| Chief of Air Force | |
|---|---|
| Style | Air Vice Marshal |
| Member of | New Zealand Defence Force |
| Reports to | Chief of Defence Force |
| Term length | Three years (renewable) |
| Inaugural holder | Group Captain Ralph Cochrane |
| Formation | 1 April 1937 |
Chief of Air Force (CAF) is the most senior appointment in the Royal New Zealand Air Force, responsible to the Chief of Defence Force. The post was originally known as the Chief of the Air Staff.
The following list chronologically records those who have held the post of Chief of Air Force or its preceding positions, with rank and honours as at the completion of the individual's term.
| Rank | Name | Postnominals | Service | Term began | Term ended |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief of the Air Staff | |||||
| Group Captain | Ralph Cochrane | CBE , AFC | RAF | 1 April 1937 [1] | 24 February 1939 |
| Group Captain | Hugh Saunders | CBE , MC , DFC & Bar, MM | RAF | 25 February 1939 [2] | 28 September 1941 |
| Air Commodore | Victor Goddard | CB , CBE | RAF | 29 September 1941 [3] | 18 July 1943 |
| Air Vice-Marshal | Sir Leonard Isitt | KBE | RNZAF | 19 July 1943 [4] | May 1946 |
| Air Vice-Marshal | Sir Arthur Nevill | KBE , CB | RNZAF | May 1946 | January 1951 |
| Air Vice-Marshal | David Carnegie | CB , CBE , AFC | RAF | January 1951 [5] | 22 February 1954 |
| Air Vice-Marshal | Walter Merton | CB , OBE | RAF | 23 February 1954 [6] | 4 June 1956 |
| Air Vice-Marshal | Cyrus Kay | CB , CBE , DFC | RNZAF | 5 June 1956 | 30 June 1958 |
| Air Vice-Marshal | Malcolm Calder | CB , CBE | RNZAF | 1 July 1958 | November 1962 |
| Air Vice-Marshal | Ian Morrison | CB , CBE | RNZAF | November 1962 | July 1966 |
| Air Vice-Marshal | Cameron Turner | CB , CBE | RNZAF | July 1966 | July 1969 |
| Air Vice-Marshal | William Stratton | CB , CBE , DFC & Bar | RNZAF | July 1969 | July 1971 |
| Air Vice-Marshal | Douglas St George | CB , CBE , DFC , AFC | RNZAF | July 1971 | September 1974 |
| Air Vice-Marshal | Richard Bolt* | CB , CBE , DFC , AFC | RNZAF | September 1974 | October 1976 |
| Air Vice-Marshal | Larry Siegert | CB , CBE , MVO , DFC , AFC | RNZAF | October 1976 | October 1979 |
| Air Vice-Marshal | Ewan Jamieson* | CB , OBE | RNZAF | October 1979 | April 1983 |
| Air Vice-Marshal | David Crooks* | CB , OBE | RNZAF | April 1983 | October 1986 |
| Air Vice-Marshal | Patrick Neville | CB , CBE , AFC | RNZAF | October 1986 | 1988 |
| Air Vice-Marshal | Peter Adamson | CB , OBE | RNZAF | 1988 | 1992 |
| Air Vice-Marshal | John Hosie | CB , OBE | RNZAF | 1992 | September 1995 |
| Air Vice-Marshal | Carey Adamson* | CNZM , AFC | RNZAF | September 1995 [7] | 24 February 1999 |
| Air Vice-Marshal | Don Hamilton | OBE | RNZAF | 25 February 1999 [8] | 24 February 2002 |
| Chief of Air Force | |||||
| Air Vice-Marshal | John Hamilton | ONZM , MVO | RNZAF | 25 February 2002 [9] | 30 April 2006 |
| Air Vice-Marshal | Graham Lintott | ONZM | RNZAF | 1 May 2006 [10] | 30 April 2011 |
| Air Vice-Marshal | Peter Stockwell | ONZM , AFC | RNZAF | 1 May 2011 | 30 April 2014 |
| Air Vice-Marshal | Mike Yardley | DSD | RNZAF | 1 May 2014 [11] | 22 March 2016 |
| Air Vice-Marshal | Tony Davies* | MNZM | RNZAF | 23 March 2016 [12] | 9 September 2018 |
| Air Vice-Marshal | Andrew Clark | RNZAF | 10 September 2018 [13] | 2 October 2023 | |
| Air Vice-Marshal | Darryn Webb | MNZM | RNZAF | 2 October 2023 | Incumbent |
The Royal New Zealand Air Force is the aerial service branch of the New Zealand Defence Force. It was formed initially in 1923 as a branch of the New Zealand Army, being known as the New Zealand Permanent Air Force, becoming an independent air force on 1 April 1937.
Marshal of the Royal Air Force (MRAF) is the highest rank in the Royal Air Force (RAF). In peacetime it was granted to RAF officers in the appointment of Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), and to retired Chiefs of the Air Staff (CAS), who were promoted to it on their last day of service. While surviving Marshals of the RAF retain the rank for life, the highest rank to which officers on active service are promoted is now air chief marshal. Although general promotions to Marshal of the Royal Air Force have been discontinued since the British defence cuts of the 1990s, further promotions to the rank may still be made in wartime, for members of the Royal Family and certain very senior RAF air officers in peacetime at the discretion of the monarch; all such promotions in peacetime are only honorary, however. In 2012, the then Prince of Wales was promoted to the rank in recognition of his support for his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in her capacity as head of the armed forces (commander-in-chief), while in 2014 Lord Stirrup, who had served as Chief of the Air Staff and Chief of the Defence Staff for over seven years, was also promoted.
The Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) is the professional head of the British Armed Forces and the most senior uniformed military adviser to the Secretary of State for Defence and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The chief of the defence staff is based at the Ministry of Defence and works alongside the Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Defence, the ministry's senior civil servant. The Chief of Defence is the highest ranking officer to currently serve in the armed forces.
Air vice-marshal is a air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure.
Air marshal is an air-officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence, including many Commonwealth nations. The rank is usually equivalent to a vice admiral or a lieutenant general.
Air chief marshal is a high-ranking air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. This rank is also equivalent to an Admiral in a navy or a full general in an army or other nations' air forces.
Marshal of the air force or marshal of the air is a five-star rank and an English-language term for the most senior rank in some air forces. It is usually the direct equivalent of a general of the air force in other air forces, a field marshal or general of the army in many armies, or a naval admiral of the fleet.
The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) is the professional head of the Royal Air Force and a member of both the Chiefs of Staff Committee and the Air Force Board. The post was created in 1918 with Major General Sir Hugh Trenchard as the first incumbent. The current and 30th Chief of the Air Staff is Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, who succeeded Sir Michael Wigston on 2 June 2023.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Ralph Alexander Cochrane, was a British aviator and Royal Air Force officer, perhaps best known for his role in Operation Chastise, the famous "Dambusters" raid.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Glenn Lester Torpy, is a retired senior Royal Air Force (RAF) commander. He was a fast jet pilot in the late 1970s and 1980s, saw active service during the Gulf War and then went on to higher command. He was the air component commander on Operation Telic and served as Chief of the Air Staff, the professional head of the RAF, from 2006 to 2009. In that role Torpy hosted the RAF's biggest air display in two decades, and argued for consolidation of all British air power in the hands of the RAF.
Air Chief Marshal Sir John Frederick Willis was a senior Royal Air Force officer.
The Air Member for Personnel (AMP) is the senior Royal Air Force officer who is responsible for personnel matters and is a member of the Air Force Board. The AMP is in charge of all aspects of recruiting, non-operational flying and ground training, career management, welfare, terms, and conditions of service, and resettlement for RAF regular, reserve, and civilian staffs worldwide.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Hugh Moran, was a fast jet pilot and later a senior commander in the Royal Air Force. He was Commander-in-Chief of Air Command at the time of his unexpected death.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Neil Foxley-Norris, was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force (RAF). A squadron commander during the Second World War, he later served as Commander-in-Chief RAF Germany in the late 1960s.
The Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (DCAS) is a senior appointment in the Royal Air Force. The incumbent is the deputy to the Chief of the Air Staff. The post existed from 1918 to 1969, and from 2023 to present. The Deputy Chief of the Air Staff, formerly the Deputy Commander Capability, is responsible for the strategic planning and delivery of all aspects of Royal Air Force capability, including people, equipment, infrastructure, and training. The appointee is a Member of the United Kingdom's Air Force Board as the Air Member for Personnel and Capability due to their position.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Henry Neil George Wheeler, was a senior Royal Air Force (RAF) officer.
Controller Aircraft (CA), originally Controller of Aircraft, is a senior British Ministry of Defence appointment who is responsible for delivering an airworthy aircraft to the Services, whereupon the Service issues a Release to Service (RTS), releasing the aircraft into service. The difference between CA Release and RTS is normally one of Build Standard. Although usually held by a Royal Air Force officer, several civil servants have held the post in the 20th century. The incumbent is a member of the Air Force Board.
The former Royal Air Force Near East Air Force, more simply known as RAF Near East Air Force, was the Command organisation that controlled all Royal Air Force (RAF) assets in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen John Hillier, is a retired senior Royal Air Force officer, who served as Chief of the Air Staff from 2016 to 2019. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for actions in the Gulf in 1999 and was awarded the United States Bronze Star Medal for service in the Iraq War. He went on to be Air Officer Commanding No. 2 Group, Director Information Superiority at the Ministry of Defence, Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Capability) and finally Chief of the Air Staff from July 2016. He was appointed chair of the Civil Aviation Authority in 2020.
