Wg Cdr Steve Whitnall - Officer Commanding 30 Squadron RAF
Wing Commander Steve Whitnall MEng(Hons) MSIVEX MA RAF
Wing Commander Steve Whitnall is a Test Pilot in the Royal Air Force with a background in Tactical Air Transport Operations, flying instruction, requirements management and flight testing, primarily on the Hercules J and A400M Atlas ac.
Educated at the King’s School, Chester and Bath University, where he studied Aeronautical Engineering and was a member of Bristol University Air Squadron, he was commissioned into the Royal Air Force in Nov 1999. On graduating Multi Engine Flying Training in 2000, he was posted as one of the first ab-initio pilots onto the Hercules J and onwards to 30 Sqn. Wg Cdr Whitnall deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan multiple times, rapidly progressing to become a Qualified Multi Engine Tactical Instructor and was posted to 206(R) Sqn as an Evaluator Pilot on both the Hercules J and Atlas ac.
After undertaking the first UK A400M Atlas training course in Seville and a French language course, Wg Cdr Whitnall exchanged to fly the Atlas with the French Air Force in BA123 Bricy, Orléans. He subsequently evaluated and accepted the UK’s first Atlas ac in Seville and flew it to the UK in Nov 2014.
On return, Wg Cdr Whitnall continued to develop the Atlas ac, returning to 206(R) Sqn as Pilot Leader, becoming a Qualified Flying Instructor during the process. During this time he was privileged to have flown the Lancaster and Dakota ac as a Bomber Pilot on the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.
He was promoted to Squadron Leader in Apr 2017 and was deployed to Mount Pleasant Airfield as OC 1312 Flt, supervising Hercules J and Voyager flying in the Falkland Islands. On return, he became Atlas Requirements Manager in DE&S Abbey Wood, helping shape the Atlas ac as it moves into a more tactical role and then returning to 206 Sqn as OC Atlas Flight, coordinating all Atlas ac T&E activity. He was awarded AOC 1 Gp’s Dowding Fellowship in 2019 and gained a Masters in Air, Space and Cyber Power.
Wg Cdr Whitnall completed Class A Experimental Test Pilot training with the French Air Force at EPNER, flying 30 different ac types, and has been Deputy Chief Test Pilot and Senior Operator to the Air and Space Warfare Centre, overseeing the safe operation of flight test of 35 different aircraft types and multiple UAVs and parachute and work alongside industry and foreign military units within combined test teams.
He has been privileged to be selected to become OC 30 Sqn in July 26, returning to where his career started.
He is married to Charlotte, has two children, Harrison (7) and Violet (1) and enjoys rugby and walking his dog, Lincoln.