Would you care to expand on brevet rank, widely used in the British army for many years. "Certificate rank"?
It doesn't work, because the usage is English.
That said, yes, the flying badges are flying badges are flying badges.

I've no idea whether brevet rank is still conferred in the British Army but, in 1914, it appears to have been an Army, rather than regimental, concept. 1st Gordon Highlanders deployed to France in August 1914 and, in the retreat from Mons, took part in the holding battle at Le Cateau on 26 August. They did not receive the withdrawal order that afternoon, and neither did companies of other regiments on each side of them. As the situation developed, a Gordons Lt Col (Brevet Colonel) - not the Gordons' CO - claimed that as those left constituted an Army grouping, it fell to him to take command. I imagine that this caused some disagreement with the CO but that's what finally happened and the group began to withdraw in very difficult circumstances after midnight - my maternal grandfather died in the ensuing confusion as they encountered German forces that were now surrounding them. Some years after the war, I believe this incident led to a legal case in the Scottish courts.

Whatever merits this system may have had in a peacetime army, my impression is that it did not transfer well into the heat of battle.

Yes I agree.

An interesting case arose when the Connaught Rangers mutiny occurred in [from memory] 1921. The mixed force scraped together to restore order was commanded by a regimental captain, brevet Lt Col.

This gallant and distinguished soldier began the Great War as a CSM, was commissioned in the field a month later, much decorated [double DSO}, twice temporarily commanded an infantry brigade, received two brevets but, in the post-war contraction, never made regimental rank beyond captain.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....67414518e.jpeg

So, quite literally, the term “Brevet” in “Brevet Rank” referred to the warrant or letters patent that conferred the authority of a higher rank to someone holding a lower substantive rank. So yet again, the word “Brevet” means a kind of paper certificate, or letter, or diploma, or warrant in this case as it does in all others.

Entre - American main Course, or French - starter
Brevet British vernacular for a flying badge, or French - paper certificate.
Gay 1914 happy and Jolly - 2014 'Good As You'
Kite, childs flying toy or Big Boys flying toy,
Plane -carpenter's tool or Big boys flying toy

Same words, different times and languages meaning different things to different people.
Language evolves, semantics may say brevet is a certificate, but most will still understand the the use of brevet refers to a flying badge which in turn is a representative of the certificate awarded to permit the wearing of the flying badge. One can't have the badge without the certificate, so brevet has become synonymous with the badge.

William Eagleson Gordon VC - the battalion was ordered (but didn't receive the orders) to retire. Gordon came to the view that the position was hopeless (as had the Brigade commander) and believed that the battalion should seek to break out to regain British lines. The CO demurred, whereupon Gordon pulled rank and an attempt to break out was made - but it was too late and most of the survivors were captured.

Gordon's health declined in captivity and he was exchanged for a Prussian prince in 1916. After the war, one of the men was quoted as saying that Gordon had ordered the battalion to surrender (this in an article in The People's Journal). Gordon sued for libel and won; it was alleged that the CO and members of his family held a significant enough shareholding in the newspaper to put the editor up to blaming Gordon for the surrender, but as well as winning the court case he was exonerated by a Court of Inquiry into the events of 1914 (which published its conclusions shortly after the court case ended, agreeing that Gordon hadn't surrendered and had, indeed, wished to attempt a break out.

In terms of Brevet, LJ is absolutely correct about the etymological origins - but the term extended to mean the badge thanks to the original practice in the RFC of presenting wings and flying certificate to a newly-qualified pilot. The new pilot had thus been awarded his 'flying brevet'... and over time, this came to be interpreted as the badge which was part of the original 'brevet' package, as it were.

One hardly dares point out that the RAF Club website now states that affiliate membership is open to "A flying brevet wearing officer of the Navy or Army'...

LJ seems to have changed his tune since 2012 ;)

Seems fair to describe a 'Wing' as a Brevet - MOD used the term in black and white for quite a while ;)

Words, phrases and terms rely on their utility by being understood and interpreted by those who use them and those who interpret them.
Those who object to the use of brevet when describing a uniform badge denoting qualification understand what it is being used to describe (a qualification badge). So their objection is not through a lack of understanding of meaning in context. If the meaning is known where does the problem lie?

A bit of thread drift going on here. To return to the subject - does anyone know what caused the Team to drop to 7 this year?

No, but the magnificent MOD PR team still show 9 drivers for 7 aircraft!

A pilot sent home from Springhawk in mid-May and therefore a bit late to train a replacement. Not sure why 7 rather than 8 though I guess the odd number works better for the formations. Unless another pilot not able to fly.