15 Wing Moose Jaw
15 Wing Moose Jaw is the proud host of the Saskatchewan Airshow. The Canadian Forces Base, located 4 miles South of Moose Jaw, is operated by The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and is currently comprised of 2 Canadian Forces Flying Training School (2 CFFTS), 3 Canadian Forces Flying Training School (3 CFFTS) and the world-famous Canadian Forces Snowbirds military air demonstration team. The Wing is the principal site of the NATO Flying Training in Canada (NFTC) and Contracted Flight Training and Support (CFTS) programs (located in Portage La Prairie, MB).
Of the approximately 130,000 yearly flying hours flown by the RCAF each year, 15 Wing flies approximately 36,000 hours. Nearly 30% of the total RCAF annual flying hours. 15 Wing trains over 100 pilots every year from Canada, Singapore and Hungary through the NFTC program. 15 Wing Moose Jaw operates seven different aircraft platforms that include: CT-156 Harvard II, CT-155 Hawk and CT-114 Tutor, CH-139 Jet Ranger, Bell 412 CF, Grob 120A and C90B King Air.
15 Wing training schools are centres of excellence thanks to the support staff, and the Canadian and NATO Qualified Flying Instructors. They dedicate their time to ensuring that students receive every opportunity to develop throughout their training and that they successfully produce some of the best aircrew in the world.
The NFTC and CFTS programs are based on the long and proud Canadian tradition of assisting in training and developing pilots of allied countries which dates back to the First World War and continuing with the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan.
15 Wing Moose Jaw Timeline
Declaration of World War II – Moose Jaw Flying Club was initially contracted to provide pilot training for the RCAF. Formation of the British Commonwealth Air Training Program (BCATP). The aerodrome in Moose Jaw was acquired by the Government of Canada and reconstructed as RCAF Station Moose Jaw. Pilot training took place under RCAF No. 32 Service Flying Training School (32 SFTS) using the Harvard I and Airspeed Oxford. 1,207 pilots were graduated for the Air Forces of Canada, Britain and New Zealand. RCAF Station Moose Jaw was deactivated. Due to mounting pressures of the Cold War, RCAF Station Moose Jaw was reactivated, becoming the new home of 2 Flying Training School (2 FTS). 2 FTS began flight operations using North American Harvard single-engine trainers and Canadian-built CT-133 Silver Star advanced jet-training aircraft. The formation of the NATO Air Training Program. The Canadian built CT-114 Tutor jet replaced the Harvard I and CT-133 Silver Star for pilot training. Unification of the Air Force, Army and Navy into the Canadian Forces. RCAF Station Moose Jaw became Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Moose Jaw. Colonel O.B. Philp, Base Commander at CFB Moose Jaw organized an unofficial group of volunteer instructors known as the 2 Canadian Forces Flying Training School Formation Team. A contest to give the air demonstration team a formal name was held at the CFB Moose Jaw base elementary school (Bushell Park Elementary) and resulted in the name Snowbirds. The name was formally adopted on 25 June 1971. The team was formed into its own squadron, 431 Air Demonstration Squadron. CFB Moose Jaw officially became 15 Wing Moose Jaw. An agreement was signed with Bombardier to provide the NATO Flying Training in Canada (NFTC) Program. The CT-114 Tutor was phased out as a training aircraft and replaced with the CT-156 Harvard II and CT-155 Hawk. CAE became the prime contractor for the NFTC Program. Today 15 Wing is the principal site of the NFTC program: An international military pilot training program that has seen pilot trainees from around the globe join their Canadian counterparts in the skies over Southern Saskatchewan.
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