Commandant Air Cadets

Commandant Air Cadets
Commandant Air Cadets
	Incumbent; Air Commodore Allen Lewis; since 23 September 2024
Reports to	AOC No. 22 Group RAF
First holder	John Adrian Chamier

Commandant 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 Air Cadets is Air Commodore Allen Lewis, who assumed the post in September 2024.^[1]

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 Air Cadets 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

Commandant Air Cadets	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Ref.
Air Commodore Sir John Adrian Chamier (Ret'd)	5 February 1941	31 January 1944	2 years, 11 months
Air Marshal Sir Ernest Leslie Gossage (Ret'd)	1 February 1944	31 December 1945	1 year, 10 months
Appointments held by Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Reserve / Home / Flying Training Command	1946	February 1960	14 years, 1 month
Air Commodore Antony G Dudgeon	February 1960	13 September 1962	2 years, 7 months	^[2]
Air Commodore James Baird Coward	14 September 1962	22 June 1966	3 years, 9 months	^[2]
Air Commodore Edward J Morris	23 June 1966	17 June 1968	1 year, 11 months	^[2]
Air Commodore John N Stacey	18 June 1968	16 July 1971	3 years	^[2]
Air Commodore Percy O V Green	17 July 1971	12 October 1973	2 years, 2 months	^[2]
Air Commodore Thomas H Blackham	13 October 1973	12 June 1977	3 years, 7 months	^[2]
Air Commodore Michael J E Swiney	13 June 1977	14 December 1979	2 years, 6 months	^[2]
Air Commodore Kenneth J Goodwin	15 December 1979	16 April 1982	2 years, 4 months	^[2]
Air Commodore P V Mayall	17 April 1982	5 January 1986	3 years, 8 months	^[2]
Air Commodore P P W Taylor	6 January 1986	4 January 1987	11 months	^[2]
Air Commodore Peter G Naz	5 January 1987	April 1990	3 years, 2 months	^[2]
Air Commodore Richard P Skelley	April 1990	22 April 1993	3 years	^[2]
Air Commodore Peter M Stean	23 April 1993	11 January 1996	2 years, 8 months	^[2]
Air Commodore Jon A F Ford	12 January 1996	27 March 1998	2 years, 2 months	^[2]
Air Commodore John D Kennedy	28 March 1998	2 May 2002	4 years, 1 month	^[2]
Air Commodore Jon P Chitty	3 May 2002	23 March 2003	10 months	^[2]

Air Officer Commanding Air Cadets 2003 – 2005

Picture	Air Officer Commanding Air Cadets	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Ref.
	Air Vice-Marshal David Walker	23 March 2003	3 January 2005	1 year, 286 days
	Air Vice-Marshal John Ponsonby	4 January 2005	2005	11 months

Commandant Air Cadets 2003 – present

Commandant Air Cadets	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Ref.
Air Commodore Jon P Chitty	24 March 2003	July 2005	2 years, 3 months	^[2]
Air Commodore David Harrison	July 2005	12 October 2006	1 year, 3 months	^[2]
Air Commodore Gordon Moulds CBE	13 October 2006	19 May 2008	1 year, 219 days	^[2]
Air Commodore Ian R W Stewart	20 May 2008	31 May 2010	2 years, 11 days	^[2]
Air Commodore Barbara Cooper CBE	1 June 2010	16 August 2012	2 years, 76 days	^[2]
Air Commodore Dawn McCafferty CBE	17 August 2012	14 July 2020	7 years, 332 days	^[2]^[3]
Group Captain John Lawlor Acting	15 July 2020	20 September 2020	67 days	^[4]
Air Commodore Anthony Keeling OBE	21 September 2020	23 September 2024	4 years, 2 days	^[2]
Air Commodore Allen Lewis	23 September 2024		50 days	^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b "New Commandant Royal Air Force Air Cadets announced". Royal Air Force Air Cadets. 15 August 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w Mackie, Colin. "Senior Royal Air Force Appointments" (PDF). gulabin.com. p. 58. Retrieved 3 January 2011.
^ "Dawn is New Commandant". 17 August 2012. Retrieved 19 February 2020. Dawn McCafferty today took over as the Commandant of the Air Cadets
^ "RAF Air Cadet Commandant Handover". RAFAC. 15 July 2020. Retrieved 6 December 2020.

[Lewis_Appointed-1] "New Commandant Royal Air Force Air Cadets announced". Royal Air Force Air Cadets. 15 August 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.

[Senior_appointments-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w Mackie, Colin. "Senior Royal Air Force Appointments" (PDF). gulabin.com. p. 58. Retrieved 3 January 2011.

[3] "Dawn is New Commandant". 17 August 2012. Retrieved 19 February 2020. Dawn McCafferty today took over as the Commandant of the Air Cadets

[4] "RAF Air Cadet Commandant Handover". RAFAC. 15 July 2020. Retrieved 6 December 2020.

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Commandant Air Cadets
Incumbent Air Commodore Allen Lewis since 23 September 2024 (2024-09-23)
Reports to	AOC No. 22 Group RAF
First holder	John Adrian Chamier