# Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force

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

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.
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. 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.

## Evolution of the position

| 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 | Canadian Air Force (second creation) |
| 1924–1932 | Director | Squadron Leader to Group Captain | Royal Canadian Air Force (first creation) |
| 1932–1938 | Senior Air Officer | Wing Commander to Air Vice-Marshal | Royal Canadian Air Force (first creation) |
| 1938–1964 | Chief of the Air Staff | Air Vice-Marshal to Air Marshal | Royal Canadian Air Force (first creation) |
| 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 | Lieutenant-General | Air Command |
| 2011– | Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force and Chief of the Air Force Staff | Lieutenant-General | Royal Canadian Air Force (second creation) |

## Appointees

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:
| No. | Name | Took office | Left office | Time in office |
| Provisional Commander ||||||
| 1 | Janney, E.L.Captain E.L. Janney (1893–1941) | 1914 | 1915 | 0–1 years |
| Officer Commanding ||||||
| 1 | Bishop, W.A.Lieutenant-Colonel W.A. Bishop (1894–1956) | 1918 | 1918 | 0 years |
| Air Officer Commanding ||||||
| 1 | Tylee, A.K.Air Commodore A.K. Tylee (1887–1961) | 1920 | 1921 | 0–1 years |
| Officer Commanding ||||||
| 1 | Redpath, R.F.Wing Commander R.F. Redpath (1888–1970) | 1921 | 1921 | 0 years |
| 2 | Scott, J.S.Wing Commander J.S. Scott (1889–1975) | 1921 | 1922 | 0–1 years |
| Director ||||||
| 1 | Gordon, J.L.Wing Commander J.L. Gordon (1892–1940) | 1922 | 1924 | 1–2 years |
| 2 | Barker, W.G.Wing Commander W.G. Barker (1894–1930) | 1924 | 1924 | 0 years |
| 3 | Scott, J.S.Group Captain J.S. Scott (1889–1975) | 1924 | 1928 | 3–4 years |
| 4 | Breadner, L.S.Wing Commander L.S. Breadner (1894–1952) | 1928 | 1932 | 3–4 years |
| 5 | Cuffe, A.A.L.Squadron Leader A.A.L. Cuffe (1895–1969) | 1932 | 1932 | 0 years |
| Senior Air Officer ||||||
| 1 | Gordon, J.L.Group Captain J.L. Gordon (1892–1940) | 1932 | 1933 | 0–1 years |
| 2 | Johnson, G.O.Wing Commander G.O. Johnson (1896–1980) | 1933 | 1933 | 0 years |
| 3 | Croil, G.M.Air Vice Marshal G.M. Croil (1893–1959) | 1934 | 1938 | 3–4 years |
| Chief of the Air Staff ||||||
| 1 | Croil, G.M.Air Vice Marshal G.M. Croil (1893–1959) | 1938 | 1940 | 1–2 years |
| 2 | Breadner, L.S.Air Marshal L.S. Breadner (1894–1952) | 1940 | 1943 | 2–3 years |
| 3 | Leckie, R.Air Marshal R. Leckie (1890–1975) | 1944 | 1947 | 2–3 years |
| 4 | Curtis, W.A.Air Marshal W.A. Curtis (1893–1977) | 1947 | 1953 | 5–6 years |
| 5 | Slemon, C.R.Air Marshal C.R. Slemon (1904–1992) | 1953 | 1957 | 3–4 years |
| 6 | Campbell, H.L.Air Marshal H.L. Campbell (1908–1987) | 1957 | 1962 | 4–5 years |
| 7 | Dunlap, C.R.Air Marshal C.R. Dunlap (1908–2003) | 1962 | 1964 | 1–2 years |
| Commander of Air Command ||||||
| 1 | Carr, W.K.Lieutenant-General W.K. Carr (born 1923) | 1975 | 1978 | 2–3 years |
| 2 | MacKenzie, G.A.Lieutenant-General G.A. MacKenzie (1931–2012) | 1978 | 1980 | 1–2 years |
| 3 | Lewis, K.E.Lieutenant-General K.E. Lewis (c.1929–1992) | 1980 | 1983 | 2–3 years |
| 4 | Manson, P.D.Lieutenant-General P.D. Manson (1934–2023) | 1983 | 1985 | 1–2 years |
| 5 | McNaughton, D.M.Lieutenant-General D.M. McNaughton (born 1934) | 1985 | 1986 | 0–1 years |
| 6 | Ashley, L.A.Lieutenant-General L.A. Ashley (born 1937) | 1986 | 1988 | 1–2 years |
| 7 | Sutherland, F.R.Lieutenant-General F.R. Sutherland (born 1942) | 1989 | 1991 | 1–2 years |
| 8 | Huddleston, D.Lieutenant-General D. Huddleston | 1991 | 1993 | 1–2 years |
| 9 | 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 ||||||
| 1 | Kinsman, D.N.Lieutenant-General D.N. Kinsman (born c.1945) | 1 April 1998 | 21 July 2000 | 2 years, 111 days |
| 2 | Campbell, L.C.Lieutenant-General L.C. Campbell (born c.1947) | 21 July 2000 | 18 July 2003 | 2 years, 362 days |
| 3 | Pennie, K.R.Lieutenant-General K.R. Pennie (born c.1949) | 18 July 2003 | 16 May 2005 | 1 year, 302 days |
| 4 | Lucas, J.S.Lieutenant-General J.S. Lucas (born 1952) | 16 May 2005 | 26 July 2007 | 2 years, 71 days |
| 5 | Watt, A.Lieutenant-General A. Watt | 26 July 2007 | 1 October 2009 | 2 years, 67 days |
| 6 | Deschamps, A.Lieutenant-General A. Deschamps | 1 October 2009 | 2011 | 1–2 years |
| Chief of the Air Force Staff and Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force ||||||
| 1 | Deschamps, A.Lieutenant-General A. Deschamps | 2011 | 27 September 2012 | 0–1 years |
| 2 | Blondin, Y.Lieutenant-General Y. Blondin | 27 September 2012 | 9 July 2015 | 2 years, 285 days |
| 3 | Hood, M.J.Lieutenant-General M J Hood (born 1967) | 9 July 2015 | 4 May 2018 | 2 years, 299 days |
| 4 | Meinzinger, A.D.Lieutenant-General A D Meinzinger | 4 May 2018 | 12 August 2022 | 4 years, 100 days |
| 5 | Kenny, ELieutenant-General Eric Kenny | 12 August 2022 | Incumbent | 2 years, 72 days |