interestingly (perhaps), all of the flying badges issued after the old AEO/AEOp "AE" badge have not been correctly authorised and cannot officially be worn on uniform. This includes all of the FC, IA, AT and WSO badges as well as the blue RPAS pilot badge (Source is the excellent book by Wg Cdr Jefford, "Observers and Navigators"). It seems that the badges have not been submitted to the monarch for approval through the correct channels. Indeed, when the RPAS badge was designed, questions were asked and nobody knew the correct procedure for approval as several offices no longer existed. A new system was developed - and even then the RPAS badge did not follow the correct route and was authorised by the wrong person. Perhaps the biggest foul up was the FC badge: flying badge authorisation and training was the responsibility for AOC Training Command and his nose was somewhat put out of joint when he saw photographs of AOC 11 Group pinning unknown FC badges on chests at Lossiemouth without his knowledge of the training being given or the new badge. I had heard that one solution to this problem is to use old badges instead, with the old RO radio observers' badge previously issued to night fighter "navigators" being touted as a catch-all for the incorrect currently issued badges until the whole issue is finally sorted. Perhaps the issue of the correctly authorised for wear brown pilots' badge is to replace the blue unauthorised for wear for drone pilots to get around this administrative nightmare? (Perhaps we should colour them red so we can discover the new home for the Red ROs, but this is a different thread).