 On 5 May 1942, Jones was appointed Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), the RAAF's senior position.He was considered an unlikely choice, a contemporary newspaper describing him as "the darkest of dark horses".Jones was still only a substantive wing commander and acting air commodore when he succeeded to the role, leapfrogging several more senior officers including his friend Bill Bostock, now an air vice-marshal and Deputy Chief of the Air Staff.