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The Canadian Forces Air Navigation School is located at CFB Winnipeg
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The Canadian Forces Air Navigation School is located at CFB Winnipeg
Canadian pilots in the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) learned rudimentary navigation during World War I, but separate observer schools were not introduced until 1918. [1] Right up until the outbreak of World War II there was still no category of air observer in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). [2]
Royal Canadian Air Force specialty navigator training started in March 1942 as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan [3] 1 Air Navigation Schools (1 ANS) moved to Rivers, Manitoba from Trenton, Ontario in November, 1940, and 2 ANS started in Pennfield Ridge, New Brunswick in 1941. [4] The two Air Navigation Schools, 1 ANS and 2 ANS, amalgamated on May 11, 1942 to form Central Navigation School. [5] In early 1944 two other schools, 2 ANS and 3 ANS (re)opened. [5] Central Navigation School disbanded on September 15, 1945.
Central Navigation School was re-formed at Summerside, P.E.I., on August 1, 1951, and then moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1954. [6]
In August 1967, CNS and Central Flying School (CFS) joined as Central Flying and Navigation School (CFNS) training both flying and navigation. In November 1968 navigator training was again separated from flying training, and became the specialty of the Canadian Forces Air Navigation School (CFANS). [7]
In the early 21st century, CFANS expanded its role to include the training of Airborne Electronic Sensor Operators (AESOP).
On June 26, 2009 CFANS adopted the name of the Canadian Forces advanced pilot training school, 1 Canadian Forces Flying Training School (1 CFFTS), inheriting the histories of both advanced flying training and navigator training. [8]
The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), often referred to as simply "The Plan", was a large-scale multinational military aircrew training program created by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand during the Second World War. The BCATP remains one of the single largest aviation training programs in history and was responsible for training nearly half the pilots, navigators, bomb aimers, air gunners, wireless operators and flight engineers who served with the Royal Air Force (RAF), Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm (FAA), Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) during the war.
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1914, with the formation of the Canadian Aviation Corps (CAC) that was attached to the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War. It consisted of one aircraft that was never called into service. In 1918, a wing of two Canadian squadrons called the Canadian Air Force (CAF) was formed in England and attached to the Royal Air Force, but it also would never see wartime service. Postwar, an air militia also known as the Canadian Air Force was formed in Canada in 1920. In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) when it was granted the royal title by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968.
Canadian Forces Base Summerside was an air force base located in St. Eleanors, Prince Edward Island, Canada, now part of the city of Summerside.
The Royal Canadian Air Force is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environmental commands within the unified Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2020, the Royal Canadian Air Force consists of 12,074 Regular Force and 1,969 Primary Reserve personnel, supported by 1,518 civilians, and operates 258 manned aircraft and nine unmanned aerial vehicles. Lieutenant-General Eric Kenny is the current Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force and Chief of the Air Force Staff.
Royal Air Force Topcliffe or RAF Topcliffe is a Royal Air Force station in North Yorkshire, England.
Canadian Forces Base Trenton, formerly RCAF Station Trenton, is a Canadian Forces base located within the city of Quinte West, Ontario. It is operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and is the hub for air transport operations in Canada and abroad. Its primary RCAF lodger unit is 8 Wing, commonly referred to as 8 Wing Trenton. CFB Trenton is Canada's largest Air Force base and most southerly air base.
The Air Operations Branch is a personnel branch of the Canadian Forces (CF). All members of the branch wear the air force uniform.
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Canadian Forces Base Winnipeg is a Royal Canadian Air Force base located within the City of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Co-located at the Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport, CFB Winnipeg is home to many flight operations support divisions, as well as several training schools. Its primary RCAF lodger unit is 17 Wing, commonly referred to as 17 Wing Winnipeg.
The Clayton Knight Committee, was founded by Billy Bishop and Clayton Knight in 1940. Homer Smith and several German émigrés, who wanted America to join the war against the Axis powers, provided funding for the secret and unlawful commissioning agency. Its mission was to bring Americans to Canada in order to prepare and battle for the Allies while the US was still neutral. By Canada allowing the training to take place on their soil, it is considered the most important contribution it made to the Allied air war. This was before the US declared war on Japan and Germany. The committee was forced to defend itself from opposing forces such as, "pacifists and isolationists, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt."
The NATO Air Training Plan was an aircrew training program which ran from 1950–1958, authorized by NATO, and implemented by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). The program trained pilots and navigators from NATO signatory countries with the purpose of improving NATO airpower in response to the perceived military threat in Europe from Soviet bloc countries.
Air Marshal George Owen Johnson CB, MC was a Canadian aviator, World War I Flying Ace and a senior commander in the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II.
CFB Rivers was a Royal Canadian Air Force base located 5 km (3.1 mi) southwest of Rivers, Manitoba, Canada, at the junction of Manitoba Highway 25 and Manitoba Provincial Road 259.
While the lineage of 1 Canadian Forces Flying Training School can be traced back through previous similarly named Canadian military pilot flying schools, such as No. 1 Service Flying Training School and 1 Flying Training School, the unit located at CFB Winnipeg and currently bearing the name does not participate in pilot training.
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No. 13 Service Flying Training School RCAF was a RAF flight training unit flying Avro Ansons from RCAF Station St Hubert, Quebec and later from RCAF Station North Battleford, Saskatchewan. It was part of No. 3 Training Command RCAF carrying out British Commonwealth Air Training Plan ("BCATP") operations.
No. 2 Squadron was a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) squadron active during the late 1930s. The squadron operated army cooperation aircraft from 1935, and upon the outbreak of World War II was selected for overseas duty. However, a shortage of aircraft forced its disbandment in late 1939 to reinforce two other squadrons.
No. 3 (Bomber) Squadron was a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) squadron active during the late 1930s.