Flying Officer (Fg Off in the RAF; FLGOFF in the RAAF; FGOFF in the RNZAF; F/O in the former RCAF) is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above Pilot Officer and immediately below Flight Lieutenant.

It has a NATO ranking code of OF-1 and is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the British Army or the Royal Marines. However, it is considered superior to the nearest equivalent rank of Sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Navy.

The rank title does not imply that an officer in the rank of Flying Officer flies an aircraft. Some Flying Officers are aircrew, but many are ground branch officers.

The rank insignia consists of one narrow blue band on a slightly wider black band. This is worn on both the lower sleeves of the tunic or on the shoulders of the flying suit or the casual uniform.

The rank of Warrant Flying Officer was also used by the air service of the Imperial Japanese military.

Other air forces

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The rank of Flying Officer is also used in a number of the air forces in the Commonwealth, including the Indian Air Force (IAF), Pakistan Air Force (PAF), Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF). The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) used the rank until unification of the three armed services into the Canadian Forces in 1968 and army-type ranks were adopted. RCAF personnel holding this rank then switched to the rank of Lieutenant.

See also

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• RAF officer ranks
• Comparative military ranks

Military ranks of the Commonwealth | Military ranks of Australia | Military ranks of Canada | Military ranks of India | Military ranks of the United Kingdom