[Andy Fletcher]

If the person leading the staffel in the air is the Staffelführer and this individual is the most experienced on that particular mission why does the term Staffelführer appear in the Gen.Qu.6.Abt. loss returns and various unit Offizier Stellenbesetzung which implies that the Staffelführer was at least a semi official position rather than just the leader in the air for a particular mission. Schwarmführer and rottenführer (or kettenführer) don't appear in the Gen.Qu.6.Abt. loss returns.

Also presumably an experienced leader in the air is required to control the number of aircraft dispatched by the staffel (in the case of fighter and bomber staffeln) so why would a Fernaufklärungs unit, dispatching single aircraft on missions, require a Staffelführer but the term Staffelführer is used in Fernaufklärungs Offizier Stellenbesetzung.

The term stellv.Gr.Kdr. was undoubtedly used for acting Gr.Kdr. (listed in Offizier Stellenbesetzung).