On this day in Canadian Aviation History

 

01 March

1938

Western Air Command with Headquarters at Vancouver, BC, was formed to control all RCAF units in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

1941

To avoid confusion with RAF units, RCAF squadrons overseas were renumbered 400 series ie 110 became 400 Squadron, No. 1 Squadron became 401 Squadron, etc.

1941

No. 402 Squadron became operational at Digby, Lincolnshire, England.

1941

No. 403 (Fighter) Squadron was formed at Bagington, England.

1942

Formation of RCAF Accident Board.

1951

No. 441 Squadron was reformed at St. Hubert, Quebec, and equipped with DH 1200 Vampire fighters.

1989

Canadian Space Agency (CSA) was formed, taking over the National Research Council as Canada's primary space agency.  In 1993, the CSA established its headquarters in St. Hubert, Quebec.

02 March

1956

Four members of the RCAF Sky Lancers Aerobatic Team killed in crash of their Sabres at Strassbourg, France.

1963

439 and 441 Squadrons became the last Air Div units to reform on CF-104.  Eight squadrons now online.

03 March

1919

First Canadian International Airmail flown from Vancouver, BC to Seattle, WA by E. Hubbard in a Boeing seaplane.

1926

Air Service to Red Lake, Ontario began.  JV Elliot and AH Farringtron of Elliot Air Service flew two Curtiss JN-4s with a passenger in each from Hudson to Red Lake, Ontario.

1930

The inaugural flight over the Prairie Air Mail Route was carried out by Western Canada Airways Ltd.

04 March

1936

Authorization to form No. 6 (TB) Squadron at Trenton with Vedette's.

1942

Formation of No. 7 Manning Depot at Rockcliffe to process applications for Women's Division.

05 March

1936

First Wapiti delivered to the RCAF.

1947

RCAF accepts its first helicopter, Sikorsky H-5 at Trenton.

06 March

1913

The formation of the First Saskatchewan Aviation Co Ltd to teach aviation was announced at Saskatoon, Sask.

1968

First single Huey turned over to 403 Squadron in Uplands ceremony.

1984

First B-52 captive test of cruise missile over Primrose Lake bombing range, near Cold Lake, Alberta.

07 March

1910

The Canadan Aerodrome Co.'s Baddeck No. 2 biplane was flown by J.A.D. McCurdy with F.W. Baldwin as passenger at Baddeck, NS.

1953

Nos. 413, 427 and 434 Squadrons began flying their North American Sabres from Canada to Zweibrucken, Germany, forming No. 3 Fighter Wing.

1969

Maj Bob Ayres became the first CF-104 pilot to exceed 2,000 hrs on the CF-104.

08 March

1951

A certifacate of airworthiness is granted to the first Canadian-designed and built helicopter, the Sznyler SG-VI Grey Gull, at Dorval, QC.

09 March

1910

The first serving member of the Canadian armed forces to take an aeroplane flight in Canada, Major G.S. Maunsell, was J.A.D. McCurdy's passenger on two flights of the Canadian Aerodrome Company's Baddeck No. 2 biplane at Baddeck, NS.

1915

R.H. Mulock first Canadian to qualify as a pilot in the British Air Services.

1942

First graduate of British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCAPT) to command an RCAF squadron, S/L L.V. Chadburn, 416 Squadron.

10 March

1944

Sunderland aircraft of 442 Squadron attacked U-boat 625 forcing crew to abandon ship.

1974

"Turbo" Tarling flew his 5,000th  T-33 hour.

11 March

1945

A Japanese balloon bomb, shot at in British Columbia, was recovered in Edson, Alberta.

1968

No. 6 Strike Reconnaissance OTU redesignated 417 Squadron.

12 March

1908

The first flight of a powered heavier-than-air machine piloted by a Canadian was made by F.W. Baldwin on the Aerial Experiment Association's Red Wing biplane at Hammondsport New York.

1930

Death of W.G. Barker, VC, in a crash at Rockcliffe.

13 March

1928

Eileen Vollick of Hamilton Ont. was the first woman in Canada to receive a private pilot's certificate . No.77 dated 13 March 1928

1964

Beginning of RCAF support of UN Peacekeeping operations on Cyprus.

14 March

1984

Marc Garneau named the first Canadian astronaut.

15 March

1946

The RCAF Fighter Wing, Nos. 411, 412, 416 and 443 Squadrons, was disbanded.  It was serving with the British Air Forces of Occupation.

1971

First Argus exceeds 10,000 hrs on a 407 Squadron mission, commanded by Maj Mike Bradley.

1983

No. 6 FTTU that had trained all Voodoo techs since 1961, is disbanded.

16 March

1926

R.H. Goddard launched the first liquid-propelled rocket (US).

17 March

1947

Al Soutar was granted the first Canadian commercial helicopter license (Bell 47B-3, CF-FJA).

18 March

1942

No. 413 (Coastal) Squadron flew from the Shetland Isles to a new base on Ceylon.

19 March

1956

Fire at Dorval destroyed 426 Squadron's hangars forcing 426 to relocate to Trenton.

20 March

1919

Dr. John Hamilton Parkin set up the University of Toronto's first wind tunnel as part of the aeronautics program.

21 March

1946

Nos. 441, 412, 416, 443 Squadrons (Spitfires) disbanded at Utersen, Germany.

1955

Announcement that Dew Line radar defensive system to be built in Northern Canada and Alaska.

22 March

1927

Western Canada Airways pilots Bernt Balchen, J.R. Ross and F.J. Stevenson flew the largest airlift of freight (17,894 lbs) from Cache Lake to Churchill, Manitoba.

1979

Initial flight of first CF Aurora

23 March 

1942

AVM E.W. Stedman named Director General of Air Research.

1965

Argus 20727 crashed on a night ASW exercise near Puerto Rico killing all 16 on board.          

1971 

CFB Portage La Prarie received the CT-134 Muskateer.

24 March

1945

RCAF participation in massive Rheine River crossing at Wesel.

1956

North Star 17520 over-flew true North geographic pole with Gov Gen Vincent Massey on board.

25 March

1910

The first aeroplane flight in the Province of British Columbia was made by C.K. Hamilton of the Curtiss Exhibition flying team on a Curtiss pusher biplane at Minoru Park race track near Vancouver.

1944

74 airforce POWs escaped from Stalag Luft 3 in Sagan.  50 later captured and executed including 6 Canadians.

1958

The first Canadian-built supersonic aircraft, the Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow, was flown at Malton.

26 March

1910

The first aeroplane flight over a Canadian city, New Westminster, BC, was part of a 26 mile trip made by C.K. Hamilton on a Curtiss pusher biplane from Minoru Park near Vancouver.

27 March 

1918

Attacked by German planes, bomber pilot Alan McLeod is strafed from below: Three bullets strike him and others puncture his fuel tank, setting his plane on fire. Lt McLeod climbs onto the lower left wing and steers the plane to a crash landing between the front lines. He pulls his gunner out of the wreck into a fox hole, from which they are rescued.

1918 

2 Lt. Alan A. McLeod was awarded the Victoria Cross for  action this day flying a reconnaissance aircraft with 2 Squadron RFC.

1975 

The  DHC-7 Dash 7 made its first flight  piloted by Bob Fowler.

28 March

1947

First RCAF helicopter crash on take-off.

1957

First flight of the Canadair Argus.

29 March

1942

The production of Spitrie aircraft reached an all-time peak in one day, 134 aircraft.

30 March

1930

Western Canada Airways inaugurated the Prairie Air Mail Route.

1951

F/L JAO Levesque became the first Canadian to shoot down a Mig 15 in the Korean War, and the first Commonwealth pilot to score a victory in jet-to-jet combat.          

1955 

405 Squadron took delivery two of the RCAF's P2V Neptunes.

31 March 

1940

Total hours flown by the RCAF 69,472.50 hrs.

1945

BCATP terminated.

1946

435 Squadron disbanded at Down Ampney, UK.

1996 

The CH 136 Kiowa helicopter was retired from the CAF.