Cliff Spink

Clifford Rodney Spink
Born	(1946-05-17) 17 May 1946
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Air Force
Rank	Air Marshal
Commands held	OC No. 74 Squadron OC RAF Coningsby OC RAF Mount Pleasant Commandant Royal Observer Corps
Battles/wars	Gulf War
Awards	Companion of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Other work	President Historic Aircraft Association Honorary President Royal Observer Corps Association Vice-Patron, RAF Halton Apprentices Association (Old Haltonians)

Air Marshal Clifford Rodney Spink, CB, CBE, FCMI, FRAeS (born 17 May 1946) is a retired senior Royal Air Force officer, who is now a Spitfire display pilot on the national air display circuit. The first Spitfire he ever flew belonged to the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, during his tenure as Station Commander of RAF Coningsby. During his time as Senior Air Staff Officer (SASO) of No. 11 Group RAF between March 1993 and April 1995 he simultaneously served as the 23rd Commandant of the Royal Observer Corps, the last but one officer to hold the post.

Air Marshal Spink is Immediate Past Master of the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators (Master 2012-13). He remains the Honorary President of the Royal Observer Corps Association. He is also President of the Historic Aircraft Association.

Royal Air Force career

Spink started his RAF career at the No. 1 School of Technical Training, RAF Halton, as a member of the 104th Entry of Aircraft Apprentices. He gained a flying commission and was posted to RAF College Cranwell, and initially learned to fly on the Jet Provost. Later training took place on the Gnat and the Hunter, before Spink was posted to his first productive tour on No. 111 Squadron flying the Lightning. Spink was later posted to No. 56 Squadron, later returning to No. 111 Squadron.

Spink served as the Commanding Officer of No. 74 Squadron before being posted to the South Atlantic in 1989 as the Officer Commanding RAF Mount Pleasant on the British Overseas Territory of the Falkland Islands. In 1990 Spink underwent conversion training to the Tornado. In 1991 Spink served as the RAF's Tornado Detachment Commander during the first Gulf War. In 1993 he attended the Royal College of Defence Studies.

Royal Observer Corps

During his time as the Senior Air Staff Officer at No. 11/18 Group RAF Spink also served as the last but one Commandant of the Royal Observer Corps and was involved in the planning for the final standing down of the remaining ROC elements at RAF Bentley Priory. Spink remains the honorary President of the Royal Observer Corps Association.

Since the RAF

He currently flies a restored Spitfire XVIe TD248. This is a former ‘gate guardian’ from RAF Sealand which was rebuilt by Historic Flying Ltd. about 15 years ago. It initially appeared in a post war 41 Squadron colour scheme but it has recently been repainted in wartime colours with the personal markings ‘CR-S’.

Since retiring from the RAF he has formed his own Company dealing in a range of Aviation interests. He has a Display Authorisation for both Jet and Piston aircraft and is a Display Authorisation Evaluator for the Civil Aviation Authority. He is a Director of Spitfire Limited which operates a small fleet of vintage aircraft, Director of Humberside Airport, Director and Board Member of Contingency Planning Associates Ltd a London based international security consultancy, and is the joint owner of a small Swiss watch company. He is an occasional guest lecturer to University Courses in aviation safety and has acted as Aviation Expert in legal cases. He is President of the Historic Aircraft Association, Honorary President of the Royal Observer Corps Association and recently became President of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Association. He is a Liveryman and Immediate Past Master of the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators of the City of London (Master 2012 - 13.)

References

• Biography on Machine Age Heritage Brought to Life
• Historic Aircraft Association - Air Marshal Clifford Spink