Cliff Spink
|
Clifford Rodney Spink
|
|
|---|---|
| Born | 17 May 1946 |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/ |
 Royal Air Force |
| Rank | Air Marshal |
| Commands held | OC No. 74 Squadron OC RAF Coningsby OC RAF Mount Pleasant Commandant Royal Observer Corps |
| Battles/wars | Gulf War |
| Awards | Companion of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of the British Empire |
| Other work | President Historic Aircraft Association Honorary President Royal Observer Corps Association Vice-Patron, RAF Halton Apprentices Association (Old Haltonians) |
Air Marshal Clifford Rodney Spink, CB, CBE, FCMI, FRAeS (born 17 May 1946) is a retired senior Royal Air Force officer, who is now a Spitfire display pilot on the national air display circuit. The first Spitfire he ever flew belonged to the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, during his tenure as Station Commander of RAF Coningsby. He also served as the 23rd Commandant of the Royal Observer Corps, the last but one officer to hold the post.
Royal Air Force career
Spink obtained a flying commission at the RAF College Cranwell, and initially learned to fly on the Jet Provost.[1] Later training took place on the Gnat and the Hunter, before Spink was posted to his first productive tour on No. 111 Squadron flying the Lightning.[1] Spink was later posted to No. 56 Squadron in Cyprus before returning to No. 111 Squadron.[1] Spink served as the Commanding Officer of No. 74 Squadron before being posted to the South Atlantic in 1989 as the Officer Commanding RAF Mount Pleasant on the British Overseas Territory of the Falkland Islands.[1] In 1990 Spink underwent conversion training to the Tornado before becoming Station Commander at RAF Coningsby.[1] In 1991 Spink served as the RAF's Tornado Detachment Commander during the first Gulf War.[1] After attending the Royal College of Defence Studies, he became Senior Air Staff Officer of No. 11 Group RAF in March 1993, Chief of Staff of No. 18 Group RAF in 1995[2] and Air Officer Commanding No. 11/18 Group RAF in 1996.[3]
Royal Observer Corps
Spink also served as the last but one Commandant of the Royal Observer Corps.[4] Spink remains the honorary President of the Royal Observer Corps Association.[2]
Since the RAF
He currently flies a restored Spitfire XVIe TD248. This is a former ‘gate guardian’ from RAF Sealand which was rebuilt by Historic Flying Ltd. about 15 years ago. It initially appeared in a post war 41 Squadron colour scheme but it has recently been repainted in wartime colours with the personal markings ‘CR-S’.[2] Since retiring from the RAF he has formed his own Company ("Spitfire Limited" dealing in a range of Aviation interests.[2]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Commandant Royal Observer Corps 1993 – 1995 |
Succeeded by M Widdowson |
| New title Group formed on merger of No. 11 Group and No. 18 Group
|
Air Officer Commanding No. 11/18 Group 1996 – 1998 |
Succeeded by B K Burridge |
| Other offices | ||
| Preceded by
Owen Epton
|
Master of the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators 2012-13 |
Succeeded by His Honour Judge Tudor Owen FRAeS |
- Use dmy dates from April 2012
- Royal Air Force air marshals
- Graduates of the Royal Air Force College Cranwell
- Living people
- People of the Royal Observer Corps
- Companions of the Order of the Bath
- Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
- Royal Air Force personnel of the Gulf War
- 1946 births
- Trenchard Brats
