I’ve only ever heard it has “raffakk”… Who’s out there saying “R A F A C” as individual letters? 
You may be right, but I (and many, many others) are unsure. Within the parent service, it is lethal to turn the abbreviation (initialism) RAF (as in “R.A.F”) into the civvie term ‘Rafff’.
I cannot and will not EVER accept that style being used. And I am certain I’m not alone in that.
Similarly: I have never heard anyone create a compound acronym “RAF-R” (as a pronounced word ‘Rafff-Arr’). It has always been just R.A.F.R…in the same style as R.A.F.V.R
However…if we take the Royal Air Forces’ Association: it is (in modern times) equally-acceptable to use the acronym style “RAFA” or indeed the initialism style ‘R.A.F.A’.
I now set the forum a challenge. Tell me any other Royal Air Force formation (other than, arguably, us in ‘RAFAC’…and RAFA…) that confidently and acceptably uses the shortform title prefix ‘Raff…’. For example…nobody in the history of the universe has ever referred to “the Raff-pee”. It has always been, properly, R.A.F.P
I think RAFAC as an acronym / word has probably become acceptable. But I (and all others that are similarly-inclined) could be wrong.
In your own time, at the target ahead, carry on
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My first thought is RAuxAF, but I suppose that’s cheating as RAF is broken up by the Aux. I’ve heard RAFOTA used as an acronym though.
Edit to add: And RAFAT.
Further edit: In fact, if RAFAT is good enough for the Reds then surely RAFAC follows?
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At the RAuxAF / RAFVR merger parade back in 2007, I did hear the Royal Auxiliary Air Force referred to a couple of times as the ‘Raugsaff’ (and I have subsequently heard “R.Augs.A.F” which sounds ok).
RAFOTA as an acronym I was unsighted on: and I think it’s a good & fair reference. As is, I accept, RAFAT
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Thank you.
Moving the debate on, is there a term for hybrid abbreviations that are partly spelt out and partly said as a word? Genuine question. I’m thinking of things like QWI, pronounced ‘queue-why’.
There is…and I can’t remember what that term would be
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According to ChatGPT there are two: semi-acronym or hybrid abbreviation.
Edit to add: However, I’m sceptical about ChatGPT’s example:
• JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group): “J” and “P” are pronounced as letters, while “EG” is pronounced as “egg.”
Personally, I say “J-peg” rather than “J-P-egg”
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Glad it’s not just me who says it like that…
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Hmm…for me, it has always been termed “1 A.I.D.U”.
However: I’m old and unreformed.
But I will say, RAF/Army traditions always maintain the stated unit (or squadron) number, and the abbreviated initialism…eg 14 M.U , 277 A.D.R, 1 P.R.U…
RAF Unit Goose Bay was always R.A.F.U Goose Bay, not RAF-U Goose Bay. But as I’ve been recently reminded, we do get RAFLOs
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And RAFALOs
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