Michael Beavis

Sir Michael Beavis
Born	13 August 1929
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Air Force
Years of service	1947–1987
Rank	Air Chief Marshal
Commands held	RAF Support Command RAF Staff College, Bracknell No. 10 Squadron
Awards	Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of the British Empire Air Force Cross

Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Gordon Beavis KCB, CBE, AFC (born 13 August 1929) is a former Royal Air Force officer who became Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief RAF Support Command.

RAF career

Educated at Kilburn Grammar School, Beavis joined the Royal Air Force in 1947 and was commissioned two years later.^[1] In June 1961 Beavis set the record for the fastest non-stop flight from the UK to Australia which he established by flying a Vulcan from RAF Scampton to RAAF Richmond in just over 20 hours.^[2][3]

He became Officer Commanding No. 10 Squadron flying VC10s in 1966 and Group Captain Flying at RAF Akrotiri in 1968.^[1] He was appointed Assistant Director of Defence Policy at the Ministry of Defence in 1971, Senior Air Staff Officer at Headquarters RAF Germany in 1976 and Director General of RAF Training in 1977.^[1] He went on to be Commandant of the RAF Staff College, Bracknell in 1980, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at RAF Support Command in 1981 and Deputy Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces Central Europe in 1984 before retiring in 1987.^[1]

Family

In 1949 he married Joy Marion Jones; they had one son and one daughter.^[1]

References

1. Debrett's People of Today 1994
2. Qantas flies London-Sydney non-stop Flight International, 26 August 1989
3. No. 214 (Federated Malay States) Squadron Royal Air Force