Commander Air Force's mid-rank officers' ranks are modelled on those of the Royal Navy, the term wing commander is used as a rank, and this is the equivalent of a lieutenant colonel in the army or a commander in the navy. The rank of wing commander is above that of squadron leader and below that of group captain. In the former Royal Naval Air Service, which was merged with the Royal Flying Corps to form the Royal Air Force in 1918, the pilots held appointments as well as their normal ranks in the Royal Navy, and they wore insignia appropriate to
University of Birmingham Air Squadron University of Birmingham Air Squadron The University of Birmingham Air Squadron, commonly known as UBAS, is a squadron within the Royal Air Force established in 1942. It is based at RAF Cosford, Shropshire, and flies a fleet of five Grob Tutors. In 2009 the squadron upgraded the aircraft to the Grob Tutor EA which has an advanced avionics suite. The Squadron has four Flights, A, B, C and D; each with a student Flight Commander who holds the rank of Acting Pilot Officer. UBAS is also the parent squadron of 8 Air Experience Flight, who jointly fly UBAS' Tutor fleet.