Introduction to 209 Squadron RAF
The 209 virtual Squadron was founded, in December of 1997, by Colonel Gweetar. It is the oldest and largest Allied Squadron in Red Baron, with a tradition of comradeship, community service, and overall excellence. The falling eagle depicted in the Squadron logo represents the 209's successful downing of Baron Manfred von Richtofen. Members of the 209 Squadron are expected to embody the selfless spirit of the aviators of the Great War, and uphold the honour of the historic RAF 209 Squadron..
Organization
The 209 Squadron organization is based upon the official rank structure of the actual RAF. The Headquarters Section is composed of a Commanding Officer (CO) who is chosen by the Squadron, or by line of succession. The CO chooses his Executive Officer (XO), Adjutant (ADJ), and Operations Officer (OpsO) In addition there is a Headquarters Staff Section (HQ Staff) composed of the following: Administrative Training Officer (ATO), Recruiting Officer (RO), and Clerk of Commendations (CoC).For administrative purposes, the 209 Squadron maintains a Scout Elite Cadre, a Fighter Elite Cadre, and a Bomber Elite Cadre, which are listed on the Squadron Roster. For war operations Cadres are sub-divided into Operational Flights, (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta), each with it's own Flight Leader (FL). The Flight Leader position may be subject to change at the war briefing, due to availability. Each Cadre has it's own special role, however all pilots are encouraged to cross-train in case they are called upon to act in another capacity. Any pilot of the RAF may be assigned as Flight Leader as the situation deems necessary. All members are encouraged to take an active role in preparing and being prepared to lead.
The 209 has additional positions within the Squadron, which are assigned further specific duties. They are:
Administrative Training Officer (ATO) provides advanced flight training.
Scout Training Officer (STO) provides scout pilot training.
Fighter Training Officer (FTO) provides fighter pilot training.
Bomber Training Officer (BTO) provides bomber pilot training.
Clerk of Commendations (CoC) and the Assistants (ACoC) ensure that all pilots receive appropriate awards and that records of awards are accurately maintained.
Recruiting Officers (RO) recruit and process the enlistment of qualified pilots into the 209 Squadron.
Web Master and Forum Administrators (WM/FA) maintain the 209 Squadron website and forums.
History & Records Officer (HRO) maintains the historical information and records of the 209 Squadron.
Ranks
Recruits under the age of 16 enter the Squad at the rank of Cadet, while recruits 16 or over are assigned the rank of Warrant Officer (WO). The new recruit will be required to wear the rank of Cadet or WO until the ATO determines his or her readiness for the Squadron. This probationary period will allow us to determine which pilots best fit the RAF 209 Squadron. In addition to this processing of new recruits, RAF pilots that return from the 'Retired Members' list will be subject to a one month renewal period as well. At the end of this period, the returning pilot's previous awards and rank will be restored.
Ranks in order of precedence are:
Cadet
Warrant Officer
2nd Lieutenant
Lieutenant
Captain
Major
Lt. Colonel
Colonel
Brigadier General
Eligibility for promotion will be reviewed monthly by HQ. In addition, recommendations for promotion can be made by members of the Squadron to HQ. Pilots may receive promotions based upon their participation, knowledge, skills, length of service, leadership, community service, and recommendations by other pilots. For additional information refer to the Promotion Guidelines.
Duty Badges and Collar Boards
All 209 pilots are eligible to participate in various Squadron tasks and duties, apart from that of flying. While it is not required, it is highly encouraged and can make for an even more enjoyable and benefical RB experience. All those who hold specific duty assignments wear collar boards and/or badges particular to their tasks. If a Squadron member is assigned more than one duty, the collar board will represent their primary task, while an additional badge, (or badges), will be attached to the collar board to denote their secondary duties. All Squadron Clerks will have a badge attached to the collar board to denote their specific duty assignment. The 209 Squadron collar boards and badges are as follows:
Collar Boards
HQ, Commanding Officer
HQ, Executive Officer
HQ, Adjutant
HQ, Operations Officer
Administrative Training Officer
Assistant Training Officers
Squadron Clerks
Assistant Squadron Clerks
Cadre Leaders, (Honourary Position Only)
Duty Badges
Scout Training Officer
Fighter Training Officer
Bomber Training Officer
Recruiting Officer
History & Records Officer
Clerk of Commendations
Assistant Clerk of Commendations
Web Master and Forum Administrators
HQ Crest; worn by CO, XO, ADJ, and OpsO (located above RAF wings)
Awards
209 pilots may receive awards arising from their actions in wars and squadron activities, or community service. Awards may also arise from recommendations made by other pilots to the CoC. For a complete list of awards and guidelines see the Medals and Awards link.
Participation
Participation is encouraged in all squad activities, since this is what makes it fun for everyone. Real life always comes first however, and all pilots should strive to maintain balance in their real and virtual lives. RAF has members who fly every day, members who fly infrequently, and members who rarely fly but participate in game development and/or administration. RAF also accomodates members who need extended leaves of absence.
Unless a leave of absence is requested, all pilots shall be considered active. If no contact has been made between the pilot and the squad for an extended period of time, the pilot may be placed on the reserve roster. Active participation is mandatory for promotions, and may include activities such as: participation in the RAF forums, community service, game development, and other activities, in addition to flying.
Pilots holding the rank of 2nd Lt. or above are eligible to participate in tournament events. RAF pilots are expected to be fully prepared in advance for all tournament matches and, if they have not already done so, should read "What to do on War Night" prior to the match. Warrant Officers and Cadets will be assessed by the Training Officers and will be notified when they are cleared to fly in tournament events.
Practice sessions are held each week and are not mandatory but highly encouraged. All pilots are invited to attend practice. Pilots may request individual training with the TO's if they wish to work on specific skills. Refer to the RAF 209 Squadron Training Program for further information.
Rules of Conduct
First:RAF pilots will respect the enjoyment of others when flying, and will comport themselves in a sportsmanlike and honourable fashion, regardless of how others may comport themselves. Subject to server or event rules, RAF pilots must:
- Salute opponents after every engagement.
- Refrain from using rockets or incendiaries against other aircraft.
- Refrain from swearing, taunting, or using abusive chat.
- Allow opponents to take off and make their first turn before engaging them.
- Make every effort to avoid collisions with opponents.
- Promptly 'New Life' to award a kill if you are forced down.
- Relocate to another server if required.
- Refrain from posting inflammatory remarks and/or becoming involved in 'Flame Wars' in open servers as well as in any open Red Baron Forum.
Since the RB Community looks to the 209 Squadron as a model of behavior, (for good or bad), we must hold ourselves to a higher standard. Therefore, it is impossible for an RAF pilot to disassociate himself from the Squadron when making remarks or comments. Whether in uniform or not, the RAF pilot still represents the Squadron as well as himself in any and all of his actions.
Second:
No RAF pilot shall attempt to gain an advantage during play by using cheats, hacks, or undocumented program features.
Third:
No RAF pilot shall test, experiment with, or verify, the feasibility of cheats, hacks, or undocumented program features, nor distribute related information, except with the prior approval of 209 HQ and for the sole purpose of security software development with approved developers.
Fourth:
Members of 209 Squadron are expected to maintain the confidentiality of the squadron's private information, including, (but not limited to), passwords, e-mail and voice communications, battle plans, and training documents. No 209 pilot shall attempt to access, obtain, or distribute the private or confidential information of another squad.
Fifth:
Members of 209 Squadron are not allowed to have membership in another squad at the same time, or to utilize the call letters of another squad. Pilots wishing to join the RAF must have formally resigned from their previous squadron. RAF will not knowingly solicit recruits from other squadrons.
Sixth:
RAF pilots are encouraged to promote their squadron and their rules of conduct by wearing their RAF call sign at all times, and by flying in Squad paints 137, (default), 138, 139, 140, and 17 (historical).
In the event of a dispute, the 209 Squadron will have a Disputes and Resolution Committee set up to resolve any conflicts, within or outside of the squad, that involves a 209 member. The Committee will function independentaly from HQ Staff and will make recommendations to the Staff based on the information they gather. Any Squadron member has the right to convene the DRC to resolve a conflict.
Colonel Beer, OM CB OBE DSO* DSC* MC DFC* MM MSM* MID CdG* PSO
209 Squadron
Royal Air Force
(Revision 2-E, January 6, 2008)