Allegiance United Kingdom Service/branch Royal Air Force Battles and wars Gulf War | Name Cliff Spink Battles/wars Gulf War Rank Air marshal | |
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Born 17 May 1946 (age 77) ( 1946-05-17 ) Commands held OC No. 74 Squadron
OC RAF Coningsby
OC RAF Mount Pleasant
Commandant Royal Observer Corps Other work President Historic Aircraft Association
Honorary President
Royal Observer Corps Association
Vice-Patron, RAF Halton Apprentices Association (Old Haltonians) Awards Order of the Bath, Order of the British Empire | ||
Spitfire td248 cliff spink air display 57 sqd graduation day raf wyton 20th april 2011
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.
Contents
- Spitfire td248 cliff spink air display 57 sqd graduation day raf wyton 20th april 2011
- Flying with spitfire display pilot air marshal cliff spink cranfield airport landing lancair 320
- Royal Air Force career
- Since the RAF
- References
Flying with spitfire display pilot air marshal cliff spink cranfield airport landing lancair 320
Royal Air Force career
Spink joined the Royal Air Force in the spring of 1963 with the 104th entry of the Aircraft Apprentice Scheme at No. 1 School of Technical Training, RAF Halton. On passing out of Halton, in the spring of 1966, in the rank of Sgt Aircraft Apprentice, he was granted a flying commission at the RAF College Cranwell, and initially learned to fly on the Jet Provost. 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. Spink was later posted to No. 56 Squadron in Cyprus before returning to No. 111 Squadron. 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. In 1990 Spink underwent conversion training to the Tornado before becoming Station Commander at RAF Coningsby. In 1991 Spink served as the RAF's Tornado Detachment Commander during the first Gulf War. After attending the Royal College of Defence Studies, he became Senior Air Staff Officer of No. 11 Group in March 1993, Chief of Staff of No. 18 Group in 1995 and Air Officer Commanding No. 11/18 Group in 1996.
Spink also served as the last but one Commandant of the Royal Observer Corps, from 1993 until 1995. Spink remains the honorary President of the Royal Observer Corps Association. He is a Vice-Patron of the Royal Air Force Halton Apprentices Association Old Haltonians.
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 No. 41 Squadron colour scheme but it has recently been repainted in wartime colours with the personal markings 'CR-S'. Since retiring from the RAF he has formed his own Company ("Spitfire Limited" dealing in a range of Aviation interests.