Air Commodore Air commodore (Air Cdre or Air Cmde) is an air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes ...

Simon Owen Falla, (born 1955) is a retired senior

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

officer. He was Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff

Joint Helicopter Command The Joint Aviation Command (JAC), previously known as Joint Helicopter Command (JHC), is a tri-service organisation uniting battlefield military helicopters of all three services of the British Armed Forces and unmanned aerial vehicles of the B ...

from December 2006 until his retirement in June 2010.

Service history

*1979 – Joined the Royal Air Force. *1980 – Selected for helicopter training. *1981 – Joined the newly formed Chinook force, with No. 18(B) Squadron at

RAF Odiham Royal Air Force Odiham or more simply RAF Odiham is a Royal Air Force List of Royal Air Force stations, station situated a little to the south of the village of Odiham in Hampshire, England. It is the home of the Royal Air Force's heavy lift he ...

. *1982 – Sailed with the Task Force during

Operation Corporate The Falklands War () was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and its territorial dependency, South Georgia and the South ...

, flying operational sorties over the Falklands Islands. *1983 – Joined No. 7 Squadron's new Chinook Special Forces Flight, flying operationally in

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

. *1986 – Qualified as a helicopter instructor at

RAF Shawbury Royal Air Force Shawbury, otherwise known as RAF Shawbury, is a Royal Air Force station near the village of Shawbury in Shropshire in the West Midlands of England. History The First World War The station at Shawbury was first used for milita ...

. Service followed with the Chinook Operational Conversion Unit at

, gaining A2 instructional category and qualified as a helicopter tactics instructor. *1989 – Promoted to

squadron leader Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr or S/L) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Squadron leader is immediatel ...

, appointed deputy commander No. 7 Squadron. *1990 – Assumed command of Special Forces Flight. *1991 – Led Special Forces Flight during Operation Granby over Iraq. Made

Companion of the Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military award of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly throughout the Commonwealth, awarded for operational gallantry for highly successful command and leadership during active operations, typicall ...

for his command of the 6-Chinook SF Flight. *1992 – Spent six months as officer commanding No. 78 Squadron RAF,

RAF Mount Pleasant RAF Mount Pleasant (also known as Mount Pleasant Airport, Mount Pleasant Complex or MPA) is a Royal Air Force station in the British Overseas Territory of the Falkland Islands. The airfield goes by the motto of "Defend the right" (while the m ...

. *1993 – Appointed the helicopter tactics and trials officer at the RAF Air Warfare Centre. *1995 – Following numerous short tours and courses, promoted to

wing commander Wing commander (Wg Cdr or W/C) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Wing commander is immediately se ...

. *1996 – Officer commanding

No. 7 Squadron RAF No. 7 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force which operates the Boeing Chinook (UK variants), Boeing Chinook HC6 from RAF Odiham, Hampshire. It is part of the Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing. History Formation and early years (1914� ...

(until 1998). *1999 – Appointed UK air/joint advisor to the

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a Federal monarchy, federal elective monarchy made up of Emirates of the United Arab E ...

Command and Staff College,

Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates. The city is the seat of the Abu Dhabi Central Capital District, the capital city of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the UAE's List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, second-most popu ...

. *2001 – Promoted to

group captain Group captain (Gp Capt or G/C) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many Commonwealth of Nations, countries that have historical British influence. Group cap ...

. *2002 – Station commander RAF St Mawgan / Commander

RAF Search and Rescue Force The Royal Air Force Search and Rescue Force (RAF SARF or RAF SAR Force) was a unit of the Royal Air Force (RAF) which provided around-the-clock aeronautical search and rescue cover in the United Kingdom, Cyprus, and the Falkland Islands, from 198 ...

(until 2003). *2003 – Deputy assistant chief of staff (plans),

. *2006 – Promoted to

air commodore Air commodore (Air Cdre or Air Cmde) is an air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes ...

on appointment as deputy commander and chief of staff, Joint Helicopter Command.

Post RAF

Falla is currently the training director at Ascent Military Flying Training System.

References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Falla, Simon Living people Military personnel from Derbyshire Royal Air Force personnel of the Falklands War Royal Air Force personnel of the Gulf War Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Royal Air Force officers 1955 births Commanders of the Order of the British Empire 21st-century Royal Air Force personnel