{{Short description|Senior Royal Air Force officer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}} {{Use British English|date=May 2017}} {{Infobox military person |name= Chris Luck |image= Chris Luck and Peter Squires (Luck cropped).jpg |image_size= |alt= |caption= Luck in 2016 |nickname= |birth_date= {{birth year and age|1965}} |birth_place= |death_date= |death_place= |burial_place= |allegiance= United Kingdom |branch= Royal Air Force |service_years= 1984–2019 |rank= Air Vice-Marshal |service_number= |unit= |commands= Joint Services Command and Staff College (2017–2019)<br/>Royal Air Force College Cranwell (2013–2016)<br/>RAF Shawbury (2011–13)<br/>No. 33 Squadron (2007–2009) |battles= Gulf War<br/>The Troubles<br/>Bosnian War<br/>Iraq War |awards= Companion of the Order of the Bath<br/>Member of the Order of the British Empire |relations= |other_work= }} Air Vice-Marshal '''Christopher James Luck''' {{postnominals|country=GBR|CB|MBE|CCMI|FRSA|DL}} (born 1965) is a British charity executive and retired Royal Air Force officer. He was Commandant of the Royal Air Force College Cranwell from 2013 to 2016,<ref name="Sleaford Target - New man in command">{{cite news|title=New man in command|url=http://www.sleafordtarget.co.uk/New-man-command/story-20364507-detail/story.html|access-date=11 March 2014|newspaper=Sleaford Target|date=25 December 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Welcome to RAF College Cranwell|url=http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafcollegecranwell/|publisher=RAF College Cranwell|access-date=11 March 2014}}</ref> and Commandant of the Joint Services Command and Staff College from 2017 to 2019. Since 2019, he has been CEO of the Shaw Trust.
==Early life and education== Luck was born in 1965 in London, England. He graduated from the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, a graduate school of the United States Air Force, with a Master of Arts (MA) degree in 2003 and a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) degree in 2007.<ref name="WW 2020">{{cite web |title=Luck, Air Vice-Marshal Christopher James |url=https://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-289865 |website=Who's Who 2020 |publisher=Oxford University Press |access-date=12 December 2019 |language=en |doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U289865 |date=1 December 2019|isbn=978-0-19-954088-4 }}</ref>
==Military career== On 11 October 1984, Luck was commissioned into the General Duties Branch, Royal Air Force, as an acting pilot officer.<ref name="LG 17 December 1984">{{London Gazette |issue=49960 |date=17 December 1984 |page=17109 |supp=y }}</ref> He then undertook flying training on the Chipmunk and Jet Provost, before training on helicopters.<ref name="Sleaford Target - New man in command" /> Upon completion of training, he was posted to No. 33 Squadron RAF, a Puma squadron based at RAF Odiham in Hampshire.<ref name="ShropshireLive.com - New station commander joins RAF Shawbury" /> He was promoted to flying officer on 11 October 1986.<ref name="LG 10 November 1986">{{London Gazette |issue=50709 |date=10 November 1986 |page=14513 |supp=y }}</ref> During his early career, he underwent deployments to Northern Ireland and Belize.<ref name="ShropshireLive.com - New station commander joins RAF Shawbury" />
He was promoted to flight lieutenant on 11 April 1990.<ref name="LG 15 May 1990">{{London Gazette |issue=52138 |date=15 May 1990 |page=9162 |supp=y }}</ref> He was posted to Iraq as part of Operation Granby, the British operation during the 1991 Gulf War.<ref name="Sleaford Target - New man in command" /> In 1992, he underwent training to become a qualified helicopter instructor at RAF Shawbury.<ref name="ShropshireLive.com - New station commander joins RAF Shawbury" /> He was then posted to No. 230 Squadron RAF, based at RAF Aldergrove, Northern Ireland, with whom he served from 1992 to 1996.<ref name="Sleaford Target - New man in command" /> In recognition of his "gallant and distinguished services in Northern Ireland", Luck was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in November 1996.<ref name="LG 7 November 1996">{{London Gazette |issue=54574 |date=7 November 1996 |page=14849 }}</ref>
He was deployed to Bosnia during the Bosnian War as part of the United Nations' force.<ref name="ShropshireLive.com - New station commander joins RAF Shawbury" /><ref name="Shropshire Magazine - Chief is ready for take off">{{cite news|title=Chief is ready for take off|url=http://www.shropshiremagazine.com/2012/03/chief-is-ready-for-take-off/|access-date=14 March 2014|newspaper=Shropshire Magazine|date=March 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120413202358/http://www.shropshiremagazine.com/2012/03/chief-is-ready-for-take-off/|archive-date=13 April 2012}}</ref>
As part of the half yearly promotions, he was promoted to squadron leader on 1 July 1996.<ref name="LG 1 July 1996">{{London Gazette |issue=54453 |date=1 July 1996 |page=8919 }}</ref> He then returned to RAF Odiham to become officer commanding of the Puma Operational Conversion Unit Flight, part of No. 27 (Reserve) Squadron.<ref name="Sleaford Target - New man in command" /> In 1998, the end of this posting, saw the Pumas of No. 27 (Reserve) Squadron leave to join No. 33 Squadron RAF at RAF Benson.<ref name="ShropshireLive.com - New station commander joins RAF Shawbury" /> In 1999, he was posted to RAF Strike Command as the Rotary desk officer; this post soon moved to the newly formed Joint Helicopter Command.<ref name="Sleaford Target - New man in command" /> From August 2001 to 2003, he was attached to the Kuwait Air Force as an advisor and helicopter instructor, and was based at Ali Al Salem Air Base.<ref name="ShropshireLive.com - New station commander joins RAF Shawbury" />
As part of the half yearly promotions, he was promoted to wing commander on 1 January 2003.<ref name="LG 7 January 2003">{{London Gazette |issue=56811 |date=7 January 2003 |pages=129–130 |supp=y }}</ref> He then attended the United States Air Force Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama.<ref name="ShropshireLive.com - New station commander joins RAF Shawbury" /> From July 2004 to June 2006, he remained at the college as a member of the directing staff as Deputy Director of Strategy and War.<ref name="bio - LinkedIn" /><ref name="ShropshireLive.com - New station commander joins RAF Shawbury" /> In 2006, he attended the USAF School of Advanced Air and Space Studies; he was the first non-American to attend the school.<ref name="bio - LinkedIn">{{cite web|title=Chris Luck MBE ADC FRSA FCMI MCGI MA RAF|url=http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/chris-luck-mbe-adc-frsa-fcmi-mcgi-ma-raf/27/889/924|publisher=LinkedIn|access-date=14 March 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140628233410/http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/chris-luck-mbe-adc-frsa-fcmi-mcgi-ma-raf/27/889/924|archive-date=28 June 2014}}</ref> He graduated with a Master of Arts in strategic air power.<ref name="Sleaford Target - New man in command" />
In 2007, he returned to the United Kingdom and was appointed officer commanding No. 33 Squadron RAF based at RAF Benson.<ref name="Sleaford Target - New man in command" /> This tour included a posting to Iraq as part of Operation Telic.<ref name="ShropshireLive.com - New station commander joins RAF Shawbury" /> In June 2009, he was promoted to group captain and posted to the Permanent Joint Headquarters as Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff. He had specific responsibility for the Middle East region and global counter terrorism.<ref name="Sleaford Target - New man in command" /> In November 2011, he became Commanding Officer of RAF Shawbury, home to the Defence Helicopter Flying School.<ref name="ShropshireLive.com - New station commander joins RAF Shawbury">{{cite web|title=New station commander joins RAF Shawbury|url=http://www.shropshirelive.com/2011/11/02/new-station-commander-joins-raf-shawbury/|work=News|publisher=ShropshireLive.com|access-date=12 March 2014|date=2 November 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140313000956/http://www.shropshirelive.com/2011/11/02/new-station-commander-joins-raf-shawbury/|archive-date=13 March 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> From September to November 2013, he studied at the Royal College of Defence Studies.<ref name="Sleaford Target - New man in command" /> In December 2013, he was appointed Commandant of Royal Air Force College Cranwell,<ref name="Sleaford Target - New man in command" /> a post he held until August 2016 when he was succeeded by Air Commodore Peter Squires. Promoted to air vice marshal, he was Commandant of the Joint Services Command and Staff College from February 2017 to May 2019.<ref>{{cite web|title=Air Rank and Command Appointments List 17.16|url=http://www.raf.mod.uk/organisation/senior-appointments.cfm|date=5 October 2016|work=Senior Appointments|publisher=Royal Air Force|access-date=9 February 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Ministry%20of%20Defence%20Senior%20Posts.pdf |title=Senior tri-service and Ministry of Defence posts |access-date=1 April 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117033054/http://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Ministry%20of%20Defence%20Senior%20Posts.pdf |archive-date=17 November 2015 }}</ref>
Luck has over 5000 military flying hours, of which 4300 hours have been on the Puma.<ref name="ShropshireLive.com - New station commander joins RAF Shawbury" /> He was appointed Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to Queen Elizabeth II on 20 January 2010.<ref name="LG 20 March 2012">{{London Gazette |issue=60091 |date=20 March 2012 |page=5510 |supp=y }}</ref> He relinquished the appointment on 9 September 2013,<ref name="LG 10 September 2013">{{London Gazette |issue=60622 |date=10 September 2013 |page=17863 |supp=y }}</ref> but was appointed once more on 16 December the same year.<ref name="LG 21 January 2014">{{London Gazette |issue=60759 |date=21 January 2014 |page=1162 |supp=y }}</ref> He was appointed Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts 2012.<ref name="bio - LinkedIn" /> He was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the 2019 Birthday Honours<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=62666|page=B2|supp=y|date=8 June 2019}}</ref> and became a deputy lieutenant of Northamptonshire in 2023.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=64080|page=11786|date=15 June 2023}}</ref>
==Later life== Since May 2019, Luck has been chief executive officer of the Shaw Trust, a charity that helps people into education work and independent living.<ref name="TS">{{cite web |last1=Ricketts |first1=Andy |title=Shaw Trust appoints Chris Luck as next chief executive |url=https://www.thirdsector.co.uk/shaw-trust-appoints-chris-luck-next-chief-executive/management/article/1525263 |website=Third Sector |access-date=12 December 2019 |date=8 February 2019}}</ref><ref name="ST new">{{cite web |title=New high-flying Chief Executive for Shaw Trust |url=https://www.shaw-trust.org.uk/News/News/February-2019/New-high-flying-Chief-Executive-for-Shaw-Trust |website=Shaw Trust |access-date=12 December 2019 |language=en |date=8 February 2019 |archive-date=12 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191212200614/https://www.shaw-trust.org.uk/News/News/February-2019/New-high-flying-Chief-Executive-for-Shaw-Trust |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Personal life== Luck is a keen horse rider; he is the President of the RAF Equitation Association, Chairman of UK Armed Forces Equestrianism and Vice Chairman of UK Armed Forces Polo.<ref>{{cite web|title=RAFEA Committee|url=http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafequitation/contacts/rafeacommittee.cfm|publisher=Royal Air Force|access-date=14 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140314221405/http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafequitation/contacts/rafeacommittee.cfm|archive-date=14 March 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-mil}} {{s-bef|before=David Stubbs}} {{s-ttl|title=Commandant of Royal Air Force College Cranwell|years=2013–2016}} {{s-aft|after=Peter Squires}} |- {{s-bef|before=Julian Free}} {{s-ttl|title=Commandant of the Joint Services Command and Staff College|years=2017–2019}} {{s-aft|after=Andrew Roe}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Luck, Chris}} Category:Military personnel from London Category:Graduates of the Royal College of Defence Studies Category:British military personnel of the Troubles (Northern Ireland) Category:Helicopter pilots Category:Living people Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire Category:Royal Air Force air vice-marshals Category:Royal Air Force personnel of the Gulf War Category:Royal Air Force personnel of the Iraq War Category:Commandants of the Royal Air Force College Cranwell Category:1965 births Category:Deputy lieutenants of Northamptonshire