The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) is the professional head of the Royal Air Force and a member of both the Chiefs of Staff Committee and the Air Force Board. The post was created in 1918 with Major General Sir Hugh Trenchard as the first incumbent. The current and 30th Chief of the Air Staff is Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, who succeeded Sir Michael Wigston on 2 June 2023.
Image: Major General Sir Hugh Trenchard
Image: Maj Gen Frederick Sykes
Image: Sir Hugh Trenchard (cropped)
Marshal of the Royal Air Force Hugh Montague Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchard, was a British officer who was instrumental in establishing the Royal Air Force. He has been described as the "Father of the Royal Air Force."
After winning the Freshman and Novices' Cups for 1901
Trenchard (shown left) in South Africa