Commandant Air Cadets
# Commandant Air Cadets

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 Tony Keeling, who assumed the post in September 2020.

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 |
| - | - | - | - |
| 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 |
| Air Commodore James Baird Coward | 14 September 1962 | 22 June 1966 | 3 years, 9 months |
| Air Commodore Edward J Morris | 23 June 1966 | 17 June 1968 | 1 year, 11 months |
| Air Commodore John N Stacey | 18 June 1968 | 16 July 1971 | 3 years |
| Air Commodore Percy O V Green | 17 July 1971 | 12 October 1973 | 2 years, 2 months |
| Air Commodore Thomas H Blackham | 13 October 1973 | 12 June 1977 | 3 years, 7 months |
| Air Commodore Michael J E Swiney | 13 June 1977 | 14 December 1979 | 2 years, 6 months |
| Air Commodore Kenneth J Goodwin | 15 December 1979 | 16 April 1982 | 2 years, 4 months |
| Air Commodore P V Mayall | 17 April 1982 | 5 January 1986 | 3 years, 8 months |
| Air Commodore P P W Taylor | 6 January 1986 | 4 January 1987 | 11 months |
| Air Commodore Peter G Naz | 5 January 1987 | April 1990 | 3 years, 2 months |
| Air Commodore Richard P Skelley | April 1990 | 22 April 1993 | 3 years |
| Air Commodore Peter M Stean | 23 April 1993 | 11 January 1996 | 2 years, 8 months |
| Air Commodore Jon A F Ford | 12 January 1996 | 27 March 1998 | 2 years, 2 months |
| Air Commodore John D Kennedy | 28 March 1998 | 2 May 2002 | 4 years, 1 month |
| Air Commodore Jon P Chitty | 3 May 2002 | 23 March 2003 | 10 months |

## 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 |
| - | - | - | - |
| Air Commodore Jon P Chitty | 24 March 2003 | July 2005 | 2 years, 3 months |
| Air Commodore David Harrison | July 2005 | 12 October 2006 | 1 year, 3 months |
| Air Commodore Gordon Moulds CBE | 13 October 2006 | 19 May 2008 | 1 year, 219 days |
| Air Commodore Ian R W Stewart | 20 May 2008 | 31 May 2010 | 2 years, 11 days |
| Air Commodore Barbara Cooper CBE | 1 June 2010 | 16 August 2012 | 2 years, 76 days |
| Air Commodore Dawn McCafferty CBE | 17 August 2012 | 14 July 2020 | 7 years, 332 days |
| Group Captain John Lawlor Acting | 15 July 2020 | 20 September 2020 | 67 days |
| Air Commodore Anthony Keeling OBE | 21 September 2020 | | 2 years, 309 days |
