Go Back  PPRuNe Forums > Aircrew Forums > Military Aviation
Reload this Page >

First Female AOC!

Wikiposts
Search
Military Aviation A forum for the professionals who fly military hardware. Also for the backroom boys and girls who support the flying and maintain the equipment, and without whom nothing would ever leave the ground. All armies, navies and air forces of the world equally welcome here.

First Female AOC!

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 15th Feb 2016, 08:42
  #1 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Their Target for Tonight
Posts: 582
Received 28 Likes on 4 Posts
First Female AOC!

RAF - Senior Appointments

Congratulations to AVM Sue Gray - AOC of 38 Gp! Is the glass ceiling finally being broken?
Red Line Entry is offline  
Old 15th Feb 2016, 10:44
  #2 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Often in Jersey, but mainly in the past.
Age: 79
Posts: 7,809
Received 135 Likes on 63 Posts
Also interesting to note that the 1* ATC and ABM appointees are both female!

Air Cdre CHRISTINA ELLIOT CR ATC 22TRGGP DGT
Air Cdre WENDY MILLINGTON WJ ABM DCOS SUPPORT - OAC GXS 0010 (Ramstein)

By heck, the World has changed.

Last edited by MPN11; 15th Feb 2016 at 11:07.
MPN11 is offline  
Old 15th Feb 2016, 20:03
  #3 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: UK
Posts: 39
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
OMG!!!!!!!
Secret1 is offline  
Old 15th Feb 2016, 20:50
  #4 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: France
Age: 80
Posts: 6,379
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Wasn't "Aunty" Joan Hopkins the first female 1* AOC Air Battle management, or whatever it was called.
Wander00 is offline  
Old 15th Feb 2016, 22:04
  #5 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: liverpool uk
Age: 67
Posts: 1,338
Received 16 Likes on 5 Posts
Wander 00:

The PMRAFNS whilst a stand alone branch of the RAF, they had the first female 1* equivent in 1948 Air Commandant Dame Helen Cargill and our first Air Commodore was Air Commodore Metcalfe in 1978 followed by my ultimate boss in 1982 Air Commodore Harris.
air pig is offline  
Old 15th Feb 2016, 23:45
  #6 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Nevada, USA
Posts: 1,607
Received 42 Likes on 29 Posts
AVM Gray was previously DE&S Director of Combat Air.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/s...the-top-in-raf

Here is an interesting article from a few years ago:

No glass ceiling for female officers | History and Policy
RAFEngO74to09 is offline  
Old 16th Feb 2016, 09:25
  #7 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Often in Jersey, but mainly in the past.
Age: 79
Posts: 7,809
Received 135 Likes on 63 Posts
Wander00 ... There was a rumour [likely true in this case] that Joan Hopkins was offered the post [and 1* rank] of DWRAF and declined it on the basis that she was not willing to be a "token female 1*". She was indeed subsequently promoted within her chosen Branch of GD(G)FC ... or at least, at that rank, of simply GD(G).
MPN11 is offline  
Old 16th Feb 2016, 09:36
  #8 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: France
Age: 80
Posts: 6,379
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
MPN11 - I was her OC Admin Sqn at the time - she was, and she did - her language on the topic was quite colourful!
Wander00 is offline  
Old 16th Feb 2016, 09:39
  #9 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Often in Jersey, but mainly in the past.
Age: 79
Posts: 7,809
Received 135 Likes on 63 Posts
Her language was often colourful, as I recall from a landline conversation with her in Singapore! Glad to have the rumour validated
MPN11 is offline  
Old 16th Feb 2016, 11:18
  #10 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: UK.
Posts: 4,390
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
By heck, the World has changed.
Yes, did for me when I looked around and saw our statuesque brunette operating FO sitting cross-legged on the centre jump-seat wearing her baby-doll pyjamas

I think I was once in 38Gp when they had aeroplanes.
Basil is offline  
Old 16th Feb 2016, 13:20
  #11 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: East Sussex UK
Age: 66
Posts: 6,995
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Wander, MPN11 ...

I'm sure you will have seen this before ... What a very impressive lady

BBC East 1984

RAF Neatishead : Fighter Controller
CoffmanStarter is offline  
Old 16th Feb 2016, 16:24
  #12 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: France
Age: 80
Posts: 6,379
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Hi Coff - Thanks, I have seen it, in fact I was involved in the admin side, as I was her OC Admin Sqn at the time. Her "In Memoriam" on this site a couple of years back was pretty impressive too.
Wander00 is offline  
Old 16th Feb 2016, 18:54
  #13 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Bomber County
Age: 73
Posts: 248
Received 12 Likes on 6 Posts
Excellent video!!


My favourite radar alltime - Type 85


Lots of shots of 56 Sqn


Pity they spent so long looking at the Tornado GR - not relevant but I suppose the F2 wasn't there yet
radar101 is offline  
Old 16th Feb 2016, 19:07
  #14 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Often in Jersey, but mainly in the past.
Age: 79
Posts: 7,809
Received 135 Likes on 63 Posts
T84/T85 grinding at 4 rpm was scary when used for ATC, but I do accept that gave it the range. It was our backup to the T82, which was a bit more nimble

Last edited by MPN11; 16th Feb 2016 at 20:02. Reason: spilling
MPN11 is offline  
Old 16th Feb 2016, 21:17
  #15 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: In the State of Denial
Posts: 1,078
Likes: 0
Received 146 Likes on 28 Posts
Is it just me or do there seem to be an awful lot of VSOs for such a reduced Air Force with not many aircraft?
Ken Scott is offline  
Old 17th Feb 2016, 07:59
  #16 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: In my house
Posts: 51
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Damn that glass ceiling. It's about time we saw a few cracks through it.
earswentpop is offline  
Old 17th Feb 2016, 16:28
  #17 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: West Sussex
Age: 82
Posts: 4,761
Received 226 Likes on 70 Posts
CS:-
I'm sure you will have seen this before ... What a very impressive lady
Well I hadn't, and thank you for posting it, CS! A very impressive Senior Officer, "All hell has broken out on the Continent...I do not intend to lose an Air Defence battle!". Deliciously non PC commentary too, "She doesn't like children much, she tolerates them", as she steals herself to confront the infants of a Station School.

Impressive too for its portrayal of a time when we had an Air Force that exceeded critical mass, to confront and defeat those who would harm us. It all seems so long ago...
Chugalug2 is offline  
Old 17th Feb 2016, 17:40
  #18 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: France
Age: 80
Posts: 6,379
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Chug - and then neither does Phil the Greek. Early in theGW1 when the Royal were getting flak for not "supporting our boys (and girls I guess)" I was rung on a Thursday and asked if we would take a visit from him on TUESDAY! Staish (Reg McK) is in Germany so rang to give him the good news, and got the inevitable "fix it". So I did, first port of call the nursery school. HRH grinding teeth.


Roll 10 years or so and I am representing R Lym YC at Princess Royal's birthday bash at Windsor. D of E approaches group I am with and people start to introduce themselves. Before I could say anything he grins and says "We have met before, at Wyton, and you took me to the nursery school". Said to minder "That was a good brief". No says the flunky, a good memory, he never forgets a face". Thought that was me for the Tower.
Wander00 is offline  
Old 17th Feb 2016, 19:36
  #19 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: West of Suez
Posts: 336
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
@earswentpop That's a keyboard you owe me
AnglianAV8R is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off



Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.