I remember the story of the V Force captain on Vulcan’s who was a Flying Officer, questions were asked in Parliament why such a junior officer was in charge of nuclear weapons. RAF changed policy to V Force pilots would be Flight Lieutenants forwith after that question in Parliament.
So if your capable of doing the job then you should have the rank,
Excellent response from RC(N)
Nope, my Sqn is run by an APO (me) with <6 months experience as a uniformed CFAV…
I took the role knowing I would be an APO until completing OIC and a Plt Off for at least 2 Years etc etc.
I think I might have jumped through all of the hoops (just about) in the past 5 years as a CI, but not the 2 Year Period as a Plt Off.
It highlights that I’m inexperienced, potentially out of my depth and therefore I’m hopeful that it might result in support from WSOs… I’m not holding my breath though, they are far to busy organising dinners for the Senior Officer Club 
All these differences that OC Wg’s create re: staff promotions irritates me a little bit. Why can’t there be one common policy with OC Wg’s being told to wind their necks in and follow it?
Back in 2006, I was a Sqn Cdr as a Fg Off. I hadn’t done OSC at that point and was booked on a course. Two of my contemporaries in the same Wg and who were booked on the same course, were both promoted to Flt Lt prior to the course. I asked why I hadn’t been and was told ‘you’ll just have to wait’.
I said ‘nope. If I and these two good people are all doing the same job, then you need to treat us all the same’. I also added that if I wasn’t up to the job they should tell me and if I was, then they promote me to Flt Lt or they can find someone else to take the responsibility and I’ll step down.
Less than 24hrs later I was a Flt Lt.
Upon arriving at RAFC for OSC, a Pilot Officer who had been commissioned for (what he said was) only several months, was promoted to Flt Lt on the eve of the course.
There appears to be little or no consistency regarding promotions and this is another of those little areas that piss people off and create ill-feeling because HQAC can’t get a grip of little things.
We are 1 organisation and this individual regional/wing policy needs to be stamped out.
If the rules are there we follow them but you cannot have it mixed as it does not make a good impression and easily makes people disheartened
Also, There are a few time served Flt Lts on one sqn in my wing. I thought under the new rules they were getting rid of time served Flt Lts, the only person who could be a Flt Lt was OC or wing staff.
Going forward but those already promoted couldn’t be demoted
Yeah, I was a time-served Flt Lt and then left (to join the RAF); on returning I didn’t get Flt Lt back but was appointed Fg Off with seniority (so I may well be the most senior Fg Off in the Corps)
that begs the question - what will permit you to be Flt Lt - or is this a “no more time-served” so you’ll have to wait for an appointment role?
Could you technically not be a SI as a Flt Lt Retd?
Yes
No, I meant I left the RAF and returned to the RAFVR(T).
But aren’t you technically still commissioned into the RAF? Or did you relinquish it?
No, never quite made it to a commission! Got broken in training.
Oh, sorry! I just assumed
Aren’t you a matelot officer now? A ‘Rodney’?
Yes, that too.
I’ve been busy!
So have you finished with the ATC or what? Must be difficult combining both?
No, still doing both
Completely screwed up by HQAC mate, and the insane ideas from there.
I have no chance of ever seeing my Flt Lt again after relinquishing command in yours and my Wing, even if I jumped through flaming hoops and battled through a matrix more complex than Keanu Reeves’.
I like the matrix, and I think it’s a positive move in the same was it was for SNCOs, especially now we have a similar system in place for both cadres.
The matrix is there to drive certain behaviours from our CFAVs, without those behaviours what we can deliver is limited.
There is nothing wrong with going to the Squadron twice a week (or 12 hours a month) and doing admin / teaching on parade nights, but you shouldn’t expect a promotion for this as you wouldn’t promote a cadet that just did that, so why a CFAV. We will have some staff that are Plt Offs for ever and so be it.
The only concern for me is that promotion to Fg Off requires to weeks away (in potentially a 2 year period) with OIC & a Blue Camp as well as a full weekend. So I think it may be that people at Plt Offs for 3 years being more common.
If the promotion / status is a real issue you can complete the matrix and take up a position that will award Flt Lt - our wing has had 6+ vacancies this year and 1 Sqn still run by a WO so the opportunities do exist.
I agree to an extent.
The issue I see in my Wing, is that people are put in a role that deserves Flt Lt, but lack of box ticking on the matrix prevents them from being promoted. A bit like @ExVRT
If we had a dearth of staff, and people were queuing around the block to be OC, then I think that current system would be a good way to encourage the behaviors and experience needed to run a squadron. But we do not, and at the moment, newly commissioned staff who step in to run a squadron are being penalised.
If you do the job, you should get the rank, IMHO.