A flight is a military unit in an air force, naval air service, or army air corps. It usually comprises three to six aircraft, with their aircrews and ground staff; or, in the case of a non-flying ground flight, no aircraft and a roughly equivalent number of support personnel. A military unit is an organisation within an armed force. ... For a particular Air Force, see List of air forces. ... Navy is also:- shorthand for Navy Blue the nickname of the United States Naval Academy A navy is the branch of the armed forces of a nation that operates primarily on water. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Flying machine redirects here. ...

Commonwealth usage

Aircraft flights

In the United Kingdom Royal Air Force and the air forces of the Commonwealth, from where much air force terminology emanated, an aircraft flight, in the first decades of air forces, was commanded by a Flight Lieutenant, a rank equivalent to Captain in other air forces and armies, or a naval Lieutenant. More recently, however, it has become common for a flight to be led by a Squadron Leader — a formal rank not to be confused with a squadron commander — the equivalent of a Major or (naval) Lieutenant Commander in other services. “RAF” redirects here. ... The Commonwealth of Nations as of 2006 Headquarters Marlborough House, London, UK Official languages English Membership 53 sovereign states Leaders  -  Queen Elizabeth II  -  Secretary-General Don McKinnon (since 1 April 2000) Establishment  -  Balfour Declaration 18 November 1926   -  Statute of Westminster 11 December 1931   -  London Declaration 28 April 1949  Area  -  Total... A Flight Lieutenants sleeve/shoulder insignia Flight Lieutenant (abbreviated as Flt Lt and pronounced as flight lef-tenant, see Lieutenant) is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. ... Captain is a rank or title with various meanings. ... Lieutenant is a military, naval, paramilitary, fire service or police officer rank. ... A Squadron Leaders sleeve/shoulder insignia Squadron Leader (Sqn Ldr in the RAF, SQNLDR in the RNZAF and RAAF and S/L in the former RCAF) is a commissioned rank in some air forces. ... Major is a military rank the use of which varies according to country. ... In the Royal Navy, United States Navy and United States Coast Guard, a lieutenant commander (lieutenant-commander or Lt Cdr in the RN) is a commissioned officer superior to a lieutenant and inferior to a commander. ...

A flight is usually divided into two Sections, each containing two to three aircraft, which share ground staff with the other section, and are usually commanded by a Flight Lieutenant.

The British Army Air Corps and other army air corps also have flights. The Army Air Corps is a component of the British Army. ...

See also: List of Royal Air Force independent flights

This is a list of Royal Air Force independent flights. ...

Ground flights

An air force ground flight is roughly equivalent to an army platoon and may be commanded by a Flight Lieutenant, Flying Officer, Pilot Officer or Warrant Officer. (The names of ranks are still used, even though a ground flight contains no aircrews.) Platoon of the German Bundeswehr. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A Pilot Officers sleeve/shoulder insignia Pilot Officer (Plt Off in the RAF; PLTOFF in the RAAF and RNZAF, P/O in the former RCAF) is the lowest substantive commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries, ranking only above Acting... For Warrant Officers in the United States military, see Warrant Officer (United States). ...

American usage

The United States Air Force has two types of flights. A numbered flight is a unit with a unique base-, wing- or numbered Air Force-wide mission, such as training or finance, not large enough to warrant designation as a squadron. Numbered flights are quite rare and are usually only found in Basic Training. An alphabetic flight is an operational component of a flying or ground squadron, not a unit; alphabetic flights within a squadron normally have identical or similar functions and are normally designated A, B, C, D and so on within the squadron. Flights in the USAF are generally authorized between 20 and 100 members, are normally led by a company-grade officer (Lieutenant or Captain) and/or a Flight Chief, usually a senior noncommissioned officer in the rank of Master Sergeant. “The U.S. Air Force” redirects here. ... Wing is a term used by different air forces for a unit of command. ... This is a list of Numbered Air Forces (NAF) of the United States Air Force Historically, a NAF is a level of command below a MAJCOM (Major Command), and above one or more Wings or independent Groups. ... A Squadron is a small unit or formation of cavalry, aircraft (including balloons), or naval vessels. ... U.S. Army recruits learn about bayonet fighting skills in an infantry Basic Combat Training at Fort Benning, Georgia. ... Lieutenant is a military, naval, paramilitary, fire service or police officer rank. ... Captain is a rank or title with various meanings. ... A non-commissioned officer (sometimes noncommissioned officer), or NCO, is an enlisted member of an armed force who has been delegated leadership or command authority by a commissioned officer. ... United States Master Sergeant insignia U.S. Marine Corps Master Sergeant insignia U.S. Army Master Sergeant insignia U.S. Air Force A Master Sergeant is: the eighth enlisted rank in the United States Marine Corps, just above Gunnery Sergeant, below Master Gunnery Sergeant, Sergeant Major, and Sergeant Major of...

External links

• Australian War Memorial, 2005, "RAAF: Structure"