Chris Moran Air Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Hugh " Chris " Moran , KCB , OBE , MVO , ADC , FRAeS ( 28 April 1956 – 26 May 2010 ) was a fast jet pilot and later a senior commander in the Royal Air Force . He died unexpectedly on 26 May 2010 and at the time of his death he was Commander - in - Chief of Air Command . Early and family life . Moran was born in Urmston , Lancashire , and educated at Bishop Ullathorne School in Coventry in the late sixties and early seventies before attending the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology to study Mechanical Engineering . In 1974 , whilst studying at university , Moran became a university cadet in the Royal Air Force . Moran graduated from UMIST in 1977 with a BSc and went to RAF College Cranwell for his initial training with the RAF . He was later to earn an Master of Arts from King ' s College London . In 1980 he married Elizabeth Jane Goodwin . Early career . After completing pilot training , Moran converted onto the Harrier with No . 233 Operational Conversion Unit . In 1980 Moran entered productive service , flying Harriers with No . IV Squadron . In 1983 he returned to No . 233 Operational Conversion Unit , attending a weapons instructors ' course before returning to No . IV Squadron as a Qualified Weapons Instructor . Promoted to squadron leader in 1986 , Moran was appointed as a flight commander on No . IV Squadron , serving in Belize , the Falkland Islands , and on HMS " Illustrious " . In 1985 , He was also an exchange officer with the United States Marine Corps at Cherry Point , North Carolina . Moran commanded the Harrier squadron in the Harrier Operational Conversion Unit at RAF Wittering , and then attended the Advanced Staff Course in 1991 . After a brief posting to the Ministry of Defence he was appointed Equerry to HRH The Duke of Edinburgh . In 1994 Moran became the commanding officer of No . IV Squadron which was based in Germany . The same year Moran led his squadron to the Middle East for duties on Operation Warden which involved enforcing the no - fly zone over northern Iraq . In 1995 Moran and No . IV Squadron flew missions against the Bosnian Serbs as part of Operation Deliberate Force . Later career . Promoted to Group Captain in 1996 , he was appointed Staff Officer HQ 1 Group , and in the following year , station commander of RAF Wittering . After attending the Higher Command and Staff Course in 1999 Moran became Divisional Director at the Joint Services Command and Staff College , where he also completed an MA . As an Air Commodore he was then Director of Air Staff until 2002 , and then the Chief of Defence Staff ' s liaison officer to the US Joint Staff in Washington . In the following year he became Air Officer Commanding 1 Group as an Air Vice - Marshal . In 2005 he became Assistant Chief of Air Staff . In 2005 , Moran was appointed to the board of the Civil Aviation Authority . He was promoted Air Marshal and became Deputy Commander Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum in May 2007 , in succession to Lieutenant General D . L . Judd CB . Air Chief Marshal Moran was appointed Commander - in - Chief of Air Command on 3 April 2009 . Moran was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath ( KCB ) in the 2009 New Year Honours . Moran ' s death was announced on the evening of 26 May 2010 ; he had collapsed following a triathlon at RAF Brize Norton that afternoon . He was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford by air ambulance , but was pronounced dead on arrival . Moran was survived by his wife Elizabeth , Lady Moran , two daughters and a son .