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Acting Pilot Officer (APO) is the lowest commissioned grade in the Royal Air Force, being immediately junior to Pilot Officer. Unlike other RAF ranks which officers may hold in an acting capacity, Acting Pilot Officer is maintained as a separate grade. It normally denotes an officer who has recently been commissioned and joined as a non-graduate direct entrant. Acting Pilot Officer is not an actual rank, and APOs are later regraded to Pilot Officer, not promoted.

Although Acting Pilot Officer has a NATO ranking code of OF-1, neither the British Army, Royal Marines nor Royal Navy has an exactly equivalent rank. As Acting Pilot Officers are junior to Second Lieutenants in the British Army or the Royal Marines and to Royal Navy Sub-Lieutenants, the rank is the most junior commissioned rank in the British Armed Forces. However, Acting Pilot Officers are senior to Royal Navy Midshipmen.

The rank insignia is identical to that of a Pilot Officer, consisting of a thin blue band on slightly wider black band. This is worn on both the lower sleeves of the tunic or on the shoulders of the flying suit or the casual uniform.

[edit] See also

• RAF officer ranks
• Comparative military ranks

[edit] Reference

• The International Encyclopedia of Uniform Insignia Around the World - NATO Standardization Agreement - Officer personnel

Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg British officer ranks
	Student Officer	OF(D)	OF-1		OF-2	OF-3	OF-4	OF-5	OF-6	OF-7	OF-8	OF-9	OF-10
Royal Navy:	O/C	Mid	SLt		Lt	Lt Cdr	Cdr	Capt	Cdre	RAdm	VAdm	Adm	Adm of the Fleet
Royal Marines:	OCdt		2Lt	Lt	Capt	Maj	Lt Col	Col	Brig	Maj Gen	Lt Gen	Gen
Army:	OCdt		2Lt	Lt	Capt	Maj	Lt Col	Col	Brig	Maj Gen	Lt Gen	Gen	FM
Royal Air Force:	OC / SO		APO / PO	Fg Off	Flt Lt	Sqn Ldr	Wg Cdr	Gp Capt	ACdre	AVM	AM	ACM	MRAF