Who is the lowest officer that can approve the flight schedule?

• A. Squadron Commander
• B. Safety Officer
• C. Designated Operations Officer
• D. Executive Officer

Answer: (C)

The main idea is who has the authority to authorize flight schedules at the squadron level. The Designated Operations Officer is the person designated by the command to handle flight operations, including approving the daily or mission-specific flight schedules. This role sits specifically to balance operational needs with safety, coordinating with maintenance, aircrew, weather, and other factors to confirm that a sortie can be flown within duty limits and aircraft availability. The squadron commander has overall responsibility and can override or set policy, the executive officer handles staff and administrative matters, and the safety officer focuses on safety implications and can halt operations if conditions are unsafe. But the formal duty to approve flight schedules—the routine authority to sign off on a schedule—rests with the Designated Operations Officer, making this the correct choice.