RAF officer ranks Origins . Lieutenant - General David Henderson originally proposed that Royal Air Force officers use a combination of British Army and Royal Navy ranks . However , the War Office argued that the RAF should have its own ranks and the Admiralty opposed any use of their rank titles . Badges of rank On 1 April 1918 , Air Force Memorandum 2 specified rank insignia for the newly established independent force . Rank was to be worn on the jacket cuff and was derived from the Royal Navy ' s rings , each equivalent rank having the same number of rings . However , < a data - rte - meta = " % 7B % 22type % 22 % 3A % 22internal % 22 % 2C % 22text % 22 % 3A % 22Second % 20Lieutenant % 22 % 2C % 22link % 22 % 3A % 22Second % 20Lieutenant % 22 % 2C % 22wasblank % 22 % 3Atrue % 2C % 22noforce % 22 % 3Atrue % 2C % 22wikitext % 22 % 3A % 22 % 5B % 5BSecond % 20Lieutenant % 5D % 5D % 22 % 7D " data - rte - instance = " 104 - 12108615114f6a0a26ad883 " href = " / wiki / Second _ Lieutenant " title = " Second Lieutenant " > Second Lieutenants < / a > ( now Pilot Officers ) displayed a crowned eagle only and the Navy ' s loop was not used for any rank . Depending on the uniform , either gold or pale blue on grey braid was worn . In August 1918 , < a data - rte - meta = " % 7B % 22type % 22 % 3A % 22internal % 22 % 2C % 22text % 22 % 3A % 22Air % 20Ministry % 22 % 2C % 22link % 22 % 3A % 22Air % 20Ministry % 22 % 2C % 22wasblank % 22 % 3Atrue % 2C % 22noforce % 22 % 3Atrue % 2C % 22wikitext % 22 % 3A % 22 % 5B % 5BAir % 20Ministry % 5D % 5D % 22 % 7D " data - rte - instance = " 104 - 12108615114f6a0a26ad883 " href = " / index . php ? title = Air _ Ministry & action = edit & redlink = 1 " class = " new " title = " Air Ministry ( page does not exist ) " > Air Ministry < / a > Weekly Order 617 added a single band of 1 / 4 inch braid below the Second Lieutenant ' s eagle and all other officer ranks also received a crowned eagle above their braid . < img data - rte - meta = " % 7B % 22type % 22 % 3A % 22broken - image % 22 % 2C % 22title % 22 % 3A % 22RAF _ Mess _ Dress _ Rank _ Flt _ Lt . jpg % 22 % 2C % 22placeholder % 22 % 3A1 % 2C % 22wikitext % 22 % 3A % 22 % 5B % 5BImage % 3ARAF % 20Mess % 20Dress % 20Rank % 20Flt % 20Lt . jpg % 7Cthumb % 7C100px % 7Cleft % 7CRAF % 20 % 5B % 5BMess % 20Dress % 5D % 5D % 20cuff % 20insignia % 20for % 20a % 20Flight % 20Lieutenant % 5D % 5D % 22 % 7D " data - rte - instance = " 104 - 12108615114f6a0a26ad883 " class = " placeholder placeholder - broken - image " src = " data : image / gif ; base64 , R0lGODlhAQABAIABAAAAAP / / / yH5BAEAAAEALAAAAAABAAEAQAICTAEAOw % 3D % 3D " type = " broken - image " / > In 1919 the colour of the rank braid was changed to black with a central pale blue stripe . However , on RAF < a data - rte - meta = " % 7B % 22type % 22 % 3A % 22internal % 22 % 2C % 22text % 22 % 3A % 22mess % 20dress % 22 % 2C % 22link % 22 % 3A % 22mess % 20dress % 22 % 2C % 22wasblank % 22 % 3Atrue % 2C % 22noforce % 22 % 3Atrue % 2C % 22wikitext % 22 % 3A % 22 % 5B % 5Bmess % 20dress % 5D % 5D % 22 % 7D " data - rte - instance = " 104 - 12108615114f6a0a26ad883 " href = " / index . php ? title = Mess _ dress & action = edit & redlink = 1 " class = " new " title = " Mess dress ( page does not exist ) " > mess dress < / a > rank continued to be displayed in gold . Rank titles . As mentioned above , it was originally proposed that the RAF ranks were to be derived from existing Royal Navy and Army ranks . Both services were consulted and both reacted unfavourably — the Navy unhappy about the use of its higher ranks and the Army complaining it provided the " junior ranks " . This resulted in a compromise whereby the officer ranks were proposed to be " Ensign " , " Lieutenant " , " Flight Leader " , " Squadron Leader " , " Reeve " , " Banneret " , " Fourth Ardian " , " Third Ardian " , " Second Ardian " , " Ardian " and " Air Marshal " . A further proposal was " Ensign " , " Lieutenant " , " Flight - Leader " , " Squadron - Leader " , " Wing - Leader " , " Leader " , " Flight Ardian " , " Squadron Ardian " , " Wing Ardian " , " Ardian " , " Air Marshal " . Unsurprisingly , perhaps , these contrived ranks were rejected and on 1 August 1919 , Air Ministry Weekly Order 973 introduced new rank titles for RAF officers . They were based on Royal Navy ranks and their titles were influenced by the usage in the Royal Naval Air Service ( RNAS ) during World War I . For example , the RAF rank of Flight Lieutenant was based on the RNAS rank of the same name . The rank of Squadron Leader derived its name from the RNAS rank of Squadron Commander . Initially the highest rank was titled Marshal of the Air . However , only a few days after it was promulgated , this rank title was changed to Marshal of the Royal Air Force at the request of King George V . Composite braid . RAF officers typically wear composite braid rank slides with their working and operational uniforms . Composite braid consists of a single piece of fabric , where the " background " between the rank rings is made from blue - grey material . Composite braid rank slides are often referred to as " bar - code " in RAF slang . Distinction between ranks and appointments . Many RAF ranks do not imply the appointment or duties of an officer . For example , a Pilot Officer may well not be trained to pilot an aircraft and a Squadron Leader does not necessarily command a squadron . Other air forces . The following air forces use a similar or identical officer rank structure to the RAF : The following air forces use a similar or identical officer rank structure to the RAF , but use army - style rank insignia : The following air forces use rank insignia for their officers which are similar to that of the RAF , but employ army rank titles : The following air forces formerly used a similar or identical officer rank structure to the RAF : The following air forces formerly used similar rank insignia to the RAF :