Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Pulford
GCB CBE DL
President
Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Pulford joined the Royal Air Force in 1977 as a Support Helicopter pilot. During his flying career he accumulated over 5000 hours on both Wessex and Chinook helicopters, serving primarily in Germany but including exchange tours with the Royal Navy’s Commando Helicopter Force and the Royal Australian Air Force. He has seen operational service in Northern Ireland, the Falkland Islands, Lebanon, the Balkans and the Gulf.
Sir Andrew enjoyed a wide variety of junior ground appointments including staff posts in Headquarters Northern Ireland and the British Army’s doctrine organisation, and two years as Personal Staff Officer to the Chief of the Air Staff. As Station Commander of Royal Air Force Odiham, he commanded the UK Chinook Force through a period of unprecedented operational activity, including large scale deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq.
His senior appointments included: Director of Air Resources and Plans; command of the Royal Air Force’s Air Transport, Air-to-Air Refuelling and Surveillance forces; two years as Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Operations); and three years as Deputy Commander Capability at Air Command, responsible for all RAF personnel and equipment procurement matters.
Sir Andrew took command of his Service as Chief of the Air Staff in July 2013 and served a full 3 years in post, overseeing the Royal Air Force’s contribution to operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, and leading the successful Air input to the Strategic Defence and Security Review in 2015.
He was the Senior Military Adviser at BAE Systems for seven years from 2017 and he assumed the duties of President of the Cranwellian Association in 2024.
AIR COMMODORE
MARK LORRIMAN-HUGHES
CBE ADC
Commandant RAF College Cranwell
On promotion to Squadron Leader in 2007 he was posted to Washington DC as the UK Liaison Officer to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA); followed by a posting to the Air Warfare Centre where he took command of the Air Intelligence Centre; a subsequent return to Afghanistan as Officer Commanding the UK Defence’s National Intelligence Centre in Kabul; and finally served as the Chief of Staff in a Defence Intelligence 2* outer office; during this last tour Mark completed a MA in Intelligence and Security Studies.
Promotion to Wing Commander in 2013, saw him complete the Advanced Command and Staff Course at the Joint Services Command and Staff College Shrivenham, including the MA in Defence Studies, followed by a role as SO1 J2 within the Joint Force Headquarters. Subsequently Mark completed an eight-month operational tour embedded within US staffs in the Air Operations Centre in Qatar; where he acted as the Deputy Chief of the Intelligence Division, for which he was awarded the OBE in 2018. On completion Mark was selected to command 1 Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing.
In 2019 Mark was selected for promotion to Group Captain and posted once again to the Permanent Joint Headquarters Intelligence Division as Deputy Chief Operations. He was subsequently selected for command and assumed the role of Station Commander RAF Waddington in January 2022, during which time he completed a MSc in Leadership with Cranfield University.
In 2024 Mark graduated from the Higher Command and Staff Course, and having been selected for promotion to Air Commodore was posted to be Deputy Director of the Intelligence Division in US CENTCOM. In June 2024 Mark was awarded a CBE in the King’s Birthday Honours List, and in July 2025 he graduated from the US CAPSTONE Course. In April 2026 Mark assumed the prestigious role of Commandant of the Royal Air Force College, where he currently serves.
Air Commodore Lorriman-Hughes is married to Vicki, a qualified Teacher of the Deaf, and they have three children, Alexander, Madeleine, and Anya. His interests include playing and watching all sports but predominantly rugby and football. He remains an avid supporter of Gloucester Rugby Club and Liverpool Football Club…well someone has to be!
List of Trustees
PRESIDENT
ACM Sir Andrew Pulford GCB CBE DL
CHAIRMAN
TBD
Air Vice Marshal Canon Paul Robinson OBE
Air Vice Marshal Nigel Bairsto CB MBE
Keith Mans ( Secretary )
Christopher Meynell ( Membership Secretary )
Michael Wilson ( Treasurer )
Edward Roughsedge
Gavin Turnbull
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.