Flight lieutenant#Denmark

Flight lieutenant (Flt Lt or F/L) is a junior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force.{{cite web |url=http://www.raf.mod.uk/organisation/commissionedranks.cfm |title=Ranks and Badges of the Royal Air Force |access-date=2007-12-01 |year=2007 |publisher=Royal Air Force |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20110709184204/http://www.raf.mod.uk/organisation/commissionedranks.cfm |archive-date=9 July 2011 }} The rank originated in the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) in 1914. It fell into abeyance when the RNAS merged with the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War but was revived in 1919 in the post-war RAF. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence.

Flight lieutenant is immediately senior to flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. It is usually equivalent to the rank of lieutenant in the navy and of the rank of captain in other services.

The equivalent rank in the former Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF), Women's Royal Air Force (WRAF) and Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service (PMRAFNS) (until 1980) was flight officer.

Canada

The rank was used in the Royal Canadian Air Force from 1920 until the 1968 unification of the Canadian Forces, when army-type rank titles were adopted. Canadian flight lieutenants then became captains.{{Citation needed|date=February 2024}} In official Canadian French usage, the rank title was {{lang|fr|capitaine d'aviation}}.{{cite web |url=http://www.castlearchdale.net/id37.html |title=The RCAF |website=castlearchdale.net |access-date=22 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090603201652/http://www.castlearchdale.net/id37.html |archive-date=3 June 2009 |url-status=dead}}

Denmark

Following the creation of the Royal Danish Air Force, the ranks of flight lieutenant first and second class ({{langx|da|Flyverløjtnant 1. grad}} and {{lang|da|Flyverløjtnant 2. grad}}) were used.{{cite web |last1=Møller |first1=N. Olaf |title=Flyvevåbnets Gredstegn M.V. |url=https://i1.wp.com/kvv73.dk/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Flyvevaabnet1956.jpg |access-date=21 February 2022 |language=da |year=1956}} The ranks were used until 1970, when they were replaced by first and second lieutenant ({{langx|da|Premierløjtnant}} and {{lang|da|Sekondløjtnant}}).{{cite web |last1=Schrøder |first1=Hans A. |title=flyverløjtnant |url=https://lex.dk/flyverl%C3%B8jtnant |website=Lex – Danmarks Nationalleksikon |access-date=26 April 2025 |language=da}}

United Kingdom

{{Infobox military rank

| name = Flight lieutenant

| image =

| image_size = 150px

| caption = Command flag

| image2 = British RAF OF-2.svg

| image_size2 = 50px

| caption2 = Shoulder and sleeve insignia

| image3 =

| image_size3 =

| caption3 =

| country = United Kingdom

| service branch = {{air force|United Kingdom}}

| abbreviation = Flt Lt / {{smaller|FLTLT}}

| rank =

| NATO rank = OF-2

| Non-NATO rank =

| formation = {{start date|1919|08||df=y}}

| abolished =

| higher rank = Squadron leader

| lower rank = Flying officer

| equivalents = {{unbulleted list|{{nowrap|Captain (Army; Marines)}}|Lieutenant (Navy)}}

| history = Royal Naval Air Service

}}

=Origins=

Image:RNAS Flt Lt.png flight lieutenant]]

The rank originated in the Royal Navy as a rank title for naval lieutenants serving in the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS).{{cite journal |editor1-last=Spooner |editor1-first=Stanley |editor1-link=Stanley Spooner |title=Royal Naval Air Service Reorganisation |journal=Flight |date=26 June 1914 |volume=VI |issue=287 |page=686 |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_flight-international_1914-06-26_6_26/page/686/mode/2up |access-date=27 June 2021}} Promotions to the rank were first gazetted on 30 June 1914.{{London Gazette |issue=28845 |date=30 June 1914 |page=5070 }} It fell into abeyance when the RNAS merged with the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War but was revived in 1919 in the post-war RAF.{{cite web |url=http://www.raf.mod.uk/organisation/ranks.cfm |title=Ranks and Badges of the RAF |work=Royal Air Force |year=2015 |access-date=22 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080702132745/http://www.raf.mod.uk/organisation/ranks.cfm |archive-date=2 July 2008 |url-status=dead }}

On 1 April 1918, the newly created RAF adopted its officer rank titles from the British Army, with Royal Naval Air Service lieutenants (titled as flight lieutenants and flight commanders) and Royal Flying Corps captains becoming captains in the RAF. In response to the proposal that the RAF should use its own rank titles, it was suggested that the RAF might use the Royal Navy's officer ranks, with the word "air" inserted before the naval rank title. For example, the current rank of flight lieutenant would have been "air lieutenant". Although the Admiralty objected to this simple modification of their rank titles, it was agreed that the RAF might base many of its officer rank titles on navy officer ranks with differing pre-modifying terms. It was also suggested that RAF captains might be entitled flight-leaders. However, the rank title flight lieutenant was chosen as flights were typically commanded by RAF captains and the term flight lieutenant had been used in the Royal Naval Air Service. The RAF rank of flight lieutenant was introduced in August 1919{{cite book |last=Hobart |first=Malcolm C |date=2000 |title=Badges and Uniforms of the Royal Air Force |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7ATMDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT29 |publisher=Leo Cooper |page=26 |isbn=0-85052-739-2}} and it has been used continuously since then.

=Usage in the RAF=

Although in the early years of the RAF a flight lieutenant commanded an aircraft flight, with the increasing combat power of aircraft and therefore squadrons, command and control has shifted up the rank structure (currently, for instance, most squadron commanders in the RAF are Wing Commanders, a reflection on the comparative combat power between the modern air force and its predecessor).

The RAF's promotion system is automatic up until flight lieutenant. Every officer will attain the rank provided they complete their professional training and do not leave early. For aircrew, flight lieutenant is reached 2.5 years after commissioning, Engineering Branch (AS & CE) entrants with applicable bachelor's/master's degrees reach flight lieutenant at 2.5 and 1.5 years respectively, and for all other ground branch officers, 3.5 years. Aircrew are appointed to an Early Departure Payment Commission upon reaching their Operational Conversion Unit, which is a commission for 20 years or age 40, whichever is later. Promotion to squadron leader thereafter is strictly upon merit; officers promoted beyond flight lieutenant are appointed to a career commission, or service to age 60. Resigning a commission is generally dependent on the needs of the service, although an officer who has completed their return of service (service the RAF requires to justify its expense in originally training the officer) could leave after as little as four years. For aircrew, given the large expense required for training, this return of service is generally the length of their initial commission anyway, unless they re-role to a different branch having failed an element of flying training. Most aircrew reach their squadrons as flight lieutenants due to the length of training time required (up to four years for fast jet pilots) and the significant holds in the training pipeline.{{Cite report|url=https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Military-Flying-Training.pdf|title= Military flying training |publisher=National Audit Office |author=Comptroller and Auditor General |date=12 June 2015 }} The majority of squadron line pilots are flight lieutenants, with some squadron executives or Career Commission aircrew reaching Squadron Leader.

Aside from aircrew, whose work typically does not require active leadership for units of airmen, ground branch officers can expect to operate units that can range in size from a few specialist non-commissioned personnel to 50 or more personnel for engineering or other manpower intensive roles. The role of a flight lieutenant generally involves management of a team of specialist non-commissioned officers and airmen, within their specific branch. In the RAF Regiment, a flight lieutenant generally has the same role and responsibility as a captain in the British Army, in charge of a regiment flight of 30 men, and could be second-in-command of a squadron of up to 120 men.

Flight lieutenant is the most common officer rank in the RAF; in April 2013, for example, there were 8,230 RAF officers, of whom 3,890 (47.3%) were flight lieutenants.{{cite web |url= https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/284564/uk-af-personnel-report-1-april-2013-revised.pdf |title=UK Armed Forces Annual Personnel Report |work=Ministry of Defence |date=1 April 2013 |access-date=22 March 2015}} In RAF informal usage, a flight lieutenant is sometimes referred to as a "flight lieuy". A Flight Lieutenant's starting salary is £42,008.48 as of 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://www.raf-ff.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/20190919-2019-Pay-Rates.pdf | title= Pay Rates for 2019–20 |website = Royal Air Force Families Federation |date=24 July 2019 }}

=RAF Air Cadets=

In the Air Training Corps, a flight lieutenant is usually the officer commanding of a squadron,{{citation needed|date=April 2011}} appointed under a Cadet Forces Commission.{{Cite web|url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/758400/00149.pdf | publisher = Ministry of Defence | date = 2 February 2018 | title = Royal Warrant for Cadet Force commission }} Retired flight lieutenants are the first rank that may continue to use their rank after they have left active service.{{cite web |url=http://www.debretts.com/forms-of-address/professions/armed-forces/raf/retired.aspx |title=Armed Forces, Forms Of Address |work=Debrett's |year=2015 |access-date=22 March 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120913161710/http://www.debretts.com/forms-of-address/professions/armed-forces/raf/retired.aspx |archive-date=13 September 2012 }}

=Insignia=

The rank insignia consists of two narrow blue bands on slightly wider black bands. This is worn on both the lower sleeves of the tunic or on the shoulders of the flight suit or the casual uniform. The rank insignia on the mess uniform is similar to the naval pattern, being two band of gold running around each cuff but without the Royal Navy's loop. Unlike senior RAF officers, flight lieutenants are not entitled to fly a command flag under any circumstances.

File:UK-Air-OF2.svg|An RAF flight lieutenant's sleeve/shoulder insignia

File:File-UK-Air-OF2-mess-insignia.svg|An RAF flight lieutenant's sleeve mess insignia

File:RAF-Flt Lt-OF-2.png|An RAF flight lieutenant's sleeve on No. 1 service dress uniform

Gallery

File:United Kingdom-AirForce-OF-2 Sleeve.svg|(Royal Australian Air Force){{cite web |title=Badges of rank |url=https://www.defence.gov.au/images/Badges_of_rank.pdf |website=defence.gov.au |publisher=Department of Defence (Australia) |access-date=31 May 2021}}

File:British RAF OF-2.svg|(Bangladesh Air Force){{cite web |title=OFFICER'S RANKS |url=http://www.joinbangladeshairforce.mil.bd/index.php/main_controll/ranks_structure_baf?1=1&pagemenu=ranks_structure_baf&submenu=1&leafsub=0 |website=joinbangladeshairforce.mil.bd |access-date=11 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200219212643/http://www.joinbangladeshairforce.mil.bd/index.php/main_controll/ranks_structure_baf?1=1&pagemenu=ranks_structure_baf&submenu=1&leafsub=0 |archive-date=19 February 2020}}

File:09.Ghana Air Force-CPT.svg|(Ghana Air Force){{cite web |title=Rank Structure |url=http://gafonline.mil.gh/airforce/index.php/subhome/rank-structure |website=gafonline.mil.gh |publisher=Ghana Air Force |access-date=3 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180121080703/http://gafonline.mil.gh/airforce/index.php/subhome/rank-structure |archive-date=21 January 2018 |year=2018 |url-status=dead}}

File:United Kingdom-AirForce-OF-2 Sleeve.svg|(Indian Air Force){{cite web |title=For Officers |url=http://www.careerairforce.nic.in/life_airforce/lifeair_cargraph_officers.html |website=careerairforce.nic.in |publisher=Indian Air Force |access-date=23 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120225210317/http://www.careerairforce.nic.in/life_airforce/lifeair_cargraph_officers.html |archive-date=25 February 2012}}

File:09-Namibia Air Force-FLTLT.svg|(Namibian Air Force){{cite magazine |title=Government Notice |magazine=Government Gazette of the Republic of Namibia |date=20 August 2010 |volume=4547 |pages=99–102 |url=http://www.lac.org.na/laws/2010/4547.pdf |access-date=20 December 2021}}

File:Nigeria-AirForce-OF-2.svg|(Nigerian Air Force){{cite book |last1=Smaldone |first1=Joseph P. |editor1-last=Metz |editor1-first=Helen Chapin |editor-link=Helen Chapin Metz |title=Nigeria: a country study |series=Area Handbook |date=1992 |publisher=Library of Congress |location=Washington, D.C. |lccn=92009026 |pages=296–297 |edition=5th |url=https://www.loc.gov/resource/frdcstdy.nigeriacountryst00metz_0/?sp=340 |access-date=21 October 2021 |chapter=National Security}}

File:Pak-air-force-OF-2.svg|(Pakistan Air Force)

File:United Kingdom-AirForce-OF-2 Sleeve.svg|(Sri Lanka Air Force){{cite web |title=Commissioned Officers |url=http://www.airforce.lk/ranks.php |website=airforce.lk |publisher=Sri Lanka Air Force |access-date=24 September 2021}}

File:United Kingdom-AirForce-OF-2 Sleeve.svg|(Royal Air Force){{cite web |title=RAF Ranks |url=https://www.raf.mod.uk/our-organisation/raf-ranks/ |website=raf.mod.uk/ |publisher=Royal Air Force |access-date=21 September 2021}}

File:TaT-Air Guard-OF-2.png|(Trinidad and Tobago Air Guard){{cite web |title=Rank Chart (Commissioned Officers) |url=http://69.0.195.188/HQ/Our-Organisation/Ranks-Chart-(Commissioned-Officers).aspx |website=69.0.195.188 |publisher=Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force |access-date=27 May 2021 }}{{Dead link|date=April 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

File:Canadian Air Command (1984-2014) OF-2.svg|(Air Force of Zimbabwe){{cite web |title=Ranks and Badges in the AFZ |url=http://www.afz.gov.zw/?page_id=1115 |website=afz.gov.zw |publisher=Air Force of Zimbabwe |access-date=29 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220609134525/http://www.afz.gov.zw/?page_id=1115 |archive-date=9 June 2022}}

Notable flight lieutenants

File:Bir Shreshto Flt. Lft. Matiur Rahman-3.png Matiur Rahman, highly decorated Bangladeshi pilot]]File:Prince William of Wales RAF.jpg in 2010, in his flight lieutenant's uniform; promoted to squadron leader in 2016]]

Billy Strachan – pioneer of black civil rights in Britain, survived 33 missions during WWII when average life expectancy was 7 missions
Alexander, Prince of Yugoslavia{{spaced endash}}member of Yugoslavian royal family
Gerald Bouey{{spaced endash}}former governor of the Bank of Canada
Sir Arthur C. Clarke{{spaced endash}}British author and inventor
Sir Christopher Lee{{spaced endash}}British actor, served in RAF Intelligence during World War II
Peter Francis Middleton{{spaced endash}}grandfather of Catherine, Princess of Wales and co-pilot of Prince Philip
Sir Patrick Moore{{spaced endash}}British astronomer
Donald Pleasence{{spaced endash}}British actor
Matiur Rahman{{spaced endash}} Bangladesh Air Force (Former Pakistan Air Force) pilot
Jerry Rawlings{{spaced endash}}Ghanaian politician who twice served as his country's president
Ian Smith{{spaced endash}}Prime Minister of Rhodesia (1964–1979)
Rory Underwood{{spaced endash}}Leicester, England and British and Irish Lions winger{{London Gazette |issue=58941 |date=6 January 2009 |page=123 |supp=y }}
Jim Vipond{{spaced endash}}Canadian sports columnist
Gough Whitlam{{spaced endash}}Prime Minister of Australia (1972–1975)
John Nichol – Former RAF Navigator, Gulf War prisoner of war and motivational speaker.
Sir Nicholas George Winton – contributed to the Kindertransport humanitarian rescue.\
William, Prince of Wales