Aircrew brevet
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An aircrew brevet is the badge worn on the left breast, above any medal ribbons, by qualified aircrew in the Royal Air Force, British Army, Indian Air Force, Canadian Forces, Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force, Royal New Zealand Air Force, South African Air Force and Sri Lanka Air Force.
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[edit] United Kingdom
In the RAF, pilots wear the letters "RAF" in a wreath, surmounted by a crown, with a wing on each side (pilots' brevets are often referred to as "wings"). From April 2003, Weapons Systems Officers/Operators began to be awarded a similar brevet with a single wing. Other aircrew wear a letter or letters (denoting speciality) in a wreath, surmounted by a crown, with a single wing. The only other brevets currently worn are "E" (Air Engineer), "AT" (Airborne Technician), "IA" (Imagery Analyst) and "FC" (Fighter Controller). Parachute Jumping Instructors (PJIs) wear an open parachute instead of a letter. Obsolete brevets include "N" (Navigator), "LM" (Air Loadmaster), "AE" (Air Electronics Operator), "B" (Bomb Aimer), "AG" (Air Gunner), "AS" (Air Steward), "M" (Meteorological Observer), "QM" (Air Quartermaster), "S" (Air Signaller), and "RO" (Radio Observer). Observers wore a single wing attached directly to the letter "O".
All the RAF brevets mentioned above are normally embroidered in silver, apart for the golden wreath.
[edit] Australia
Royal Australian Air Force brevets differ from those in the RAF mainly in having a crown on all brevets (not just on Pilot's wings) and in normally having blue wreaths. The Pilot's Brevet has the letters "RAAF". An unfortunately similar yet easier to attain and less respected twin-wing brevet, bearing the Southern Cross, was introduced for Officer Aircrew who were not members of the previously known 'Two Winged Master Race' in 1998, replacing various single-wing brevets previously worn by Commissioned Officers [1]; however NCO aircrew continue to wear the old single-wing brevets.
Most RAAF Pilots signed a petition in 1998/1999 in protest of non-Pilot "Officer aircrew" receiving a double wing. For the most part this was supported by serving Navigators and war veterans who had previously held the soon to be abolished 'half' wing. Unfortunately the petition was ignored by a few Air rank officers and decades of tradition was lost, with their names forever being associated with the destruction of tradition. To this day RAAF non-pilot Officer aircrew such as Navigators who served in World War II are left with the same emblem as a modern Air Defence operator who has never seen active service or deployed.
[edit] New Zealand
New Zealand uses similar insignia to the United Kingdom, except the Pilot's wings bear the letters "NZ" instead of "RAF" and the single wing of other aircrew still have the letters of the trade they represent. Currently these are Air Warfare Officer and Specialist (AW), Air Engineer (E), Air Loadmaster (LM), Helicopter Crewman (HC), Flight Steward (FS), Air Ordnanceman (AO), and Parachute Jump Instructor (a parachute). Air Electronics Operator (AE) is obsolete.
