{{Use British English|date=December 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}} {{Infobox official post | post = Commandant Royal Air Force Air Cadets | body = | flag = | flagsize = | flagcaption = | insignia = | insigniasize = | insigniacaption = | image = Al Lewis (cropped).jpg | incumbent = Air Commodore Allen 'Al' Lewis<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.raf.mod.uk/aircadets/news/new-commandant-royal-air-force-air-cadets-announced/ |title=New Commandant Royal Air Force Air Cadets announced |website=Royal Air Force Air Cadets |date=15 August 2024 |access-date=2 January 2026}}</ref> | incumbentsince = {{Start date|df=yes|2024|09|23}} | reports_to = AOC No. 22 Group RAF | first = John Adrian Chamier | abbreviation = Comdt RAFAC | unofficial_names = Commandant Air Cadets }}
'''Commandant Royal Air Force Air Cadets''' is the title given to the Royal Air Force officer who is responsible for running the Royal Air Force Air Cadets, embracing the Air Training Corps (ATC) and the RAF Sections of the Combined Cadet Force (CCF RAF). The current Commandant RAF Air Cadets is Air Commodore Allen Lewis, who assumed the post in September 2024.<ref name="Lewis Appointed">{{Cite web |date=15 August 2024 |title=New Commandant Royal Air Force Air Cadets announced |url=https://www.raf.mod.uk/aircadets/news/new-commandant-royal-air-force-air-cadets-announced/ |access-date=16 August 2024 |website=Royal Air Force Air Cadets}}</ref>
Previously known as Commandant ATC, the appointment is now held by an RAF Air Commodore and is based at Headquarters Air Cadets (HQAC) at RAF Cranwell. Prior to the establishment of HQAC as an independent unit, the post of Commandant ATC was held by the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Reserve, Home and finally Flying Training Command. HQAC was formed 1 May 1960 within Flying Training Command.
The Commandant is responsible for over 1000 units of the ATC, 199 CCF (RAF) Sections and the nationwide network of Volunteer Gliding Squadrons (VGS).
Until 24 March 2003, the Commandant also held the role of Air Officer Commanding Air Cadets, the appointment then passing to the Air Officer Commanding Training Group (TG). The post has now been merged into the post of AOC TG and no longer exists as a separate entity.
==AOC Air Cadets and Commandant ATC 1941 – 2003== {{Officeholder table start | showorder = n | showimage = y | image_title = Picture | officeholder_title = Commandant Air Cadets | showtermlenght = y | showparty = n | showdefencebranch = n | showref = y }} {{Officeholder table | order = | image = Air Cdre John Adrian Chamier.png | military_rank = Air Commodore | officeholder = Sir John Adrian Chamier (Ret'd) | officeholder_sort = | officeholder_note = | born_year = | died_year = | term_start = 5 February 1941 | term_end = 31 January 1944 | timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|1941|02|05|1944|01|31}} | ref = }} {{Officeholder table | order = | image = | military_rank = Air Marshal | officeholder = Sir Ernest Leslie Gossage (Ret'd) | officeholder_sort = | officeholder_note = | born_year = | died_year = | term_start = 1 February 1944 | term_end = 31 December 1945 | timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|1944|02|01|1945|12|31}} | ref = }} {{Officeholder table | order = | image = | military_rank = | officeholder = ''Appointments held by<br />Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Reserve / Home / Flying Training Command'' | officeholder_sort = | officeholder_note = | born_year = | died_year = | term_start = 1946 | term_end = February 1960 | timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|1946|01|01|1960|02|01}} | ref = }} {{Officeholder table | order = | image = | military_rank = Air Commodore | officeholder = Antony G Dudgeon | officeholder_sort = | officeholder_note = | born_year = | died_year = | term_start = February 1960 | term_end = 13 September 1962 | timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|1960|02|01|1962|09|13}} | ref = <ref name="Senior appointments">{{cite web |url=http://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Royal%20Air%20Force%20Senior%20Appointments.pdf |title=Senior Royal Air Force Appointments |page=58 |first=Colin |last=Mackie |website=gulabin.com |accessdate=3 January 2011}}</ref> }} {{Officeholder table | order = | image = | military_rank = Air Commodore | officeholder = James Baird Coward | officeholder_sort = | officeholder_note = | born_year = | died_year = | term_start = 14 September 1962 | term_end = 22 June 1966 | timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|1962|09|14|1966|06|22}} | ref = <ref name="Senior appointments"/> }} {{Officeholder table | order = | image = | military_rank = Air Commodore | officeholder = Edward J Morris | officeholder_sort = | officeholder_note = | born_year = | died_year = | term_start = 23 June 1966 | term_end = 17 June 1968 | timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|1966|06|23|1968|06|17}} | ref = <ref name="Senior appointments"/> }} {{Officeholder table | order = | image = | military_rank = Air Commodore | officeholder = John N Stacey | officeholder_sort = | officeholder_note = | born_year = | died_year = | term_start = 18 June 1968 | term_end = 16 July 1971 | timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|1968|06|18|1971|07|16}} | ref = <ref name="Senior appointments"/> }} {{Officeholder table | order = | image = | military_rank = Air Commodore | officeholder = Percy O V Green | officeholder_sort = | officeholder_note = | born_year = | died_year = | term_start = 17 July 1971 | term_end = 12 October 1973 | timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|1971|07|17|1973|10|12}} | ref = <ref name="Senior appointments"/> }} {{Officeholder table | order = | image = | military_rank = Air Commodore | officeholder = Thomas H Blackham | officeholder_sort = | officeholder_note = | born_year = | died_year = | term_start = 13 October 1973 | term_end = 12 June 1977 | timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|1973|10|13|1977|06|12}} | ref = <ref name="Senior appointments"/> }} {{Officeholder table | order = | image = | military_rank = Air Commodore | officeholder = Michael J E Swiney | officeholder_sort = | officeholder_note = | born_year = | died_year = | term_start = 13 June 1977 | term_end = 14 December 1979 | timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|1977|06|13|1979|12|14}} | ref = <ref name="Senior appointments"/> }} {{Officeholder table | order = | image = | military_rank = Air Commodore | officeholder = Kenneth J Goodwin | officeholder_sort = | officeholder_note = | born_year = | died_year = | term_start = 15 December 1979 | term_end = 16 April 1982 | timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|1979|12|15|1982|04|16}} | ref = <ref name="Senior appointments"/> }} {{Officeholder table | order = | image = | military_rank = Air Commodore | officeholder = P V Mayall | officeholder_sort = | officeholder_note = | born_year = | died_year = | term_start = 17 April 1982 | term_end = 5 January 1986 | timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|1982|04|17|1986|01|05}} | ref = <ref name="Senior appointments"/> }} {{Officeholder table | order = | image = | military_rank = Air Commodore | officeholder = P P W Taylor | officeholder_sort = | officeholder_note = | born_year = | died_year = | term_start = 6 January 1986 | term_end = 4 January 1987 | timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|1986|01|06|1987|01|04}} | ref = <ref name="Senior appointments"/> }} {{Officeholder table | order = | image = | military_rank = Air Commodore | officeholder = Peter G Naz | officeholder_sort = | officeholder_note = | born_year = | died_year = | term_start = 5 January 1987 | term_end = April 1990 | timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|1987|01|05|1990|04|01}} | ref = <ref name="Senior appointments"/> }} {{Officeholder table | order = | image = | military_rank = Air Commodore | officeholder = Richard P Skelley | officeholder_sort = | officeholder_note = | born_year = | died_year = | term_start = April 1990 | term_end = 22 April 1993 | timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|1990|04|01|1993|04|22}} | ref = <ref name="Senior appointments"/> }} {{Officeholder table | order = | image = | military_rank = Air Commodore | officeholder = Peter M Stean | officeholder_sort = | officeholder_note = | born_year = | died_year = | term_start = 23 April 1993 | term_end = 11 January 1996 | timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|1993|04|23|1996|01|11}} | ref = <ref name="Senior appointments"/> }} {{Officeholder table | order = | image = | military_rank = Air Commodore | officeholder = Jon A F Ford | officeholder_sort = | officeholder_note = | born_year = | died_year = | term_start = 12 January 1996 | term_end = 27 March 1998 | timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|1996|01|12|1998|03|17}} | ref = <ref name="Senior appointments"/> }} {{Officeholder table | order = | image = | military_rank = Air Commodore | officeholder = John D Kennedy | officeholder_sort = | officeholder_note = | born_year = | died_year = | term_start = 28 March 1998 | term_end = 2 May 2002 | timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|1998|03|28|2002|05|02}} | ref = <ref name="Senior appointments"/> }} {{Officeholder table | order = | image = | military_rank = Air Commodore | officeholder = Jon P Chitty | officeholder_sort = | officeholder_note = | born_year = | died_year = | term_start = 3 May 2002 | term_end = 23 March 2003 | timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|2002|05|03|2003|03|23}} | ref = <ref name="Senior appointments"/> }} {{Officeholder table end}}
==Air Officer Commanding Air Cadets 2003 – 2005== {{Officeholder table start | showorder = n | showimage = y | image_title = Picture | officeholder_title = Air Officer Commanding Air Cadets | showtermlenght = y | showparty = n | showdefencebranch = n | showref = y }} {{Officeholder table | order = | image = | military_rank = Air Vice-Marshal | officeholder = David Walker | officeholder_sort = | officeholder_note = | born_year = | died_year = | term_start = 23 March 2003 | term_end = 3 January 2005 | timeinoffice = {{ayd|2003|03|23|2005|01|03}} | ref = }} {{Officeholder table | order = | image = | military_rank = Air Vice-Marshal | officeholder = John Ponsonby | officeholder_sort = | officeholder_note = | born_year = | died_year = | term_start = 4 January 2005 | term_end = 2005 | timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|2005|01|04|2005|12|31}} | ref = }} {{Officeholder table end}}
==Commandant RAF Air Cadets 2003 – present== {{Officeholder table start | showorder = n | showimage = y | image_title = Picture | officeholder_title = Commandant Air Cadets | showtermlenght = y | showparty = n | showdefencebranch = n | showref = y }} {{Officeholder table | order = | image = | military_rank = Air Commodore | officeholder = Jon P Chitty | officeholder_sort = | officeholder_note = | born_year = | died_year = | term_start = 24 March 2003 | term_end = July 2005 | timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|2003|03|24|2005|07|01}} | ref = <ref name="Senior appointments"/> }} {{Officeholder table | order = | image = | military_rank = Air Commodore | officeholder = David Harrison | officeholder_sort = | officeholder_note = | born_year = | died_year = | term_start = July 2005 | term_end = 12 October 2006 | timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|2005|07|01|2006|10|12}} | ref = <ref name="Senior appointments"/> }} {{Officeholder table | order = | image = COMKAF awards engineers for floodfight design (5169399583) (cropped).jpg | military_rank = Air Commodore | officeholder = Gordon Moulds CBE | officeholder_sort = | officeholder_note = | born_year = | died_year = | term_start = 13 October 2006 | term_end = 19 May 2008 | timeinoffice = {{ayd|2006|10|13|2008|05|19}} | ref = <ref name="Senior appointments"/> }} {{Officeholder table | order = | image = AirCmdrCooper (Ian Stewart cropped).JPG | military_rank = Air Commodore | officeholder = Ian R W Stewart | officeholder_sort = | officeholder_note = | born_year = | died_year = | died = | term_start = 20 May 2008 | term_end = 31 May 2010 | timeinoffice = {{ayd|2008|05|20|2010|05|31}} | ref = <ref name="Senior appointments"/> }} {{Officeholder table | order = | image = AirCmdrCooper (cropped).JPG | military_rank = Air Commodore | officeholder = Barbara Cooper CBE | officeholder_sort = | officeholder_note = | born_year = | died_year = | term_start = 1 June 2010 | term_end = 16 August 2012 | timeinoffice = {{ayd|2010|06|01|2012|08|16}} | ref = <ref name="Senior appointments"/> }} {{Officeholder table | order = | image = Air Marshall Julian Young with Dawn McCafferty and Carol Vorderman (McCafferty cropped).jpg | military_rank = Air Commodore | officeholder = Dawn McCafferty CBE | officeholder_sort = | officeholder_note = | born_year = | died_year = | term_start = 17 August 2012 | term_end = 14 July 2020 | timeinoffice = {{ayd|2012|08|17|2020|07|14}} | ref = <ref name="Senior appointments" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.raf.mod.uk/aircadets/news/dawn-is-new-commandant/ |title=Dawn is New Commandant |date=17 Aug 2012 |quote=Dawn McCafferty today took over as the Commandant of the Air Cadets |accessdate=19 February 2020}}</ref> }} {{Officeholder table | order = | image = | military_rank = Group Captain | officeholder = John Lawlor | officeholder_sort = | officeholder_note = | born_year = | died_year = | term_start = 15 July 2020 | term_end = 20 September 2020 | timeinoffice = {{ayd|2020|07|15|2020|09|20}} | acting = y | ref = <ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.raf.mod.uk/aircadets/news/raf-air-cadet-commandant-handover/|title=RAF Air Cadet Commandant Handover|date=15 July 2020|publisher=RAFAC|accessdate=6 December 2020}}</ref> }} {{Officeholder table | order = | image = Tony_Keeling_(cropped).jpg | military_rank = Air Commodore | officeholder = Anthony Keeling OBE | officeholder_sort = | officeholder_note = | born_year = | died_year = | term_start = 21 September 2020 | term_end = 23 September 2024 | timeinoffice = {{ayd|2020|09|21|2024|09|23}} | ref = <ref name="Senior appointments"/> }} {{Officeholder table | order = | image = Al_Lewis_(cropped).jpg | military_rank = Air Commodore | officeholder = Allen Lewis | officeholder_sort = | officeholder_note = | born_year = | died_year = | term_start = 23 September 2024 | term_end = | timeinoffice = {{ayd|2024|09|23|||}} | ref = <ref name="Lewis Appointed"/> }} {{Officeholder table end}}
==References== {{reflist}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Commandant RAF Air Cadets}} Category:Royal Air Force appointments Category:Royal Air Force Air Cadets