Got my Captain's Bars....

[Brit_in_CAP]

Not exactly world-shattering news but it still gave me a moderately warm feeling of accomplishment!

At our last meeting, the Commander announced my promotion and said some very nice things about my work, which is always pleasing to hear!

That's it...you can move on with your lives now...

[spaatzmom]

Congrats!!!!!!!   It is a big deal and should be.  Too bad too many don't feel it is. 

[lordmonar]

Congrats Sir!

[SarDragon]

Congrats!

[EmLyn]

Way to go!   :clap:

[RogueLeader]

Congrats.  You are out of the LPA (Lieutenants Protective Association.)

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

[Eclipse]

Congrats.

[Simplex]

Well done! Now, on to Level 3 and Major, I think that's Squadron Leader on the other side of the pond.

[Panache]

Congrats!  Excellent news!

Well done! Now, on to Level 3 and Major, I think that's Squadron Leader on the other side of the pond.

Well, unless they make the changes proposed by the advisory board, and make Level 4 a prerequisite for Major.

[Brit_in_CAP]

Well done! Now, on to Level 3 and Major, I think that's Squadron Leader on the other side of the pond.

It is Squadron leader but I always liked the sound of Major, personally!

[Brit_in_CAP]

Congrats.  You are out of the LPA (Lieutenants Protective Association.)

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

Yeah...funnily enough, that's what my Warrant Officer told me when I made Flight Lieutenant...and he was right!

[JoeTomasone]

First Lieutenant, second award, eh?   Congrats!

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

It is Squadron leader but I always liked the sound of Major, personally!

I always thought that Commonwealth air force ranks were the most logical-sounding.

However, they haven't reflected operational situations since probably the end of the 1950's.

Originally, a Flight Lieutenant (leff-tenant, O-3) commanded a Flight, a Squadron Leader (O-4) a Squadron, a Wing Commander (O-5) a Wing and a Group Captain (O-6) a Group (note: in the Commonwealth system Group is senior to Wing).

Now, at least in flying units, a G/C commands a base, a W/C a flying squadron, and an S/L a flight.

Flight Lieutenants are pretty much everyone else that is fully aircrew trained (with a few Flying Officers here and there).  A Pilot Officer seems almost to be a training rank (in fact, the Indian Air Force no longer uses it).

I still like the ranks, though.

Congrats.  You are out of the LPA (Lieutenants Protective Association.)

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

Yeah...funnily enough, that's what my Warrant Officer told me when I made Flight Lieutenant...and he was right!

Really?  You were promoted Flight Lieutenant from Flying Officer, correct?  That would have put you into the "LPA" since the RAF has no other rank with "lieutenant" in it.

But I'm not going to be the one to argue with a Warrant, especially not a Station Warrant Officer (note: they're not like our Warrants; they're like super-SNCO's but with more authority, and they're not saluted, though you do address them as "Sir/Ma'am/Mr/Ms/Miss").

The RAF/RAAF/RNZAF only have one level of W/O, though the RCAF has three.

[Brit_in_CAP]

It is Squadron leader but I always liked the sound of Major, personally!

I always thought that Commonwealth air force ranks were the most logical-sounding.

However, they haven't reflected operational situations since probably the end of the 1950's.

Originally, a Flight Lieutenant (leff-tenant, O-3) commanded a Flight, a Squadron Leader (O-4) a Squadron, a Wing Commander (O-5) a Wing and a Group Captain (O-6) a Group (note: in the Commonwealth system Group is senior to Wing).

Now, at least in flying units, a G/C commands a base, a W/C a flying squadron, and an S/L a flight.

Flight Lieutenants are pretty much everyone else that is fully aircrew trained (with a few Flying Officers here and there).  A Pilot Officer seems almost to be a training rank (in fact, the Indian Air Force no longer uses it).

I still like the ranks, though.

Congrats.  You are out of the LPA (Lieutenants Protective Association.)

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

Yeah...funnily enough, that's what my Warrant Officer told me when I made Flight Lieutenant...and he was right!

Really?  You were promoted Flight Lieutenant from Flying Officer, correct?  That would have put you into the "LPA" since the RAF has no other rank with "lieutenant" in it.

But I'm not going to be the one to argue with a Warrant, especially not a Station Warrant Officer (note: they're not like our Warrants; they're like super-SNCO's but with more authority, and they're not saluted, though you do address them as "Sir/Ma'am/Mr/Ms/Miss").

The RAF/RAAF/RNZAF only have one level of W/O, though the RCAF has three.

We can argue the semantics about the LPA (  ) but, trust me, as a Flight Lieutenant you were considered **way** outside the protection of your NCOs! 

I like your assessment of the ranks.

There is actually an Acting Pilot Officer, which is either someone at college or university who has yet to attend training (much like ROTC) or someone who has completed officer school but had little relevant prior service.  Most officers in the aircrew branches leave basic as a Flying Officer, having served the equivalent of ROTC time,  as do most engineers.  I was an Acting Pilot Officer for the 3 years I was at college, despite having 5 years prior enlisted service; my pay wasn't affected and my rank was retrospectively advanced when I graduated from officer training.

To paraphrase Robert Heinlein from Starship Troopers: "if anyone ever saluted an Acting Pilot Officer, it was a dark night and they didn't see clearly!"

Describing the PO as a training rank is about right: one spends a maximum of 18 months in the rank (6 months acting, 12 substantive) which about covers most of the "professional" training courses.  To be honest, the majority of officer candidates now in the RAF have either prior enlisted service or have some external antedates to seniority so there are fewer and fewer Pilot Officers...shame, actually, as it was a good place to learn!

[MacGruff]

Congratulations on your promotion.

[Chappie]

Congrats on the promotion!!!!  What are you going to do now with that extra zero on your CAP paycheck?

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

Congrats on the promotion!!!!  What are you going to do now with that extra zero on your CAP paycheck?

The same thing I did with my last promotion, Chappie.  The extra zero went into my bank account and added...absolutely nothing (not in material terms, anyway; but you know the bit about "not laying up treasures on earth")!

[Nikos]

Well done Sir!

[Chappie]

Congrats on the promotion!!!!  What are you going to do now with that extra zero on your CAP paycheck?

The same thing I did with my last promotion, Chappie.  The extra zero went into my bank account and added...absolutely nothing (not in material terms, anyway; but you know the bit about "not laying up treasures on earth")!

Well played  :clap:

[Panache]

It is Squadron leader but I always liked the sound of Major, personally!

I always thought that Commonwealth air force ranks were the most logical-sounding.

However, they haven't reflected operational situations since probably the end of the 1950's.

And that's the problem.  Even though they sound logical, their grade titles have nothing to do with their actual jobs now.

And do you still call junior officers in the Commonwealth air forces "Pilot Officers" and "Flying Officers" when they're not pilots, nor do they fly?