Early Life and Flying Career
Born in Whangarei, New Zealand, Sir Kenneth was educated at Auckland Grammar School before joining the RNZAF and was sent to Britain to attend the RAF College Cranwell graduating in 1957. He was appointed Officer Commanding No. 1 Squadron in 1970 and became Station Commander at RAF Binbrook in Lincolnshire in 1974. He attended the Royal College of Defence Studies, after which he took up the post of Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Operations) in 1980. During this period he was responsible for much of the planning of the RAF's part in the re-capture of the Falkland Islands. Then in 1982 he was made Air Officer Commanding No. 11 Group.
In 1985, he moved to Cyprus, where he assumed the post of Commander, British Forces Cyprus and as such he also held the appointment of The Administrator of the British Sovereign Base Areas. Returning to Britain he was Deputy Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Strike Command from 1988 until being appointed Chief of the Defence Staff (Commitments) at the Ministry of Defence in 1989.
Read more about this topic: Kenneth Hayr
Famous quotes containing the words early, life, flying and/or career:
“At the earliest ending of winter,
In March, a scrawny cry from outside
Seemed like a sound in his mind.
He knew that he heard it,
A bird’s cry, at daylight or before,
In the early March wind.”
—Wallace Stevens (1879–1955)
“To drift with every passion till my soul
Is a stringed lute on which all winds can play,
Is it for this that I have given away
Mine ancient wisdom, and austere control?
Methinks my life is a twice-written scroll
Scrawled over on some boyish holiday”
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900)
“Awake! the land is scattered with light, and see,
Uncanopied sleep is flying from field and tree:”
—Robert Bridges (1844–1930)
“Like the old soldier of the ballad, I now close my military career and just fade away, an old soldier who tried to do his duty as God gave him the light to see that duty. Goodbye.”
—Douglas MacArthur (1880–1964)