Page 30 - World Airshow News Autumn 2024

ONE HuNDRED yEARS OF EXCELLENCE By Kerry J. Newstead

The Centennial of the Royal Canadian Air Force

anada has had a long history of aviation, dating back by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The
to 1909 with the first flight of Dr. Alexander Graham BCATP remains one of the single largest aviation training pro-
Bell’s Silver Dart in Nova Scotia. Canadian military grams in history and was responsible for training nearly half of
C aviation traces its roots back to 1918, when Great the pilots, navigators, bombardiers, air gunners, wireless opera-
Britain gave Canada permission to form a two-squad- tors, and flight engineers who served with the Royal Air Force,
ron Canadian Air Force (one fighter squadron and one bomber Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm, Royal Australian Air Force, Royal Ca-
squadron) during World War I. On April 1, 1924 the Canadian nadian Air Force, and Royal New Zealand Air Force during World
Air Force was granted the royal title by Britain, becoming the War II. By the end of the war some 167,000 students had been
Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). taught.
During World War II, the RCAF was involved in operations During the Cold War, the RCAF established bases in Europe as
in the United Kingdom, Europe, the North Atlantic, North the 1 Canadian Air Division (CAD), with four squadrons locat-
Africa, Southern Asia, and with home defense. Britain allot- ed on each base. The bases were located at Marville, France; Gro-
ted Canada 50 squadrons, squadrons 400 through 449. Each stenquin France; Baden Soellingen Germany; and Zweibrücken
squadron had its own Standard, a flag approved by the Brit- Germany. There was also a command base at North Luffenham,
ish Royalty. With each battle fought and won, a Battle Honour England.
was added to their Standard. These were awarded by the British The RCAF stood shoulder to shoulder with NATO and its other
Crown. allies in Korea, the Gulf Wars, Eastern Europe, and Northern Af-
The RCAF also provided aircrew training in Canada for the rica. The RCAF also played a critical role in the North American
British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), a large- Air Defense Command (NORAD) during the Cold War and in the
scale multinational military aircrew training program created years since.

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