When we were awarded our RCAF wings in the early/mid fifties we went from Flight Cadet, {the lowest form of life we were told} skipped the Pilot Officer rank and went directly to Flying Officer, {the only P/Os on squadron were those who had incured the wrath of some AVM or other "Airship"} Thank heavens I was long gone before Mr Helleyers rank structure came in, along with destroying the traditions and pride of many units, the intigration of the three forces resulted in some good, but much bad, trying to explain to a "Brown Job" as to why a North Star coudnt land on a 2500 foot grass strip Im told was bloody night impossible, "how come the Auster landed and took of with only one little engine, and your crew cant do it with four big ones?" was told to me by one of my course who stayed in the service! As for the wings worn for a few years they looked like a prize out of a cornflakes box.