JSC Speaker - 26th February
We are pleased to welcome Rick Peacock-Edwards to speak to us on the 26th February.
Below is a short biography on Rick's career.
Educated in South Africa (Michaelhouse and University of Witwatersrand), Rick Peacock-Edwards served for over 30 years in the RAF from which he retired as an Air Commodore in 1999. The son of a Battle of Britain pilot his own flying career has been spent mainly flying fighter aircraft (Lightning (Nos 92 and 65 Sqns), Hunter (234 Sqn), F4 Phantom (111 Sqn) and Tornado F2/3 (65 Sqn)). He also has extensive experience in flying training as a Qualified Flying Instructor, Instrument Rating Examiner and Pilot Navigation Instructor (on Gnat, Hunter and Hawk). He introduced the Tornado F2/3 into RAF Service and formed and commanded the Tornado F2/3 Operational Conversion Unit (No 229 OCU/No 65 Sqn). A graduate of the RAF Staff College, he was Deputy Director Air Defence at the MOD from 1989-90 and from 1990-92 he commanded the front-line Tornado base at RAF Leeming. During this time, he was involved in the lead up to the first Gulf War as the first RAF Commander at Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. From 1992-94 he was Deputy Commander of RAF Staff and Assistant Air Attache at the British Embassy in Washington. On promotion to Air Commodore he was appointed Inspector of Flight Safety for the RAF and served in this appointment from 1994-97. His final tour of duty was as Director of Eurofighter Typhoon at the MOD. In his post RAF career, he first joined General Dynamics UK as Director of Government Affairs and was later appointed Director Military Advisors. He left GD UK in 2003 to join one of the consortiums (VECTOR) bidding for the UK Military Flying Training System (MFTS) Programme. He was MD of Vector from April 2004 until March 2007. He is a founding Director of In Command Ltd (www.incommand.co.uk), a company that he and others set up to better connect the military with the business sector. He is also working on a new initiative ‘Battle of Britain Tours’. He is a Past Master of the Honourable Company of Air Pilots, a City of London Livery Company, and is currently Chairman of the Air Pilots Trophies and Awards Committee. He was awarded the Air Force Cross (AFC) in 1987 and appointed a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in 1993. He is a Fellow of both the Royal Aeronautical Society and the Chartered Institute of Management. He is Vice Chairman of the RAF Club, President of the Historic Aircraft Association, President of Air Search UK, Chairman of the General Aviation Safety Council (GASCO), and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the International Air Cadets Training (IACT) Organisation. Most recently, in Nov 18, he has joined the Strategic Advisory Board of the Aviation Skills Partnership, a company that is building 21 International Aviation Academies around the UK. He is also Patron of a Spitfire Restoration project and a Director of Java Wharf Property Management Ltd. An experienced display pilot, and memorably so in a synchronised Tornado/Spitfire display (1985), these days he is actively involved with the supervision of air displays both as Flying Display Director for a number of air displays and on Flying Control Committees. In this capacity, he is Chairman of the Imperial War Museum Duxford Flying Control Committee and he is also a member of the Flying Control Committees for the Farnborough International and other air displays. Until 2010 he held a commission in the RAF Volunteer Reserve and flew Grob Tutors with No 6 Air Experience Flight at RAF Benson, Oxfordshire, UK, giving air experience to air cadets. He has chaired conferences and given presentations and lectures all over the world and he has received many awards. His latest award, in June 2011, an Air League Illuminated Scroll, was awarded for his years of leadership and contribution to British aviation and was presented by Prince Philip. Hobbies include sport, stamp collecting, the world of finance and painting. Rick is married to Tina and has 3 children and one grandchild.
