Acting Flying Officer rank slides

Adult Staff
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Recently been promoted from SNCO to Flying Officer. Within ACP1358, Serial 0435 Para c states…and I paraphrase,
If an Officer hasn’t attended OIC (now CIC) at TA (now CLS), then white tabs to be worn with appropriate braid. For APO thats straight forward.

But for Fg Off what does one do? How do you go about making the appropriate rank slide and how can uniformity be maintained. And who pays for the multiple slides required.
It also says no exceptions so I’m guessing others have just stuck the Fg Off slides on and cracked on!

And you can’t wear berets either but No1 hat has not been issued yet, so what do you do…just not attend anything!!! Anyway rant over!!

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Just wear your Fg Off slides, without white tabs, and don’t over think it.

Wear No3 with beret, assuming you can get an officer’s beret badge, until you get an SD hat.

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Plenty of SD hats on eBay, or maybe chip bag.

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When I did OIC the acting Fg Offs all wore normal rank slides

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Firstly, can I ask the reason you’ve been promoted from SNCO to Fg Off? Have you been in the forces before?

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When I did a few years ago, the ATF staff had made Acting Fg Off slides with Fg Off braid on a white background (I assume it was just Fg Off braid pinned over Acting Plt Off slides).

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Was a RAFAC WO for 5 years so qualified for promotion to Fg Off.

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Fixed that for you.

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There is no such rank as Acting Flying Officer.

APO only exisits on bader because it exists on JPA.

Acting Sgt does not appear on bader… because, it does not exist on JPA.

This is the way.

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Thanks for the clarification

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Is this a quirk of the JO ranks being promoted on time rather than by promotion selection boards, which are then subject to confirmation? Otherwise, I would argue that any rank can be held in an acting capacity (paid or unpaid).

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The time based promotions aren’t a thing anymore. You’ll be considered for Fg Off after 2 years of being a Plt Off but must also meet other criteria. Flt Lt and above is now based almost entirely on role, and the rank is now usually removed back to Fg Off if a role isn’t being fulfilled.

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{[pedant mode on]} APO is acting Petty Officer. The rank of Pilot Officer in the RAF is Abbreviated to Plt Off especially to avoid confusion with the Petty Officer. So Acting Pilot Officer in the RAFAC should be abbreviated to A/Plt Off {[pedant mode off]}

This should be known to those in Sleaford Tech, but interacting with them lately has been a sobering experience in relation the arranging a social activity (without cadets) in a brewery.

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this is easily remembered by officer ranks come in two parts
Plt Off
Flt Lt
Gp Capt

while NCO ranks come in one part
SAC
CPL
FS

(of course there is an exception to this which is Chf Tech)

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AVM
AM
ACM
MRAF

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i don’t deal with ppl that high so never need to worry about it!

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Ironically, I don’t deal with Chief Techs very much and (until now) thought it was abbreviated CT …

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I thought we were only discussing ranks that did work?

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100% corrext…

Other than.

In JPA it is entered as APO and therefore on all documents shows as APO.

The RAF dont have APO.
They have…

Off Cdt
Plt Off

Thats it.

Its a cluster.

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APO has been gone from the regular RAF for 10+ years. iirc it was for non graduates joining straight from school. Led to some interesting anomalies. I met a Fg Off who had been in for 7 years without being promoted to Flt Lt. 1 year APO, 2 years Plt Off, 4 years as a Fg Off. Had done 2 tours of Afghan in the meantime and had the most battered 1 stripe rank slides I ever saw.

And for us in RAFAC, above Fg Off we are all only acting. Certain WSOs and upwards would benefit from being reminded of this from time to time