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 (born 17 May 1946) is a former 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.

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

• Biography on Machine Age Heritage Brought to Life
• Historic Aircraft Association - Air Marshal Clifford Spink

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