Promotion straight to Fg Off

A FB post this weekend showed a FS RAFAC being appointed straight to Fg Off RAFAC.

Are we now appointing straight to Fg Off if done previous service as SNCO?

Yes I have seen a few in our area advanced like you say.

FS and above straight to Fg Off

Been happening in a few places now. I think it’s at RC discretion but is happening.

Interesting.

For those of us who had to go ‘down’ from AFS ATC to OCdt VRT (followed then by every sequential time-serve requirement, and more besides) it seems both organisationally-sensible, and frustrating (personally, for those who went before).

But: I’ve always been aware that there’s been a constant range of regional variation across our organisation, on matters such as this.

It’s in ACP 20!

FS commission as Fg Off and advanced promotion to Flt Lt possible after 24 months, WO commission as Fg Off with advanced promotion possible after 12 months.

Flt Lt assuming the usual OIC, SCC, and filling a post.

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This results in the bizarre situation that ex-RAFAC Flight Sgts wear full Flying Officer tank from the date of commissioning (post OASC), whereas others wear APO tapes.

On arrival at Cranwell however the Flying Officer tapes are removed and they are replaced with Acting Flying Officer tapes for the duration of OIC.

Why do we not have ‘AFO’ tapes for this group on sqns as per the APOs?

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Aha! This explains why I saw an ex-AWO, who’s commissioned recently, wearing Fg Off slides! I assumed that he had also completed his OIC…but he hasn’t necessarily done so? Right, that now makes sense! (RAFAC sense)

Everyone just gets the white tabs at OIC - no rank whatsoever

Because there’s no such rank.

It’s a plain white tab at ATF, and APO is a recognised rank within the RAF structure. Any ex-FS or above knows the bare minimum and will be able to comport themselves well enough until the completion of OIC to be the holder of the FO rank. If they weren’t, they shouldn’t be recommended… (…in an ideal world).

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That’s incorrect - APOs wear their normal rank tabs on OIC, Flying Officers wear ‘AFO’ tabs, which is FO braid with white background

Not when I was there they didn’t. Everybody had APO tabs. Only on the Friday did those who would ‘graduate’ as FO get their separate tabs.

Had 2 Fg Off’s on my OIC in Jan 19.

1 ex WO and the other had recommissioned and was re-doing the course having been out of the loop.

Both were given APO slides by ATF Staff for the week, for the purpose of being clearly identified as students on a course training them to be officers.

I don’t believe Fg Off on a white background with RAF Air Cadets actually exists.

Clearly things at ATF have changed since the new boss came in as when I did my course last year ALL had white tabs regardless of background, length of service etc…

Can confirm that everyone wears APO tabs and AFO tabs at OIC. I sat OIC recently. There was a gentleman who had been an FS and got Fg Off on completion of OIC.

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Were they actually wearing Flying Officer braid on the white band, though? Thought as a point of cost saving they just treated everyone the same.

Was the case with mine and it was only this summer…

Could your memory be pre APO and CFC and therefore how things were when we used Officer Cadet?

Forgot to mention, all wear white hat bands.

No. They had Fg Off tapes and then they were given Fg Off tapes that had white backing added to wear at OIC.

ATF had made their own A Fg Off tapes.

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My course was Jan last year, so CFC was in place, we were just given white tabs nothing else - graduation called up as your current rank with scroll as PO (old scroll as they were using them up and didn’t have the new ones)

Doesn’t change the fact that there’s no such rank as AFO, though.

Even when the RAF on IOT gave their Officer Cadets a white tab with the cadets’ eventual rank braid on it (and some were graduating as Flying Officers) they were still referred to as Officer Cadets.

‘AFO’ doesn’t exist.

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Throughout OIC, we were referred to as officer cadets. I guess you could argue that we should be officer cadets instead of APOs, but then again we differ from officer cadets by being commissioned from date of passing OASC.