{{Short description|Royal Air Force Air Marshal (1935-2001)}} {{EngvarB|date=December 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2017}} {{Infobox military person |honorific_prefix= [[Air Marshal]] |name= Sir Kenneth Hayr |honorific_suffix= {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|KCB|KBE|AFC1}} |image= |image_size= |alt= |caption= |nickname= |birth_date= {{birth date|1935|04|13|df=yes}} |birth_place= [[Whangārei]], New Zealand |death_date= {{death date and age|2001|06|02|1935|04|13|df=yes}} |death_place= [[Bromley]], England |burial_place= |allegiance= New Zealand<br/>United Kingdom |branch= [[Royal New Zealand Air Force]] (1954–57)<br/>[[Royal Air Force]] (1957–93) |service_years= 1954–1993 |rank= [[Air Marshal]] |service_number= |unit= |commands= [[British Forces Cyprus]] (1985–88)<br/>[[No. 11 Group RAF|No. 11 Group]] (1982–85)<br/>[[RAF Binbrook]] (1974–76)<br/>[[No. 1 Squadron RAF|No. 1 Squadron]] (1970–72) |battles= [[Falklands War]]<br/>[[Gulf War]] |awards= [[Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath]]<br/>[[Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire]]<br/>[[Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)|Air Force Cross]] & [[Medal bar|Bar]] |relations= |other_work= }} [[Air Marshal]] '''Sir Kenneth William Hayr''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100|sep=,|KCB|KBE|AFC1}} (13 April 1935 – 2 June 2001) was a senior [[Royal Air Force]] commander who served as [[RAF Strike Command|Deputy Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Strike Command]] and [[Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff|Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Commitments)]].
==Early life and flying career== Born in [[Whangārei]], New Zealand, Hayr was educated at [[Auckland Grammar School]].<ref name=tele>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1309623/Air-Marshal-Sir-Kenneth-Hayr.html Obituary: Air Marshal Sir Kenneth Hayr] Daily Telegraph, 4 June 2001</ref> He joined the [[Royal New Zealand Air Force]] and was sent to the United Kingdom to attend the [[RAF College Cranwell]], graduating in 1957.<ref name=air>[http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Hayr.htm Air Marshal Sir Kenneth Hayr profile], rafweb.org; accessed 29 May 2016.</ref>
Hayr was Officer Commanding [[No. 228 Operational Conversion Unit RAF|No. 228 Operational Conversion Unit]] at [[RAF Coningsby]] during the introduction of the [[McDonnell Douglas Phantom in UK service|McDonnell Douglas Phantom]] and subsequent training of [[No. 6 Squadron RAF|No. 6]] and [[No. 54 Squadron RAF|No. 54]] Squadrons. He was then appointed Officer Commanding [[No. 1 Squadron RAF|No. 1 Squadron]] in 1970. The following year, he married Joyce Gardiner: they had three sons.<ref name=tele/> Hayr served as Station Commander at [[RAF Binbrook]] in [[Lincolnshire]] in 1974.<ref name=air/> He attended the [[Royal College of Defence Studies]], after which he took up the post of Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Operations) in 1980.<ref name=air/> During this period he was responsible for much of the planning of the RAF's part in the re-capture of the [[Falklands War|Falkland Islands]].<ref name=tele/> In 1982, he was made Air Officer Commanding [[No. 11 Group RAF|No. 11 Group]].<ref name=air/>
Hayr became Commander, [[British Forces Cyprus]] and Administrator of the [[Akrotiri and Dhekelia|Sovereign Base Areas]] in 1985.<ref name=air/> Returning to Britain he was Deputy Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief [[RAF Strike Command|Strike Command]] from 1988 until being appointed [[Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff|Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Commitments)]] at the [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]] in 1989,<ref name=air/> which in 1990 involved him leading the preparation for [[Operation Granby]].
==Later life and legacy== On retirement Hayr returned to New Zealand and took up the Chairmanship of the New Zealand Aviation Heritage Trust Board, but continued to split his time between the UK and New Zealand in order to continue his love for flying by performing displays in various vintage aircraft.<ref name=tele/> It was in such an aircraft, a [[De Havilland Vampire]], that he [[2001 Biggin Hill Airshow disasters|was killed]] during the 2001 [[Biggin Hill]] air display.<ref name=tele/>
In 1996, the [[Inspector General|Inspectorate]] of Flight Safety moved into new purpose-built accommodation at [[RAF Bentley Priory]] and the facility's new lecture theatre was named 'The Hayr Theatre' in honour of Hayr who was the first Inspector in 1976 (prior to that date the post had been that of Director). Following the closure of Bentley Priory his picture now hangs in the DARS Course Members Tea bar at [[RAF Northolt]] in memory of the Lecture theatre at RAF Bentley Priory.{{cn|date=May 2016}}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-mil}} {{s-bef|before=[[Peter Harding (RAF officer, born 1933)|Peter Harding]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Air Officer Commanding]] [[No. 11 Group RAF|No. 11 Group]]|years=1982–1985}} {{s-aft|after=[[Michael Stear]]}} |- {{s-bef|before=[[Desmond Langley|Sir Desmond Langley]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[British Forces Cyprus|Commander British Forces Cyprus]]|years=1985–1988}} {{s-aft|after=[[John Friedberger]]}} |- {{succession box | title=Deputy Commander-in-Chief [[RAF Strike Command|Strike Command]] | before=[[Brendan Jackson|Sir Brendan Jackson]] | after=[[John Kemball|Sir John Kemball]]| years=1988–1989}} |- {{s-bef|before=[[Antony Walker|Sir Antony Walker]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff|Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Commitments)]]|years=1989–1992}} {{s-aft|after=[[Nicholas Hill-Norton|Sir Nicholas Hill-Norton]]}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hayr, Kenneth}} [[Category:1935 births]] [[Category:2001 deaths]] [[Category:Graduates of the Royal College of Defence Studies]] [[Category:Royal New Zealand Air Force personnel]] [[Category:Royal Air Force air marshals]] [[Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath]] [[Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] [[Category:Graduates of the Royal Air Force College Cranwell]] [[Category:Royal Air Force personnel of the Falklands War]] [[Category:People educated at Auckland Grammar School]] [[Category:New Zealand recipients of the Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)]] [[Category:Royal Air Force air marshals of the Gulf War]] [[Category:Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in England]] [[Category:Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 2001]]