Flight Sergeant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Flight Sergeant (Flt Sgt, F/Sgt, F/S, FSgt or FS) is a non-commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force, above Chief Technician and below Warrant Officer. It is equivalent to a Staff Sergeant in the British Army and has a NATO rank code of OR-7. The rank insignia is three downward pointing chevrons below a crown. Flight sergeants are usually addressed as "Flight" and are never addressed by the junior rank of "Sergeant".
The rank was formerly used in the Royal Flying Corps and passed to the RAF on its formation in 1918. RFC flight sergeants wore a four-bladed propeller between the chevrons and the crown.
Between 1950 and 1964, the rank of Chief Technician was equivalent to flight sergeant and was held instead of it by technicians, but now chief technician is a junior rank (still only held by technicians), although classified by NATO in the same grade.
On 1 July 1946, aircrew flight sergeants were redesignated Aircrew I and replaced their chevrons with three six-pointed stars within a wreath and surmounted by an eagle and a crown. This proved unpopular however, and in 1950 they reverted to their old rank and badge, although they have worn an eagle between chevrons and crown ever since.
Flight Sergeant is also used in many cadet organizations around the world, such as the Air Training Corps, Combined Cadet Force (RAF Section) and Royal Canadian Air Cadets.
[edit] Other air forces
Flight Sergeant is also a rank in many Commonwealth Air Forces such as the Royal Australian Air Force, the Royal New Zealand Air Force, the Ghana Air Force and the Air Force of Zimbabwe. In Canada, since the unification of the Canadian Forces in 1968, this rank has been replaced by Warrant Officer.
[edit] See also
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| OR-1 | OR-2 | OR-3 | OR-4 | OR-5/OR-6 | OR-7 | OR-8 | OR-9 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Navy: | ORD - AB | LH | PO | CPO | WO2 | WO1 | |||||
| Royal Marines: | MNE | LCpl | Cpl | Sgt | CSgt | WO2 | WO1 | ||||
| Army: | Pte | Pte | LCpl | Cpl | Sgt | SSgt / CSgt | WO2 | WO1 | |||
| Royal Air Force: | AC | LAC - SAC - Jnr Tech | Cpl | Sgt | Chf Tech - FS | WO / MAcr | |||||
