Wing Commander (rank)
Wing Commander (Wg Cdr in the RAF, the IAF and the PAF, WGCDR in the RNZAF and RAAF, formerly W/C in the RCAF) is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above squadron leader and immediately below group captain.
It has a NATO ranking code of OF-4, and is equivalent to a Commander in the Royal Navy or a Lieutenant Colonel in the British Army or the Royal Marines.
The equivalent rank in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF), Women's Royal Air Force (WRAF) (until 1968) and Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service (PMRAFNS) (until 1980) was wing officer. The equivalent rank in the Royal Observer Corps (until 1995) was observer commander which had a similar rank insignia.
Read more about Wing Commander (rank): Origins, Usage, Insignia and Command Flag, Other Air Forces, Notable Wing Commanders
Famous quotes containing the words wing and/or commander:
“The sin of my ingratitude even now
Was heavy on me. Thou art so far before
That swiftest wing of recompense is slow
To overtake thee. Would thou hadst less deserved,
That the proportion both of thanks and payment
Might have been mine! Only I have left to say,
More is thy due than more than all can pay.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“Frenchmen, we do not accept your surrender. You surrender only to the enemy. If you’re Vichy, fight us. If you’re Frenchmen, join us.”
—Samuel Fuller, U.S. screenwriter. American commander (uncredited)