Cliff Spink

Cliff Spink
Clifford Rodney Spink
Allegiance  United Kingdom
Service/branch  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 RAF R'td was a senior Royal Air Force officer during the early 1990s and 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. During his time as Senior Air Staff Officer (SASO) of No. 11 Group RAF between March 1993 and April 1995 he simultaneously served as the 22nd Commandant of the Royal Observer Corps, the last but one officer to hold the post.

Air Marshal Spink remains the Honorary President of the Royal Observer Corps Association. He is also President of the Historic Aircraft Association.

Contents

Royal Air Force career

Spink started his RAF career at the No. 1 School of Technical Training, RAF Halton, as a member of the 104th Entry of Aircraft Apprentices. He gained a flying commission and was posted to 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, later 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. In 1991 Spink served as the RAF's Tornado Detachment Commander during the first Gulf War.

Royal Observer Corps

During his time as the Senior Air Staff Officer at No. 11/18 Group RAF Spink also served as the last but one Commandant of the Royal Observer Corps and was involved in the planning for the final standing down of the remaining ROC elements at RAF Bentley Priory. Spink remains the honorary President of the Royal Observer Corps Association.

Display pilot

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’.

References

Military offices
Preceded by
G M Boddy
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

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