wittering and Honington respectively. But that only goes to show you how fundamentally dangerous Wikipedia can be for errors: since the actual Honorary Air Commodore of Wittering is the Countess of Wessex...and I don't believe that defence cuts have (as yet) allowed for the transference of Royal HAC status to/from one's nephew-in-law.... there was also an unrelated RAuxAF HAC paradox, but no matter....:8

brakedwell

Thank you for the DWRAF list. The only one there that I have (knowingly) met directly was Air Cdre Renton. Someone that would most assuredly have been before your era was Air Chief Commandant Dame Katherine Trefusis-Forbes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katherine_Trefusis-Forbes), the founding Air Offr of the WAAF, who married none other than the famous Robert Watson-Watt (and in his 72nd year, it would appear).

Much appreciated, both of you :D

wilf_san
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e336/wilfsan/w.jpg

[Paully617]

I think the difference is that Flt Lt Wales is actually a qualified Typhoon pilot and as far as i am aware, Edward probably couldnt even fly a kite!!!

[12 twists per inch]

Flt Lt Wales a qualified typhoon pilot?

Wow things change quickly when you're away from the uk for a bit :suspect:

[brakedwell]

He is qualified to fly anything and everything - until the Defence Revue is published :}