RAF Station Commanders
 

Forgive my ignorance, but looking at the RAF website, it appears that Station Commanders are no longer generally aircrew. I assume the RAF has adopted the US system, with an aircrew Flying Wing Commander, or am I mistaken?

Yes. Around at least 20 years ago and creation of numbered Expeditionary Air Wings. I think administration or base commander was equivalent to a station commander with the air wing or operational unit of similar rank.

Done as part of the move to the Air Base/Air Wing model on MOBs, where now there are Gp Capt Stn Commanders and Gp Capt Commander Air Wing - the latter can have a portfolio over a number of Units, such as Coningsby/Lossiemouth, Waddington/Lossiemouth, Brize/Northolt.

The RAF has adopted what was the USAF system in the 1970s to 1990s - eg RAF Marham has a Station Commander and Commander Lightning.

The USAF moved back to a "One Boss" structure in the 1990s with an objective wing structure and consolidated authority under a single Wing Commander (US O-7/O-6) and Deputy Wing Commander (US O-6) (formerly Vice Commander) over functional groups led by colonels (O-6).

For example, at RAF Lakenheath, the leadership comprises:

Commander, 48th Fighter Wing (O-7 Aircrew)
Deputy Commander, 48th Fighter Wing (O-6 Aircrew)
Commander, 48th Operations Group (O-6 aircrew): flight operations of all assigned aircraft
Commander, 48th Operations Support Group (O-6 Civil Engineer - can be Logistics Readiness / Force Support / Security Forces / Airfield Ops & Comms / Contracting): infrastructure, CIS, security forces, EOD, logistics readiness, material maintenance, MT, contracting, personnel management, food services, education
Commander, 48th Maintenance Group (O-6 Aircraft Maintenance Officer): maintenance of aircraft, munitions, GSE, armament GSE, aircraft back shops (RAF 2nd line equivalent)
Commander, 48th Medical Group (O-6 - Medical Doctor (MD) / Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) / Doctor of Pharmacy (DPharm))

https://www.lakenheath.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/

A "super base" like Nellis AFB / USAF Warfare Center is even more complex - with the largest maintenance group in the USAF with 186 aircraft of 5 types (F-22A, F-35A, F-16C, A-10C, HH-60W) - yet extremely logical.

https://www.dvidshub.net/image/91425...happens-nellis

I think that, by and large, Royal Air Force Stations are regarded as, in effect, large Industrial estates which require a skilled administrator to run them. Hence so many bases have a Station Commander with an admin background.

Regrettably there are Station Commanders with no admin or flying experience and are unaware of what little authority they actually have.

Good way to provide more senior office posts. The Navy has more Admiral than ships. Soon we will have more Air Marshals than aeroplanes.

That the current Chief of the Air Staff is an engineer says it all.

Except he is not, so what does that say?

You might want to see this then https://www.raf.mod.uk/our-organisat...the-air-staff/

what does it say to you? Other people might see it differently

and just for extreme clarity ..

Assistant Chief of the Air Staff | Royal Air Force

If you look at the top 4, only the deputy CAS

Deputy Chief of the Air Staff | Royal Air Force

is not wearing pilots wings ..

Whether or not the point is relevant, you all know he meant CDS, not CAS...

And what is the point, surely it is the best person for the job, not what badge they might have on their jacket...

I never suggested the point was relevant.

I'm all for best "person" for the job.

I'm just not for best woman, or best ethnic minority, or best transgender, or best.........

Did not the RAF Bomber Command adopt paired stations [airfields] with one called Base with a Base Commander of Air Commodore rank, plus a Station Commander for the twinned station?

From memory, away from home.

When I read the appointments pages in the telegraph I’m always amazed at the number of senior ranks spending short time is highly specialised posts

You show that you are not up to date and do not check your facts before you post a comment. CAS is defo a growbag. The internet is your friend. Use the accurate search engines.

Why you do not see them in comparable civil aviation posts.

It's interesting to see how these roles are split up. I was recently told off for being cynical - I preferred mischievious - when I pointed out that the posting plot was a very 1950s homely set up. I had to explain that had nobody noticed that the Stn Cdrs responsible for domestics and keeping the home fires burning were all women while the Comd Air Wings responsible for going off to war were all male. A bit of a generalisation, not all stations follow that trend, but more seem to than don't at the moment. Didn't go down very well. Then again, I've never been one for following a script.