Ian Macfadyen


Sir Ian David Macfadyen, is a senior Royal Air Force officer, a former Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man and Constable and Governor of Windsor Castle.

RAF career

Born the son of Air Marshal Sir Douglas Macfadyen, Ian Macfadyen was educated at Marlborough College and entered the RAF College Cranwell in 1960.
After service in fighter squadrons, in 1970 he became a flying instructor and a member of the Poachers formation aerobatic team at the Royal Air Force College Cranwell.
In 1980 as a wing commander he was appointed Officer Commanding of No. 29 Squadron flying F4 Phantom aircraft at RAF Coningsby with whom he saw operational service in the Falkland Islands, and Officer Commanding of No. 23 Squadron in 1983.
In 1985 as a group captain he was Station Commander at RAF Leuchars in Fife
In 1990 he became Commander of British Forces in the Middle East and from 1991 as an air vice marshal he was Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff, Operational Requirements – ACAS OR. Since 1992 Macfadyen has been the President of the Raflet Stamp Club.
In 1994 he was promoted to Air Marshal and became Director General of the Saudi Arabia Armed Forces Project.
He retired from the RAF in February 1999.

Later life

In October 2000 Macfadyen was appointed Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man.
From 2006 to 2008 he was the National President of the Royal British Legion and later the Honorary Inspector General of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force.
In October 2009 Macfadyen became Constable and Governor of Windsor Castle in succession to Vice Admiral Ian Jenkins. Before retirement from this post in July 2014, Macfadyen was knighted by the Queen as a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in a private ceremony in Windsor Castle.