Gp Capt Stan Keyte OBE

Ribbon stone for Stan Kyte

Group Captain Stan Keyte was commissioned in 1962 after initial Officer Training at RAF South Cerney. He completed navigation training at Hullavington and Stradishall, obtaining the Bristol Trophy as Best All Round Student, and converted to Vulcan B2s.

He served on 12 Sqn and 50 Sqn before completing an instructional tour at the Strike Command Bombing School.

In 1972 he was posted to the OCTU at Henlow as a Flt Cdr and left on promotion to Sqn Ldr in 1975, returning to the Vulcan force on 617 Sqn and, later, a tour in Ops Wh at Scampton.

He was awarded the MBE in 1978.

In 1980-81, he completed advanced ADP training at the Defence ADP Training Centre. Following 2 short tours, as an instructor at Blandford and on a software team at HQ 1 Gp he was posted to DofCC/MIS/(RAF) in 1982 as ADP(Ops)2(RAF) with the acting rank of Wg Cdr. His responsibilities included the Air Staff Management Aid (ASMA), the RAF Command Support System (RAFCSS), UKAIR CCIS, the Station Operational Management Aid/Battle Readiness and Management Information System (SOMA/BRAMIS) and EIFEL (Central Region Air Tasking System).

From 1987-89 he was the RAF Commander at Greenham Common, for which he was subsequently awarded the OBE.

In 1989 he was posted to HQSTC as the Project Manager for SOMA/BRAMIS. A period of 9 months in a newly created information technology (IT) post at HQSTC followed, then in July 1991 he was posted to DofCC/MIS(RAF) with the acting rank of Gp Capt. On the reorganisation of the Directorate in August 1991, he became Deputy Director Information Systems (Polict & Plans) (RAF).

Group Captain Keyte was educated at Bicester and Aylesbury Grammar Schools and, over the period 1972-78 obtained an Open University degree in mathematics and computer science.

He was married and his wife’s name is Beryl.  He passed away in 2010.

His interests included golf, walking and photography.

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