1/18/22, 4:23 PM Past Commanders | Sri Lanka Air Force

ශ්‍රී ලංකා ගුවන් හමුදාව

ගුවනේ ආරක්‍ෂකයෝ
Past Commanders
Air Commodore GC Bladon
(05th May 1950 - 24th Oct 1958)
The British Government seconded Air Commodore Graham Clerke Bladon to set up the RCyAF, and
command it through its formative years.

Air Commodore Bladon was Senior Air Staff Officer of the RAF 62 Group and the Reserve Command
covering the whole of the South West of England...click for more

Air Vice Marshal J. L Barker OBE,DFC,RAF

(24th Oct 1958 -12th Nov 1962)
Air Vice Marshal John Lindsay Barker became the RCyAF's second Commander in 1958 at the age of
48. A graduate of Oxford University, and thereafter a barrister-at-Law, Barker went on to forge a
relationship with the RAF spanning 26 years.

He was veteran  of  the  RAF's  campaign in North Africa, during World War II...click for more

Air Vice Marshal E R Amarasekara DFC & BAR

(12th Nov 1962 - 31st Dec 1970)
Air Vice Marshal Ekanayake  Rohan Amarasekera DFC and BAR, was the RCyAF's very own World
War II hero, having served with distinction in the RAF.

Amarasekera was a navigator attached to the RAF's Bomber Command. He returned to Ceylon in 1951
as one of the RCyAF's...click for more

Air Chief Marshal P H Mendis MBIM,IDC,psc

(01st Jan 1971 - 01st Nov 1976)
Air Chief Marshal Pathman (Paddy) Mendis, at 38 years of age became the youngest Commander of
the Air Force and the youngest Commander of an Armed Service in Ceylon, with his appointment on
1st January 1971.

Air Chief Marshal was the fifth man to join the RCyAF back in August 1951. He went to the UK for
training, joining the No. 61 entry to RAF College, Cranwell...click for more

Air Chief Marshal WDH Goonetileke ndc, psc

(01st Nov 1976 - 30th Apr 1981)
Air Chief Marshal Harry Goonetileke became the fifth Commander of the Air Force on 1st November 1976.
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1/18/22, 4:23 PM Past Commanders | Sri Lanka Air Force

Educated at Royal College Colombo, young Goonetileke joined the Air Force as a Flight Cadet in
1951 in the first batch of locally trained recruits. He recalls drawing a princely fortnightly allowance of
Rs. 28/- in those days!...click for more

Air Chief Marshal D C Perera VSV,ndc,psc

(01st May 1981 - 30th April 1985)
On 1st May 1981 Air Chief Marshal Dick Cuthbert Perera succeeded Air Chief Marshal Harry
Goonetileke as Commander of the Air Force.

In many ways ACM Perera was an ideal successor to ACM Goonetileke. He had worked as Chief of
Staff with ACM Goonetileke on his airfield reclamation and rehabilitation programmes...click for more

Air Chief Marshal A W Fernando VSV,ndc,psc

(01st May 1985 - 31st July 1990)
In May 1985, Air Chief Marshal Walter Fernando assumed command of the SLAF. Joining the Air
Force in January 1953, ACM Fernando was a Cadet in the second batch of pilots to be locally trained.

He went through ground combat training at Diyatalawa and Flight Training at Katunayake...click for
more

Air Chief Marshal MJT de Gunawardena VSV,ndc,psc

(01st Aug 1990 - 16th Feb 1994)
Air Chief Marshal MJT de Gunawardena had joined the Air Force in 1960 as an Engineering Officer
II/Flying duties. He went on to command Nos. 2 and 3 Squadrons as CO and was also OC of No. 4
Squadron.

He also became Commandant of the Air Force Academy, China Bay in 1980...click for more

Air Chief Marshal OM Ranasinghe RWP,VSV,USP,ndc,psc

(17th Feb 1994 - 05th Mar 1998)
Air Chief Marshal OM Ranasinghe joined the Air Force on 7th February 1968 as a Sergeant Pilot.
After training at Diyatalawa in Basic Ground Combat, where he won the Best-Shot Trophy, he went
for flying training to the Air Force Academy, China Bay.

Air Chief Marshal Ranasinghe flew the Chipmunk, Dove and Jet Provost aircraft and was awarded his
Wings in 1969...click for more

Air Chief Marshal J Weerakkody RWP,VSV,USP,ndc,psc

(06th Mar 1998 - 15th July 2002)
Air Chief Marshal J Weerakkody joined the Air Force on 12th January 1972, as an Officer Cadet in the General
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1/18/22, 4:23 PM Past Commanders | Sri Lanka Air Force

Duties Pilots Branch. After initial training, Commander Weerakkody followed a Junior Commanders
course at Air Force Administrative College, Coimbatore, India, an Air Command and Staff College
course at Maxwell Air Force Base, USA and a course at National Defence College in India...click for
more

Air Chief Marshal G D Perera VSV,ndc,psc

(16th July 2002 - 11th June 2006)
Air Chief Marshal G D Perera joined the Sri Lanka Air Force as an Officer Cadet in the General Duties
Pilot Branch on 12th January 1972 with the first intake of Cadets.

On successful completion of flying training he was commissioned as a Pilot Officer on 19th October
1973...click for more

Marshal of the Sri Lanka Air Force WDRMJ Goonetileke

(11th June 2006 - 27th February 2011)
Marshal of the Sri Lanka Air Force WDRMJ Goonetileke was born on 28 February 1956. He
completed his education at St. Peter's College, Bambalapitiya where he excelled both in studies and in
sports. He is the elder son of the 5th Commander of the Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Harry
Goonetileke.

Marshal of the Sri Lanka Air Force Goonetileke joined the Sri Lanka Air Force as an Officer Cadet in the General
Duties Pilot Branch on 13 January 1978....click for more

Air  Chief Marshal HD Abeywickrama

(27th February 2011 - 27th February 2014)
Air  Chief Marshal Harsha Duminda Abeywickrama was born on 28 November 1960. He joined the
Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) with the 8th Intake of Officer Cadets in 1980 and was commissioned as a
Pilot Officer in 1982.

At the inception of his career in the early 1980s, combat flying was non-existent due to the relatively
...click for more

  Air Chief Marshal  KA Gunatilleke

(27th February 2014 - 15th June 2015)
Air Chief Marshal Kolitha Gunatilleke joined the SLAF in 1980 as an Officer Cadet of the 8th Intake. 
He graduated from the Air Force Academy, China Bay, and was commissioned a Pilot Officer in April
1982.  He was awarded his flying brevet on successful completion of his basic and advanced flying
training. ...click for more

Air Chief Marshal  Gagan Bulathsinghala

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1/18/22, 4:23 PM Past Commanders | Sri Lanka Air Force

(15th June 2015 - 12th September 2016)

Air Marshal Gagan Pulasthi Bulathsinghala was born on 12th September 1961. He joined the Sri
Lanka Air Force as an Officer Cadet on 12th of February 1981 and was commissioned as a Pilot
Officer in the General Duties Pilot Branch on 8th April 1983. ...click for more

Air Chief Marshal  Kapila Jayampathy

(13th September 2016 - 29th May 2019)
KAPILA VEEDIYA BANDARA JAYAMPATHY (KAPILA JAYAMPATHY) joined the Sri Lanka Air
Force on 05th March 1982 as an Officer Cadet in the General Duties Pilot Branch in the 10th Officer
Cadet intake.  Upon enlistment he followed the Basic Ground. ..click for more

Air Chief Marshal  Sumangala Dias

(30th May 2019 - 02th November 2020)
Air Marshal Dambure Liyanage Sumangala Dias joined the Sri Lanka Air Force on 12th December
1984 as an Officer Cadet in the General Duties Pilot Branch in the 13th Officer Cadet intake.  On
completion of the Basic and Advanced phases of flying training, he was commissioned as a Pilot
Officer in the GDP branch on 15th August 1986...click for more

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