Air Officer Scotland Explained

Air Officer Scotland is the senior Royal Air Force officer in Scotland. Since January 2024, the appointment has been held by Air Commodore Bill Gibson.

In 1962, the Air Officer Scotland assumed responsibility for Northern Ireland, become Air Officer Scotland and Northern Ireland.^[1]

In December 1994 the AOSNI post departed Pitreavie Castle^[1] (the AOC Northern Maritime Air Region post was being disestablished). The station commander of RAF Leuchars became an air commodore with the additional role of being Air Officer Scotland and Northern Ireland.^[2]

The Royal Navy equivalent is Flag Officer Scotland and Northern Ireland while the British Army equivalent is General Officer Scotland.

Air Officers Scotland

List Incomplete

• 1 October 1968 Air Vice Marshal Frederick Hughes, Air Officer Commanding, No. 18 Group RAF^[3] and Air Officer Scotland and Northern Ireland
• c.1986 Air Vice-Marshal David Conway Grant Brook, Air Officer Scotland and Northern Ireland^[4] Placed on the Retired List 1989 at own request.
• July 1989 Air Vice Marshal Jim Morris, to be Air Officer Scotland and Northern Ireland, based at RAF Pitreavie Castle, the home of the Northern Maritime Air Region, No. 18 Group RAF.^[5]
• c.1995 becomes an additional appointment for Station Commander, RAF Leuchars
• 2001 Air Commodore M J Routledge^[6]
• 2004 Air Commodore S Bryant
• 2006 Air Commodore J Stinton
• March 2007 Air Commodore C A Bairsto^[7]
• 13 March 2009 – 12 September 2011 Air Commodore R J Atkinson^[8]
• 12 September 2011 – 13 February 2013 Air Commodore G D A Parker
• 13 February 2013 – 17 November 2014 Air Commodore G M D Mayhew
• 17 November 2014 – January 2024 Air Vice-Marshal R Paterson^[9]
• 18 January 2024 – present Air Commodore W R Gibson MBE ADC MA RAFR ^[10]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Pitreavie Castle Combined HQ – Subterranea Britannica. 14 September 2023. www.subbrit.org.uk.
2. Book: David Hamilton. Time Flies: Reflections of a Fighter Pilot. Fonthill Media. Nov 2017., via Google Books
3. Web site: F D Hughes. 2022-01-23. www.rafweb.org.
4. [Jane's Defence Weekly]
5. Web site: HIGH FLYER. live. 2022-01-23. HeraldScotland. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20220123074056/https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/11925949.high-flyer/ . 23 January 2022 .
6. Web site: RAF Station Commanders – RAF Leuchars . M. B. . Barrass . Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation.
7. Web site: Air Rank Appointments List . Royal Air Force . June 2006 . 31 May 2006 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070610180117/http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafcms/mediafiles/0383F9D6_1143_EC82_2E837ADC596AEDEC.doc . 10 June 2007 . dead .
8. Web site: Air Rank Appointments List . Royal Air Force . September 2008 . 19 December 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090418001551/http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafcms/mediafiles/4EFACB45_1143_EC82_2ECB7D6CB7A4A842.doc . 18 April 2009 . dead .
9. Web site: Air Rank & Command Appointments List . Royal Air Force . 11 April 2011 . 27 April 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111012003305/http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafcms/mediafiles/A2B6DEB4_5056_A318_A84C8A39D243E822.doc . 12 October 2011 . dead .
10. Web site: Senior Appointments: 2024 . raf.mod.uk . Royal Air Force . 24 February 2024 . 22 February 2024 . Group Captain (Retired) W R Gibson MBE ADC MA RAFR to be promoted Air Commodore and to be Air Officer Scotland and Aide de Camp to His Majesty The King with effect from January 2024 in succession to Air Vice-Marshal R Paterson CB OBE Royal Air Force Reserves..