Air Marshal Sir Christopher Coville, KCB FRAeS
Chairman of the Executive Committee
Sir Christopher joined the RAF in 1964, at the height of the Cold War. Early in his career he flew Lightnings and F4 Phantoms. He assumed command of No. 111 (Fighter) Squadron in 1983 and then became Group Captain Air at Headquarters No. 11 Group. In 1986 he became Station Commander at RAF Coningsby, where he flew Tornado F3 and displayed Hurricanes and Spitfires on the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. Promoted to Air Vice Marshal, he became Air Officer Commanding Training Units in 1992, Assistant Chief of Defence Staff Operational Requirements (Air Systems) in 1994 and Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Allied Forces Central Europe in 1998. In 2000, his NATO command was absorbed into the Regional Headquarters Allied Forces North Europe of which Sir Chris became the Deputy Commander-in-Chief. In March 2001 he became the Air Member for Personnel and Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Personnel and Training Command. He retired in 2003.
Air Commodore A J Lyle ADC BSc(Hons) MA MSc FCMI CMgr RAF
Commandant RAF College Cranwell
Air Commodore John Lyle joined the Royal Air Force in 1995 as a Navigator on the Tornado F3 fighter aircraft. After 10 years, following promotion to Squadron Leader and gaining an MSc
in Aerospace Systems, he was posted to the Air Warfare Centre as a weapons specialist before converting to the E-3D Sentry in the Tactical Director role.
Subsequent staff tours included as a National Representative and Air Counter-Terrorism advisor, as Head of Air Operations in MOD, as the Levant Regional Lead at Joint Force Headquarters and as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations at HQ Air Command.
Command appointments include Commander of 56 Squadron, responsible for developing Air ISR capability, as the Deputy Commander of 903 Expeditionary Air Wing at Bastion Airfield in
Afghanistan, as the Deputy Commander of the RAF ISTAR Force and, most recently, the Commander of the RAF Air Mobility Force.
List of Trustees
PRESIDENT
ACM Sir Andrew Pulford GCB CBE ADC
CHAIRMAN
Air Marshal Sir Christopher Coville KCB
Air Vice Marshal Gavin Mackay CB, OBE, AFC
Air Vice Marshal Canon Paul Robinson OBE
Philip Bright ( Reunion )
Michael Horton ( Marketing )
Keith Mans ( Secretary )
Christopher Meynell ( Membership Sec )
Richard Taplin OBE ( Treasurer )
Charitable Objects
To promote the efficiency of the Royal Air Force by: -
Fostering esprit de corps and comradeship among serving and retired officers
Providing facilities and activities to foster and maintain links between youth organisations, officer cadets and officers
Advancing the education and understanding of the general public and serving / retired officers in the fields of leadership and air power
Preserving the ethos and heritage of the Royal Air Force and the Royal Air Force College in particular.