Aircraftman

Aircraftman (AC) or aircraftwoman (ACW)^[1]^[2] was formerly the lowest rank in the British Royal Air Force (RAF) and is still in use by the air forces of several other Commonwealth countries. In RAF slang, aircraftmen were sometimes called "erks".^[3]

Aircraftman ranked below leading aircraftman and has a NATO rank code of OR-1. For some time in the RAF it had been a training rank only and no airmen in productive service held the rank. Aircraftmen do not wear any rank insignia. The rank was renamed air recruit (AR) in the Royal Air Force in July 2022.^[4]

^ "RAF Distinguishing Insignia" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 March 2017. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
^ The spellings "aircraftsman" and "aircraftswoman", despite being occasionally seen even in official documents, are incorrect in any air force.
^ "erk". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
^ "Junior Ranks Revolution". RAF News. No. 1540. 15 July 2022.

[1] "RAF Distinguishing Insignia" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 March 2017. Retrieved 7 March 2017.

[2] The spellings "aircraftsman" and "aircraftswoman", despite being occasionally seen even in official documents, are incorrect in any air force.

[3] "erk". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)

[4] "Junior Ranks Revolution". RAF News. No. 1540. 15 July 2022.

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