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Acting pilot officer
Shoulder and sleeve insignia of an acting pilot officer from the Royal Air Force
Country
United Kingdom
Service branch
Royal Air Force
Abbreviation
A/Plt Off
NATO rank code
OF-1
Non-NATO rank
O-1(A)
Formation
1 April 1918 (1918-04-01) (RAF)
Next higher rank
Pilot officer
Next lower rank
Warrant officer
Equivalent ranks
Second lieutenant (British Army; Royal Marines)
Midshipman (RN)
Related articles
History
Royal Naval Air Service
Comparative military ranks
Armies, air forces (non-Commonwealth)
Navies, coast guards
Air forces (Commonwealth system)
Flag commissioned officers
Field marshal
Admiral of the fleet
Marshal of the air force
General or colonel general or army general
Admiral
Air chief marshal
Lieutenant general or army corps general
Vice admiral
Air marshal
Major general or divisional general
Rear admiral or Counter admiral
Air vice-marshal
Brigadier or brigadier general
Commodore or flotilla admiral
Air commodore
Senior commissioned officers
Colonel
(Ship-of-the-line) Captain
Group captain
Lieutenant colonel
Frigate captain or Commander
Wing commander
Major or commandant
Corvette captain or Lieutenant commander
Squadron leader
Junior commissioned officers
Captain
Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant
First lieutenant or lieutenant
Lieutenant junior grade or sub-lieutenant
Flying officer
Second lieutenant or junior lieutenant
Ensign or midshipman
Pilot officer
Officer cadet
Officer cadet
Flight cadet
Non-commissioned officers
Warrant officer or sergeant major
Warrant officer or chief petty officer
Warrant officer
Sergeant
Petty officer
Sergeant
Enlisted ranks
Corporal or bombardier
Leading seaman
Corporal
Lance corporal or Lance bombardier or Specialist
Able seaman
Leading aircraftman
Private or gunner or trooper or sapper
Seaman
Aircraftman or airman or aviator
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Acting pilot officer (A/Plt Off) is the lowest commissioned grade in the Royal Air Force.[1] Acting pilot officer is not an actual military rank, therefore acting pilot officers are regraded to pilot officer instead of receiving a promotion. Unlike other RAF ranks which officers may hold in an acting capacity, acting pilot officer is maintained as a separate grade.
Although acting pilot officer has a NATO ranking code of OF(D), neither the British Army, Royal Marines nor Royal Navy has an exactly equivalent rank. As acting pilot officers are junior to second lieutenants in the British Army or the Royal Marines and to Royal Navy midshipmen, the rank is the most junior commissioned rank in the British Armed Forces.
On a University Air Squadron, students can apply for the position of acting pilot officer in order to undertake a senior student or flight commander role, usually four per each UAS. In order to be awarded a Volunteer Reserve commission they have to complete a course run by the Officer and Aircrew Cadet Training Unit at RAFC Cranwell. On graduation, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve acting pilot officers hold a full commission for one year. This can be extended if serving for more than one year in a senior position on squadron or retained if serving the RAF reserves.
Up to 2012, 3 Flying Training School (3FTS) was responsible for the training of UAS APOs. However, starting in 2013 OACTU took over the duties of training acting pilot officers with a course aligned with the commissioning course of the RAF reserves.
The rank insignia is identical to that of a pilot officer, consisting of a thin blue band on slightly wider black band. This is worn on both the lower sleeves of the tunic or on the shoulders of the flying suit or the casual uniform. RAFVR APOs have a VR marking on their rank slides, either a small brass VR pin mounted on the stipe or embroidered underneath.
Officers of the Royal Air Force Air Cadets are ranked as acting pilot officers until completion of their Officers' Initial Course at RAFC Cranwell.
An RAF acting pilot officer's sleeve insignia
An RAF acting pilot officer's sleeve mess insignia
A RAFAC Acting Pilot Officer's shoulder insignia
^"acting pilot officer". oxfordreference.com. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 10 October 2020. A rank in the RAF above warrant officer and below pilot officer.
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Global Information
United Kingdom
Royal Air Force
An RAF acting pilot officer's sleeve insignia
An RAF acting pilot officer's sleeve mess insignia
A RAFAC Acting Pilot Officer's shoulder insignia
