Meet the RAAFie with five wings
One current-serving Royal Australian Air Force woman recently earned her third aircrew badge making for a five-wing career (so far?)
CAPTION: Main – Royal Australian Air Force Air Refuelling Operator Flight Lieutenant Ingrid Van Der Vlist at the business end of a KC-30A MRTT and, right, with her five wings. Photos by Corporal Jesse Kane.
Flight Lieutenant Ingrid Van Der Vlist qualified as an air refuelling operator on the KC-30A multi-role tanker transport in July.
In her current role Flight Lieutenant Van Der Vlist controls the air-to-air refuelling hoses and boom on the in-air refuelling tanker during flights.
Her new qualification puts her in a cohort of fewer than 20 air refuelling operators in the Royal Australian Air Force.
Flight Lieutenant Van Der Vlist previously served as a RAAF crew attendant – earning a one-wing crew badge.
She then transferred to the Army, qualifying as a helicopter pilot – double-wing badge.
And recently returned to the RAAF, collecting her third aircrew badge.
Double-wing aircrew badges are worn by officers in the Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force while Army and RAAF non-commissioned aircrew wear single-wing badges.
All aircrew in the Royal Australian Navy wear a double-wing badge with officer badges sporting a royal crown on the central element – the crown missing from NCO badges.
Wikipedia says aircrew wing badges are commonly referred to as brevets – but this is technically incorrect because brevet is French for diploma or certificate.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The initial version of this story referred to Flight Lieutenant Ingrid Van Der Vlist having ‘seven wings’. This was a ‘deliberate error’ 😉 which we fixed after Jess (in comments below) pulled us up on it. We have offered Jess a prize for picking our clever ‘deliberate error’. More than 1500 people viewed the story before Jess corrected our late-night, whiskey-affected carelessness 🙂
Mea culpa – using the ‘royal we’ above 😉
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Interesting in my time in the RAAF 1975 to 1995 including clothing design and development and a long time collector and history buff we never call the wings single or double wings in fact this story is the first time i have ever heard that term, officially known as full wing or half wing never single or double, just an observation
There’s nothing wrong with calling the Flying Badge a brevet. You quoted Wikipedia stating that it is incorrect because brevet refers to a certificate. The original meaning of brevet was an official letter. Those who have been awarded their wings are certified as having passed a series of tests and being combat ready (baseline). Therefore, the wearers of them are officially certified as being ‘type’ ready on that aircraft.
I agree with you John.
Slight correction John – AAAvn pilots earn their wings on completion of the rotary course, before ROBC and then type conversion. The latter making them combat ready line pilots.
Truely Impressive Skills to be mastered by 1 serving member. WELL DONE
Has any individual ever qualified for wings or brevets in all three services ?
Re the Navy wings, As well as the Crown on top, don’t forget the RAN Pilot wings have a laurel around the anchor, the Observer wings have no laurel but do have an O around the anchor and the LS – WO Aircrewman just have the anchor in the middle.
Regards,
Devo
(BAC 2/2001)
I count five wings? The ones on the cloth badge are a duplicate of the metal ones closest to her fingertips.
Hi Jess. After 1500 views, you are the first to pull me up on the ‘deliberate error’ 🙂
Send me your postal details via editor@militarycontact.com and I’ll send you a ‘spotters prize’.
Brian Hartigan
Editor
Not quite right about non-commissioned aircrew wearing a single wing badge. Aircrewmen in the Navy wear a gold double wing badge with the only difference being the absence of the crown.
True but the RAN is the only service where NCOs wear a full set of wings. NCOs in both the RAAF and ARA only wear brevets (half wing)
Thanks Tiger – I’ll amend the story.