Air Commodore Rob Caine

Head of Flying Training Royal Air Force

Rob joined the RAF in 1994 and became an operational pilot on the Tornado in 1999 on 14 Sqn at RAF Bruggen, Germany. Since then he has served several operational tours, and became an experienced Tornado Instructor, Rear Seat Captain, Electronic Warfare Instructor and an Instrument Rating Examiner at RAF Lossiemouth. In 2005 he became a Tactics and Weapons Instructor and an Aircrew Instructor Coach at 19 Sqn on Hawk T1 and subsequently became a Qualified Weapons Instructor (QWI). He became an A2 (Advanced) Qualified Flying Instructor and the Chief Weapons Instructor at RAF Valley where he ran 3 staff QWI Courses before being selected as a Project Pilot for the introduction of Hawk T2 into military service.

He is experienced at leading and innovating, managing risk and developing complex organisations. In staff tours he was a Requirements Manager for Fixed Wing aircraft and worked in the MOD on Air Systems. He was Head of Requirements for the UK Military Flying Training System (UKMFTS), working for Air Capability. In command roles he became the Executive Officer on IV(R) Sqn, flying the innovative Hawk T2, where he was an A2 QFI and was responsible for all live and synthetic staff training and standards from first fast jet flight to beyond visual range, swing role missions. He subsequently became OC IV(AC) Sqn in 2019, responsible for the Tactics and Weapons training of all RAF and RN Fighter Pilots - a course that constitutes the final test before pilots qualify to fly the Typhoon or F35 on the front-line.