George Black (RAF officer)

Air Vice-Marshal George Phillip Black CB OBE AFC RAF (Rtd) was a British Royal Air Force pilot, a senior Royal Air Force officer in the 1970s and 1980s and a Commandant Royal Observer Corps. From 1971 to 1973, Black was Station Commander of RAF Wildenrath in West Germany.

Early years
In 1950 Black left No. 107 (Aberdeen) Squadron Air Training Corps in the rank of Sergeant to commence National Service duty in the RAF. After undergoing flying training in Canada he joined No. 263 Squadron RAF at RAF Wattisham in the rank of Flying Officer.

In 1952 his National Service was converted to a permanent commission and he was seconded to the Fleet Air Arm. He returned to the RAF in 1961 in the rank of Flight Lieutenant and served with No. 74 Squadron RAF flying English Electric Lightnings. Promoted to Wing Commander in 1964 he became Commanding Officer of No. 111 Squadron RAF, also equipped with Lightnings. On promotion to Group Captain in 1972 Black was appointed Station Commander at RAF Wildenrath in Germany. He became Commander Allied Sector One, Brockzetel in May 1980 on promotion to the rank of Air Commodore and was later appointed Aide-de-Camp to HM The Queen in July 1981.

Royal Observer Corps
Black was appointed as the 18th Commandant of the Royal Observer Corps, replacing Air Commodore R J Offord in February 1983, an appointment he held until September 1984 when he was further promoted to Air Vice Marshal.

Later service and retirement
Following his promotion he became Deputy Chief Staff Operations at HQ Allied Air Force Central Europe.

Black retired from the RAF in July 1987. On its formation in 1986 Air Vice Marshal Black became Honorary President of the Royal Observer Corps Seaborne Association, an appointment he continues to hold.

Career after the RAF
Between 1987 and 1992 Black was the senior defence advisor at Ferranti Defence Systems in Edinburgh, moving to an appointment as Director of Military Business for Marconi Electronic Business Systems Ltd from 1993 until 1999. He then spent a year as the Defence Advisor to the Sensor Division of British Aerospace, transferring to the BAe Systems Avionics division in 2000. Since 2000 Black has been the Defence Consultant for Selex Ltd. Black was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Management in 1977 and a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautics Society in 2000

Air Vice Marshal Black is a member of the RAF Historical Society and during his career recorded over 5,000 flying hours on around 100 different types of aircraft. He is married and has two sons, both of whom serve as officers in the Royal Air Force.

Awards
Black was awarded an Air Force Cross in 1962 while with No. 74 Squadron and achieved a bar in 1971. He was awarded an OBE in 1967 and became a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1987.