Editing Royal Air Force (section)

==Personnel==
{{See also|List of Royal Air Force personnel|List of comparative military ranks}}
[[File:RAF Regiment (8658943968) (2).jpg|thumb|Members of the [[RAF Regiment]] on parade, 2013|left]]
At its height in 1944 during the Second World War, more than 1,100,000 personnel were serving in the RAF. The longest-lived founding member of the RAF was [[Henry Allingham]], who died on 18 July 2009 aged 113.<ref>{{cite news |title=Fly-past for Britain's oldest man |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/southern_counties/5044206.stm |newspaper=BBC News |date=3 June 2006 |access-date=20 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090430211206/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/southern_counties/5044206.stm |archive-date=30 April 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref>

As of 1 January 2015, the RAF numbered some 34,200 Regular<ref>[https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/402652/MPR_January_2015.pdf gov.uk MoD – regular personnel] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402170127/https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/402652/MPR_January_2015.pdf |date=2 April 2015 }}, table 2-page 8. 1 January 2015.</ref> and 1,940 [[Royal Auxiliary Air Force]]<ref>[https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/402633/quarterly_personnel_report_jan15.pdf gov.uk MoD – quarterly personnel report] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160421104214/https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/402633/quarterly_personnel_report_jan15.pdf |date=21 April 2016 }}, table 4-page 9. 1 January 2015.</ref> personnel, giving a combined component strength of 36,140 personnel. In addition to the active elements of the RAF, (Regular and Royal Auxiliary Air Force), all ex-Regular personnel remain liable to be recalled for duty in [[Total war|a time of need]], this is known as the [[Regular Reserve (United Kingdom)|Regular Reserve]]. In 2007, there were 33,980 RAF Regular Reserves, of which 7,950 served under a fixed-term reserve contract.<ref>[http://www.dasa.mod.uk/publications/personnel/military/reserves-and-cadets-strengths/2012-04-01/2012-revised.pdf dasa.mod – reserves and cadet strengths] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203020019/http://www.dasa.mod.uk/publications/personnel/military/reserves-and-cadets-strengths/2012-04-01/2012-revised.pdf |date=3 December 2013 }}, table 4-page 6. April 2012.</ref> Publications since April 2013 no-longer report the entire strength of the Regular Reserve, instead they only give a figure for Regular Reserves who serve under a fixed-term reserve contract.<ref>[https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/314795/uk_reserve_force_cadets_2014.pdf gov.uk MoD – reserves and cadet strengths] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308182849/https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/314795/uk_reserve_force_cadets_2014.pdf |date=8 March 2016 }}, table 4-page 13. See note 2. April 2014.</ref> They had a strength of 7,120 personnel in 2014.<ref name="DASA-Reserves">[https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/314795/uk_reserve_force_cadets_2014.pdf gov.uk MoD – reserves and cadet strengths] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308182849/https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/314795/uk_reserve_force_cadets_2014.pdf |date=8 March 2016 }}, table 4-page 13. April 2014.</ref>

Figures provided by the [[International Institute for Strategic Studies]] from 2012 showed that RAF pilots achieve a relatively high number of flying hours per year when compared with other major [[NATO]] allies such as France and Germany. RAF pilots achieve 210 to 290 flying hours per year.<ref>[[#IISS2012|IISS 2012]], p. 171</ref> French and [[German Air Force]] pilots achieved 180 and 150 flying hours across their fleets respectively.<ref>[[#IISS2012|IISS 2012]], pp. 111–120</ref>

===Officers===
[[File:Royal Air Force Bomber Command, 1942-1945. CH20901.jpg|thumb|King [[George VI]], [[Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother|Queen Elizabeth]], and [[Elizabeth II|Princess Elizabeth]] with RAF personnel during World War II]]
Officers hold a [[Letters patent|commission]] from the [[British monarchy|sovereign]], which provides the legal authority for them to issue orders to subordinates. The commission of a regular officer is granted after successfully completing the 24-week-long Initial Officer Training course at the [[RAF College Cranwell|RAF College, Cranwell]], Lincolnshire.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.raf.mod.uk/recruitment/media/2167/090816-iot_course_breakdown-u.pdf|title=RAF IOT Breakdown|date=9 August 2016|access-date=22 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161022222208/https://www.raf.mod.uk/recruitment/media/2167/090816-iot_course_breakdown-u.pdf|archive-date=22 October 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

To emphasise the merger of both military and naval aviation when the RAF was formed, many of the titles of officers were deliberately chosen to be of a naval character, such as [[flight lieutenant]], [[Wing Commander (rank)|wing commander]], [[group captain]], and [[air commodore]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rafweb.org/Ranks-Uniform/Ranks1.htm|title=Commissioned ranks of the Royal Air Force 1919–present|publisher=Air of Authority – A history of RAF Organisation|access-date=31 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171231211913/http://www.rafweb.org/Ranks-Uniform/Ranks1.htm|archive-date=31 December 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 1952, officers served in one of fourteen branches: Catering; Chaplains; Dental; Education; Equipment; Fighter Control; General Duties (i.e. aircrew); Legal; Medical; Physical Fitness; Provost; RAF Regiment; Secretarial; and Technical. All except General Duties and the RAF Regiment were open to women.<ref name="Chaffe">G. H. Chaffe (ed.), ''Careers Encyclopædia'', Avon Press: London, 1952.</ref>

===Other ranks===
Other ranks attend the Recruit Training Squadron at [[RAF Halton]] for basic training.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.raf.mod.uk/rafhalton/recruits/index.cfm|title=Recruit training|publisher=RAF|access-date=31 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180101135405/https://www.raf.mod.uk/rafhalton/recruits/index.cfm|archive-date=1 January 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> The titles and insignia of other ranks in the RAF were based on that of the Army, with some alterations in terminology. Over the years, this structure has seen significant changes: for example, there was once a separate system for those in technical trades, and the ranks of [[chief technician]] and [[junior technician]] continue to be held only by personnel in technical trades. RAF other ranks fall into four categories: warrant officers, senior non-commissioned officers, junior non-commissioned officers and airmen. All warrant officers in the RAF are equal in terms of rank, but the most senior non-commissioned appointment is known as the [[Warrant Officer of the Royal Air Force]].<ref name="Warrant Officer of the Royal Air Force">{{cite web |url=https://www.raf.mod.uk/our-organisation/senior-commanders/warrant-officer-of-the-royal-air-force/ |title=Warrant Officer of the Royal Air Force |publisher=Royal Air Force |access-date=11 October 2021 |archive-date=21 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211021153903/https://www.raf.mod.uk/our-organisation/senior-commanders/warrant-officer-of-the-royal-air-force/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

From 1952, trades for RAF airmen and airwomen were grouped into 23 trade groups: Accounting and Secretarial; Air Traffic Control and Fire Services; Aircraft Engineering; Airfield Construction; Armament Engineering; Catering; Dental; Electrical and Instrument Engineering; General Duties (i.e. aircrew); General Engineering; General Service; Ground Signalling; Marine Craft; Mechanical Transport; Medical; Music; Photography; Police; Radar Operating; Radio Engineering; RAF Regiment; Safety and Surface; and Supply. All were open to women except Air Traffic Control and Fire Services, Airfield Construction, General Duties, Marine Craft and the RAF Regiment<ref name="Chaffe" />