Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force

Institutional head of the Royal Canadian Air Force

Commander of the
Royal Canadian Air Force and Chief of the Air Force Staff

Roundel of Canada

Incumbent
Lieutenant-General Eric Kenny
since 12 August 2022

Royal Canadian Air Force
Type| Commissioned Officer
Status| Currently constituted
Abbreviation| CRCAF
Reports to| Chief of the Defence Staff
Term length| At His Majesty's pleasure
Formation| 1914
First holder| Ernest Lloyd Janney
Deputy| Deputy Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force
Website| Official website

The Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force (French: commandant de l'Aviation royale canadienne) is the institutional head of the Royal Canadian Air Force. This appointment also includes the title Chief of the Air Force Staff and is based at National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa, Ontario.

## History of the position[edit]

With the creation of the Canadian Aviation Corps in 1914, a provisional commander was appointed. This small and short-lived organization was dissolved in 1915 and it was not until 1918 that the Canadian Air Force came into being under the authority of its Officer Commanding. The Canadian Air Force was reconstituted in 1920 and the officer in command (Air Commodore Tylee) held the title of Air Officer Commanding. It was also from 1920 to 1922 that Air Vice-Marshal Sir Willoughby Gwatkin served as Inspector-General of the Canadian Air Force although formally command was held by Tylee. Tylee's successors, not being air officers, only held the title of Officer Commanding. In 1922, the senior Air Force post was redesignated as the Director and in 1924, when the Canadian Air Force was granted its Royal prefix, the officer appointed to command the Air Force continued to hold the title of Director.[1]

From 1932 to 1938 the title of Senior Air Officer was used. In late 1938, the Air Force became an independent service and its professional head was retitled Chief of the Air Staff, bringing the Canadian higher command arrangements and nomenclature into line with that of the British and Australian air forces. The title of Chief of the Air Staff was used throughout World War II and well into the Cold War years. However, in 1964, the post was abolished as part of a plan to integrate the Canadian Forces and authority over aviation units was no longer vested in a single post. Air Defence Command and Air Transport Commands continued as before but with no overall air commander, while the Canadian Air Division, Air Training and Air Materiel were all divided up between Mobile and Maritime Commands.[2] This arrangement was eventually judged to be impractical and in 1975 the air units of the Canadian Forces were placed within Air Command under the authority of a lieutenant-general with the title Commander of Air Command. In 1997 the Commander of Air Command was re-designated the Chief of the Air Staff, a title which continued in use until 2011. In 2011 Air Command was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force at which time the appointment was renamed to its present incarnation.[3]

## Evolution of the position[edit]

Dates  | Title  | Rank(s) held  | Air service

|
|
|

1914–1915  | Provisional Commander  | Captain | Canadian Aviation Corps
1918–1920  | Officer Commanding | Lieutenant Colonel | Canadian Air Force
(first creation)
1920–1922  | Air Officer Commanding
Officer Commanding | Air Commodore
Wing Commander | Canadian Air Force
(second creation)
1922–1924  | Director  | Wing Commander
1924–1932  | Squadron Leader to Group Captain | Royal Canadian Air Force
(first creation)
1932–1938  | Senior Air Officer  | Wing Commander to Air Vice-Marshal
1938–1964  | Chief of the Air Staff  | Air Vice-Marshal to Air Marshal
1964–1975  | no single air commander | not applicable | no single air power organization
1975–1997  | Commander  | Lieutenant-General | Air Command
1997–2011  | Chief of the Air Staff
2011–  | Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force and Chief of the Air Force Staff  | Royal Canadian Air Force
(second creation)

## Appointees[edit]

The following table lists all those who have held the post of Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force or its preceding positions. Ranks and honours are as at the completion of their tenure:[1]

No. | Portrait  | Name | Took office | Left office | Time in office

|
|
|
|
|

Provisional Commander

| Janney, E.L.Captain
E.L. Janney
(1893–1941)| 1914| 1915| 0–1 years
Officer Commanding

| Bishop, W.A.Lieutenant-Colonel
W.A. Bishop
(1894–1956)| 1918| 1918| 0 years
Air Officer Commanding

| Tylee, A.K.Air Commodore
A.K. Tylee
(1887–1961)| 1920| 1921| 0–1 years
Officer Commanding

| Redpath, R.F.Wing Commander
R.F. Redpath
(1888–1970)| 1921| 1921| 0 years

| Scott, J.S.Wing Commander
J.S. Scott
(1889–1975)| 1921| 1922| 0–1 years
Director

| Gordon, J.L.Wing Commander
J.L. Gordon
(1892–1940)| 1922| 1924| 1–2 years

| Barker, W.G.Wing Commander
W.G. Barker
(1894–1930)| 1924| 1924| 0 years

| Scott, J.S.Group Captain
J.S. Scott
(1889–1975)| 1924| 1928| 3–4 years

| Breadner, L.S.Wing Commander
L.S. Breadner
(1894–1952)| 1928| 1932| 3–4 years

| Cuffe, A.A.L.Squadron Leader
A.A.L. Cuffe
(1895–1969)| 1932| 1932| 0 years
Senior Air Officer

| Gordon, J.L.Group Captain
J.L. Gordon
(1892–1940)| 1932| 1933| 0–1 years

| Johnson, G.O.Wing Commander
G.O. Johnson
(1896–1980)| 1933| 1933| 0 years

| Croil, G.M.Air Vice Marshal
G.M. Croil
(1893–1959)| 1934| 1938| 3–4 years
Chief of the Air Staff

| Croil, G.M.Air Vice Marshal
G.M. Croil
(1893–1959)| 1938| 1940| 1–2 years

| Breadner, L.S.Air Marshal
L.S. Breadner
(1894–1952)| 1940| 1943| 2–3 years

| Leckie, R.Air Marshal
R. Leckie
(1890–1975)| 1944| 1947| 2–3 years

| Curtis, W.A.Air Marshal
W.A. Curtis
(1893–1977)| 1947| 1953| 5–6 years

| Slemon, C.R.Air Marshal
C.R. Slemon
(1904–1992)| 1953| 1957| 3–4 years

| Campbell, H.L.Air Marshal
H.L. Campbell
(1908–1987)| 1957| 1962| 4–5 years

| Dunlap, C.R.Air Marshal
C.R. Dunlap
(1908–2003)| 1962| 1964| 1–2 years
Commander of Air Command

| Carr, W.K.Lieutenant-General
W.K. Carr
(born 1923)| 1975| 1978| 2–3 years

| MacKenzie, G.A.Lieutenant-General
G.A. MacKenzie
(1931–2012)| 1978| 1980| 1–2 years

| Lewis, K.E.Lieutenant-General
K.E. Lewis
(c.1929–1992)| 1980| 1983| 2–3 years

| Manson, P.D.Lieutenant-General
P.D. Manson
(1934–2023)| 1983| 1985| 1–2 years

| McNaughton, D.M.Lieutenant-General
D.M. McNaughton
(born 1934)| 1985| 1986| 0–1 years

| Ashley, L.A.Lieutenant-General
L.A. Ashley
(born 1937)| 1986| 1988| 1–2 years

| Sutherland, F.R.Lieutenant-General
F.R. Sutherland
(born 1942)| 1989| 1991| 1–2 years

| Huddleston, D.Lieutenant-General
D. Huddleston| 1991| 1993| 1–2 years

| Clements, G.S.Lieutenant-General
G.S. Clements
(born c.1941)| 1993| 1995| 1–2 years
10|

| DeQuetteville, A.M.Lieutenant-General
A.M. DeQuetteville| 1995| 1998| 1–2 years
Chief of the Air Staff

| Kinsman, D.N.Lieutenant-General
D.N. Kinsman
(born c.1945)| 1 April 1998| 21 July 2000| 2 years, 111 days

| Campbell, L.C.Lieutenant-General
L.C. Campbell
(born c.1947)| 21 July 2000| 18 July 2003| 2 years, 362 days

| Pennie, K.R.Lieutenant-General
K.R. Pennie
(born c.1949)| 18 July 2003| 16 May 2005| 1 year, 302 days

| Lucas, J.S.Lieutenant-General
J.S. Lucas
(born 1952)| 16 May 2005[4]| 26 July 2007| 2 years, 71 days

| Watt, A.Lieutenant-General
A. Watt| 26 July 2007[5]| 1 October 2009| 2 years, 67 days

| Deschamps, A.Lieutenant-General
A. Deschamps| 1 October 2009[6]| 2011| 1–2 years
Chief of the Air Force Staff and Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force

| Deschamps, A.Lieutenant-General
A. Deschamps| 2011| 27 September 2012| 0–1 years

| Blondin, Y.Lieutenant-General
Y. Blondin| 27 September 2012[7]| 9 July 2015| 2 years, 285 days

| Hood, M.J.Lieutenant-General
M J Hood
(born 1967)| 9 July 2015[8]| 4 May 2018| 2 years, 299 days

| Meinzinger, A.D.Lieutenant-General
A D Meinzinger| 4 May 2018| 12 August 2022| 4 years, 100 days

| Kenny, ELieutenant-General
Eric Kenny| 12 August 2022| Incumbent| 1 year, 320 days

## See also[edit]

* Canada portal

* Chief of the Defence Staff, the second most senior member of the Canadian Armed Forces after the Commander-in-Chief
* Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy, the institutional head of the Royal Canadian Navy.
* Commander of the Canadian Army, the institutional head of the Canadian Army.

## Notes[edit]

1. ^ a b "Commanders Canada's Air Force". Royal Canadian Air Force Association. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
2. ^ Carr, Bill (December 20, 2005). "The genesis of Air Command". Royal Canadian Air Force. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
3. ^ Canadian Navy, Air Force 'Royal' Again With Official Name Change Huffington Post, 15 August 2011
4. ^ Canada, Employment and Social Development (May 13, 2005). "Change of Command for Canada's Air Force". www.canada.ca.
5. ^ Canada, Employment and Social Development (September 29, 2009). "Change of Command for Canada's Air Force". www.canada.ca.
6. ^ Canada, Employment and Social Development (October 5, 2009). "New Commander for Canada's Air Force". www.canada.ca.
7. ^ Brewster, Murray (September 27, 2012). "New RCAF commander gives F-35 thumbs-up, but will accept government's choice" - via www.theglobeandmail.com.
8. ^ "RCAF welcomes new commander".

## References[edit]

* Johnson, Vic. "Canada's Air Force Then and Now". Airforce magazine. Vol. 22, No. 3. 1998. ISSN 0704-6804.

## External links[edit]

* The Armed Forces of Canada 1867-1967 p. 271[permanent dead link]

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