Editing Flight sergeant

{{Short description|Senior non-commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2017}}
{{Military ranks | state=expanded}}
[[File:RAF Flight Sgt.jpg|right|thumb|150px|A Royal Air Force flight sergeant]]
'''Flight sergeant''' (commonly abbreviated to '''Flt Sgt''', '''F/Sgt''', '''FSGT''' or, currently correctly in the RAF, '''FS'''<ref>{{Cite web |title=MOD Acronyms and Abbreviations |url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/227048/acronyms_and_abbreviations_dec08.pdf |access-date=20 March 2023|website=assets.publishing.service.gov.uk |publisher=Government Publishing Service}}</ref>) is a senior [[non-commissioned officer|non-commissioned]] rank in the [[Royal Air Force]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=RAF Ranks |url=https://www.raf.mod.uk/our-organisation/raf-ranks/ |access-date=6 April 2023}}</ref> and several other [[air force]]s which have adopted all or part of the RAF rank structure.  It is equivalent to a [[staff sergeant]] or [[colour sergeant]] in the [[British Army]], a colour sergeant in the [[Royal Marines]], and a [[chief petty officer]] in the [[Royal Navy]], and has a [[NATO]] rank code of OR-7.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Key to Rank codes April 2019 |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tri-service-pension-codes-april-2019/key-to-rank-codes-april-2019 |access-date=2023-04-05 |website=GOV.UK |language=en}}</ref> In the RAF, flight sergeant ranks above [[chief technician]] and below [[warrant officer]].

==History==
The rank was introduced into the [[Royal Flying Corps]] (RFC) in 1912 and passed to the Royal Air Force on its formation in 1918. RFC flight sergeants wore a four-bladed propeller between the chevrons and the crown.

On 1 July 1946, [[aircrew]] flight sergeants were redesignated ''aircrew I'' and replaced their chevrons with three six-pointed stars within a wreath and surmounted by an eagle and a crown. This proved unpopular however, and in 1950 they reverted to their old rank and badge, although flight sergeants aircrew wear an eagle between chevrons and crown.

Between 1950 and 1964, the rank of chief technician was equivalent to flight sergeant and was held instead of that rank by technicians, but now chief technician is a junior rank<ref>{{Cite web |title=RAF rank seniority |url=https://www.raf.mod.uk/our-organisation/raf-ranks/ |access-date=6 April 2023}}</ref> (still held only by technicians), although classified by NATO in the same grade.

==Current usage==
Apart from the RAF, the rank of flight sergeant is also used by many [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] air forces, including the [[Royal Australian Air Force]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=RAAF Ranks |url=https://www.airforce.gov.au/about-us/ranks |access-date=6 April 2023}}</ref> the [[Royal New Zealand Air Force]], the [[Sri Lanka Air Force]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sri Lanka Air Force |url=https://www.airforce.lk/other_ranks.php |access-date=2023-04-05 |website=www.airforce.lk}}</ref> the [[Ghana Air Force]],{{cn|date=April 2023}} the [[South African Air Force]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=The South African Air Force |url=https://www.saairforce.co.za/the-airforce/structure/rank-insignia |access-date=2023-04-05 |website=www.saairforce.co.za}}</ref> the [[Air Force of Zimbabwe]]<ref name="AFZ_ranks">{{cite web |url=http://www.afz.gov.zw/?page_id=1115 |title=Ranks and Badges in the AFZ |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2020 |website=Air Force of Zimbabwe Website |publisher=Air Force of Zimbabwe |access-date=13 December 2020 |archive-date=13 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201213181351/http://www.afz.gov.zw/?page_id=1115 |url-status=live }}</ref> and the [[Royal Thai Air Force]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-01-24 |title=RTAF queries suspicious payments made to squadron in Surat Thani |url=https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40024292 |access-date=2024-05-04 |website=nationthailand |language=en-US}}</ref> It was also used in the former [[Royal Rhodesian Air Force]].  In Canada, since the unification of the [[Canadian Forces]] in 1968, this rank has been replaced by warrant officer. It is also used in the [[Irish Air Corps]]{{cn|date=April 2023}}, where it is equivalent to the [[Irish Army]] rank of [[company sergeant]]. The flight sergeant rank in the [[Indian Air Force]] was replaced with the rank of [[junior warrant officer]] (JWO){{cn|date=April 2023}}, which ranks below a warrant officer and above a sergeant.

In the RAF, the rank insignia is three downward pointing [[Chevron (insignia)|chevron]]s below a crown.<ref>{{Cite web |title=RAF Rank Insignia |url=https://www.raf.mod.uk/our-organisation/raf-ranks/ |access-date=6 April 2023}}</ref>

Flight sergeant is also used in many [[cadet]] organisations around the world, such as the [[Royal Air Force Air Cadets]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=RAFAC Ranks |url=https://www.raf.mod.uk/aircadets/who-we-are/ranks/ |access-date=6 April 2023}}</ref> [[Australian Air Force Cadets]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=AAFC Ranks |url=https://www.airforcecadets.gov.au/who-we-are/ranks |access-date=6 April 2023}}</ref> and [[Royal Canadian Air Cadets]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cadet Ranks |url=http://www.364squadron.ca/cadet-ranks.html |access-date=2023-04-05 |website=364 Lancaster Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron |language=en}}</ref>

==Rank insignia==
<gallery class="center">
File:Australia RAAF OR-8.svg|([[Royal Australian Air Force]])<ref name="Australia">{{cite web |title=Badges of rank |url=https://www.defence.gov.au/images/Badges_of_rank.pdf |website=defence.gov.au |publisher=Department of Defence (Australia) |access-date=31 May 2021 |archive-date=2 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210502043015/https://www.defence.gov.au/images/Badges_of_rank.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
File:Irish Air Corps OR-7.svg|{{lang|ga|Sáirsint eitleoige}}<br />([[Irish Air Corps]])<ref name="Ireland_AirForce">{{cite web |title=Air Corps Rank Markings |url=http://www.military.ie/fileadmin/user_upload/images/Info_Centre/Posters/rank_markings/Air_Corps_Ranks_01.png |website=military.ie |publisher=Defence Forces (Ireland) |access-date=26 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160425021558/http://www.military.ie/fileadmin/user_upload/images/Info_Centre/Posters/rank_markings/Air_Corps_Ranks_01.png |archive-date=25 April 2016}}</ref>
File:Kenya-AirForce-OR-7.svg|([[Kenya Air Force]])
File:Blank.svg|([[Nigerian Air Force]])
File:Malaysia-Air Force-OR-7.svg|{{lang|ms|Flait sarjan}}<br />([[Royal Malaysian Air Force]])
File:RNZAF OR-7.svg|([[Royal New Zealand Air Force]])<ref name="NewZealand">{{cite web |title=Badges of Rank |url=https://www.nzdf.mil.nz/corporate-documents/badges-of-rank/ |website=nzdf.mil.nz |publisher=New Zealand Defence Force |access-date=11 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200703193648/https://www.nzdf.mil.nz/corporate-documents/badges-of-rank/ |archive-date=3 July 2020}}</ref>
File:SAAF-OR-7.svg|([[South African Air Force]])<ref name="SouthAfrica_AirForce">{{cite web |title=Rank Insignia |url=http://www.af.mil.za/uniform/rank_ins.html |website=af.mil.za |publisher=Department of Defence (South Africa) |access-date=29 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190101003057/http://www.af.mil.za/uniform/rank_ins.html |archive-date=1 January 2019}}</ref>
File:04. SLAF-SSG.svg|([[Sri Lanka Air Force]])<ref>{{cite web |title=Non-Commissioned Ranks |url=http://www.airforce.lk/other_ranks.php |website=airforce.lk |publisher=Sri Lanka Air Force |access-date=24 September 2021 |archive-date=24 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924151316/http://www.airforce.lk/other_ranks.php |url-status=live }}</ref>
File:04-Tanzania Air Force-SSG.svg|{{lang|sw|Sajenti Kuruka}}<br />([[Tanzania Air Force Command|Tanzania Air Force]])
File:British RAF OR-7b.svg|([[Royal Air Force]])<ref name="UK_AirForce">{{cite web |title=RAF Ranks |url=https://www.raf.mod.uk/our-organisation/raf-ranks/ |website=raf.mod.uk |publisher=Royal Air Force |access-date=21 September 2021 |archive-date=6 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211006100626/https://www.raf.mod.uk/our-organisation/raf-ranks/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
File:British RAF (Aircrew) OR-7.svg|Flight sergeant aircrew<br />(Royal Air Force)<ref name="UK_AirForce" />
File:Zimbabwe Air Force OR-7a.svg|([[Air Force of Zimbabwe]])<ref name="AFZ_ranks"/> 
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[RAF Other ranks]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{UK enlisted ranks}}

[[Category:Military ranks of the Commonwealth]]
[[Category:Military ranks of Australia]]
[[Category:Military ranks of Canada]]
[[Category:Military ranks of Ireland]]
[[Category:Military ranks of the Royal Air Force]]
[[Category:Air force ranks]]
[[Category:Former military ranks of Canada]]