Officer Ranks
In the RNAS both pilots and observers held appointments as well as their normal Royal Navy ranks, and wore insignia appropriate to the appointment instead of the rank. The insignia consisted of standard Royal Navy cuff stripes corresponding to their normal ranks, surmounted by an eagle (for pilots) or a winged letter "O" (for observers). In addition, Flight Commanders and Flight Observers had their insignia surmounted by an eight-pointed star, while Squadron Commanders and Squadron Observers with less than eight years' seniority had their insignia surmounted by two such stars, one above the other.
| RN Ranks | RNAS Pilots | RNAS Observers |
| Sub-Lieutenant | Flight Sub-Lieutenant | Observer Sub-Lieutenant |
| Lieutenant | Flight Lieutenant | Observer Lieutenant |
| Lieutenant | Flight Commander | Flight Observer |
| Lieutenant | Squadron Commander (less than eight years' seniority) | Squadron Observer (less than eight years' seniority) |
| Lieutenant-Commander | Squadron Commander (over eight years' seniority) | Squadron Observer (over eight years' seniority) |
| Commander | Wing Commander | Wing Observer |
| Captain | Wing Captain |
After the RNAS merged with the Royal Flying Corps to form the Royal Air Force in 1918, the RNAS pilot appointments became the basis of certain RAF officer ranks, most notably Flight Lieutenant and Wing Commander.
Read more about this topic: Royal Naval Air Service
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