George Black (RAF officer)
Encyclopedia
Air Vice-Marshal
George Phillip Black CB
OBE
AFC
RAF (Rtd) was a British Royal Air Force
pilot
, a senior Royal Air Force
officer in the 1970s and 1980s and a Commandant Royal Observer Corps
. From 1971 to 1973, Black was Station Commander of RAF Wildenrath
in West Germany.
in the rank of Sergeant to commence National Service duty in the RAF. After undergoing flying training in Canada he joined No. 263 Squadron RAF
at RAF Wattisham in the rank of Flying Officer.
In 1952 his National Service was converted to a permanent commission and he was seconded to the Fleet Air Arm. He returned to the RAF in 1961 in the rank of Flight Lieutenant and served with No. 74 Squadron RAF
flying English Electric Lightning
s. Promoted to Wing Commander in 1964 he became Commanding Officer of No. 111 Squadron RAF
, also equipped with Lightnings.
On promotion to Group Captain in 1972 Black was appointed Station Commander at RAF Wildenrath
in Germany. He became Commander Allied Sector One, Brockzetel in May 1980 on promotion to the rank of Air Commodore and was later appointed Aide-de-Camp to HM The Queen in July 1981.
, replacing Air Commodore R J Offord in February 1983, an appointment he held until September 1984 when he was further promoted to Air Vice Marshal.
Black retired from the RAF in July 1987. On its formation in 1986 Air Vice Marshal Black became Honorary President of the Royal Observer Corps Seaborne Association, an appointment he continues to hold.
Air Vice Marshal Black is a member of the RAF Historical Society and during his career recorded over 5,000 flying hours on around 100 different types of aircraft. He is married and has two sons, both of whom serve as officers in the Royal Air Force.
in 1967 and became a Companion of the Order of the Bath
in 1987.
Air Vice-Marshal
Air vice-marshal is a two-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in...
George Phillip Black CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
AFC
Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)
The Air Force Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom Armed Forces, and formerly also to officers of the other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, though not in active operations against the enemy"...
RAF (Rtd) was a British Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
, a senior Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
officer in the 1970s and 1980s and a Commandant Royal Observer Corps
Commandant Royal Observer Corps
The Commandant of the Royal Observer Corps was the Royal Air Force commander of the Royal Observer Corps. All the holders of the post were RAF officers in the rank of Air Commodore, initially retired reserve officers then Auxiliary officers and, since the end of World War II, serving officers...
. From 1971 to 1973, Black was Station Commander of RAF Wildenrath
RAF Wildenrath
The former Royal Air Force Station Wildenrath, commonly known as RAF Wildenrath, was a Royal Air Force military airbase which opened on 15 January 1952. Wildenrath was the first of four 'Clutch' stations built for the RAF in Germany during the early 1950s...
in West Germany.
Early years
In 1950 Black left No. 107 (Aberdeen) Squadron Air Training CorpsAir Training Corps
The Air Training Corps , commonly known as the Air Cadets, is a cadet organisation based in the United Kingdom. It is a voluntary youth group which is part of the Air Cadet Organisation and the Royal Air Force . It is supported by the Ministry of Defence, with a regular RAF Officer, currently Air...
in the rank of Sergeant to commence National Service duty in the RAF. After undergoing flying training in Canada he joined No. 263 Squadron RAF
No. 263 Squadron RAF
No 263 Squadron was an Royal Air Force fighter squadron formed in Italy towards the end of World War I. After being disbanded in 1919 it reformed in 1939 flying mainly strike and heavy fighter aircraft until becoming No 1 Squadron in 1958.-First World War:...
at RAF Wattisham in the rank of Flying Officer.
In 1952 his National Service was converted to a permanent commission and he was seconded to the Fleet Air Arm. He returned to the RAF in 1961 in the rank of Flight Lieutenant and served with No. 74 Squadron RAF
No. 74 Squadron RAF
No. 74 Squadron RAF, also known as a "Tiger Squadron" from its tiger head motif, is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It operated fighter aircraft from 1917 to the 1990s.-First World War:...
flying English Electric Lightning
English Electric Lightning
The English Electric Lightning is a supersonic jet fighter aircraft of the Cold War era, noted for its great speed and unpainted natural metal exterior finish. It is the only all-British Mach 2 fighter aircraft. The aircraft was renowned for its capabilities as an interceptor; Royal Air Force ...
s. Promoted to Wing Commander in 1964 he became Commanding Officer of No. 111 Squadron RAF
No. 111 Squadron RAF
No. 111 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operated the Panavia Tornado F3 from RAF Leuchars, Scotland until March 2011, when the squadron was disbanded, ending the Tornado F3's RAF service.-In World War I:...
, also equipped with Lightnings.
On promotion to Group Captain in 1972 Black was appointed Station Commander at RAF Wildenrath
RAF Wildenrath
The former Royal Air Force Station Wildenrath, commonly known as RAF Wildenrath, was a Royal Air Force military airbase which opened on 15 January 1952. Wildenrath was the first of four 'Clutch' stations built for the RAF in Germany during the early 1950s...
in Germany. He became Commander Allied Sector One, Brockzetel in May 1980 on promotion to the rank of Air Commodore and was later appointed Aide-de-Camp to HM The Queen in July 1981.
Royal Observer Corps
Black was appointed as the 18th Commandant of the Royal Observer CorpsRoyal Observer Corps
The Royal Observer Corps was a civil defence organisation operating in the United Kingdom between 29 October 1925 and 31 December 1995, when the Corps' civilian volunteers were stood down....
, replacing Air Commodore R J Offord in February 1983, an appointment he held until September 1984 when he was further promoted to Air Vice Marshal.
Later service and retirement
Following his promotion he became Deputy Chief Staff Operations at HQ Allied Air Force Central Europe.Black retired from the RAF in July 1987. On its formation in 1986 Air Vice Marshal Black became Honorary President of the Royal Observer Corps Seaborne Association, an appointment he continues to hold.
Career after the RAF
Between 1987 and 1992 Black was the senior defence advisor at Ferranti Defence Systems in Edinburgh, moving to an appointment as Director of Military Business for Marconi Electronic Business Systems Ltd from 1993 until 1999. He then spent a year as the Defence Advisor to the Sensor Division of British Aerospace, transferring to the BAe Systems Avionics division in 2000. Since 2000 Black has been the Defence Consultant for Selex Ltd. Black was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Management in 1977 and a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautics Society in 2000Air Vice Marshal Black is a member of the RAF Historical Society and during his career recorded over 5,000 flying hours on around 100 different types of aircraft. He is married and has two sons, both of whom serve as officers in the Royal Air Force.
Awards
Black was awarded an Air Force Cross in 1962 while with No. 74 Squadron and achieved a bar in 1971. He was awarded an OBEOrder of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1967 and became a Companion of the Order of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
in 1987.