Ellington was appointed Chief of the Air Staff on 22 May 1933. He succeeded Air Chief Marshal Sir John Salmond, who was acting in the role following the sudden death of his brother Air Chief Marshal Sir Geoffrey Salmond, who had only become Chief of the Air Staff in April. In that role he implemented a plan, known as 'Scheme F', to increase the size of the Royal Air Force to 187 squadrons (five bomber squadrons for every two fighter squadrons reflecting the dominance of the bomber strategy at the time) within three years to counter the threat from Hitler's Germany. To facilitate expansion, he reorganized the Home RAF commands forming RAF Fighter Command, RAF Bomber Command and RAF Training Command from Air Defence of Great Britain, Inland Command, RAF Cranwell (RAF Cadet College), and RAF Halton (No 1 School of Technical Training (Apprentices)) and renaming Coastal Area as RAF Coastal Command . He was advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in the 1935 Birthday Honours. He attended the funeral of King George V in January 1936 and, having been promoted to marshal of the Royal Air Force on 1 January 1937, he attended the coronation of George VI in May 1937.