| Royal Canadian Air Force (to 1968) | Canadian Forces (1968–1975) |
| Air Command (1975–2011) | |
| Royal Canadian Air Force (from 2011) | |
| Air chief marshal / A/C/M | General / Gen |
| French: maréchal en chef de l’Air | |
| Air marshal / A/M | Lieutenant-general / LGen |
| French: maréchal de l’Air | |
| Air vice-marshal / A/V/M | Major-general / MGen |
| French: vice-maréchal de l’Air | |
| Air commodore / A/C | Brigadier-general / BGen |
| French: commodore de l’Air | |
| Group captain / G/C | Colonel / Col |
| French: colonel d’aviation | |
| Wing commander / W/C | Lieutenant-colonel / LCol |
| French: lieutenant-colonel d’aviation | |
| Squadron Leader / S/L | Major / Maj |
| French: commandant d’aviation | |
| Flight Lieutenant / F/L | Captain / Capt |
| French: capitaine d’aviation | |
| Flying officer / F/O | Lieutenant / Lt |
| French: lieutenant d’aviation | |
| Pilot officer / P/O | Second lieutenant / 2Lt |
| French: sous-lieutenant d’aviation | |
| Provisional pilot officer / P/P/O (prior to WWII)[78] | Officer cadet / OCdt |
| Flight cadet / F/C (until 1962) | |
| Officer cadet / OCdt (after 1962) | |
| French: élève-officier | |
| Warrant officer, class 1 / WO1 | Chief warrant officer / CWO |
| French: adjudant de 1re classe | |
| Warrant officer, class 2 / WO2 | Master warrant officer / MWO |
| French: adjudant de 2e classe | |
| Flight sergeant / FS | Warrant officer / WO |
| French: sergent de section | |
| Sergeant / Sgt | Sergent / Sgt |
| French: sergent | |
| Corporal / Cpl | Master corporal / MCpl |
| French: caporal | Corporal / Cpl |
| Note: MCpl is an appointment, not a rank | |
| Aircraftman | Aviator / Avr |
| French: aviateur | Private / Pte (from 1968 to 2015) |
| The pre-1968 aircraftman classifications—LAC/LAW, AC1/AW1, and AC2/AW2—roughly align with the current Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) aviator classifications as follows: aviator (trained) corresponds to LAC/LAW, aviator (basic) to AC1/AW1, and aviator (recruit) to AC2/AW2. |
October 27, 2025