Educated at the High School of Dundee and the University of Edinburgh, where he gained a Bachelor of Science, and having been in the East Lowlands Universities Air Squadron McNicoll joined the Royal Air Force Flying Branch in 1975.
He went on to be Personal Staff Officer to the Chief of the Defence Staff in 1997[1] and Station Commander RAF Brüggen in 1998 in which role had operational control of the base's Tornado aircraft during 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia.
[1] He became Director of Force Development in 2000,[1] Director-General of Joint Doctrine and Concepts in 2002[1] and Air Officer Commanding No.
[1] His last appointment was as Deputy Commander-in-Chief (Operations) at Air Command in 2007,[1] in which role he had to defend the airworthiness of his ageing aircraft,[2] before he retired in April 2010.
He married Wendelien van den Biggelaar, a Dutch citizen, in 1980: they have one son and two daughters.