Education
Having graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering (Bachelor of Engineering) degree, Mackmin received a short service commission in the Women"s Royal Air Force as a pilot officer in the General Duties Branch (ie aircrew) on 17 February 1991.
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Sara Mackmin
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Appointed commander of the Royal Air Force Search and Rescue Force in 2013, she is the highest-ranking female aircrew officer in British military history. As a graduate, on 17 September 1991 she was promoted flying officer with seniority from 17 February 1990. She was promoted flight lieutenant on 17 August 1993.
The WRAF fully assimilated into the Royal Air Force in 1994 and Mackmin (or Slingsby as she then was) converted to a permanent commission on 22 August 1996.
She qualified as a helicopter pilot in 1994 and flew Puma helicopters in the Bosnian War in 1995 and in Northern Ireland in 1997. She then qualified as the first female helicopter instructor in the British Armed Forces in 1998.
She was promoted squadron leader on 1 July 2000 and later that year became the first female commander of a flying unit On 1 July 2006, she was promoted wing commander, and in 2008 took command of Number.
202 Squadron Royal Air Force, flying Westland Sea King helicopters in the search and rescue role.
Mackmin has also served three tours as a staff officer at the Ministry of Defence, most recently, before her promotion to group captain in 2013, as personal staff officer to the Assistant Chief of the Air Staff. She also volunteers with the Royal Air Force Mountain Rescue Service at Royal Air Force Valley, where she is based, and competes in equestrian events.
