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The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) was the air force of Canada from 1924 until 1968 when the three branches of the Canadian military were merged into the Canadian Armed Forces. The modern Canadian air force has been known as Canadian Forces Air Command (AIRCOM) since 1975 but still refers to itself as the "Air Force" and maintains many of the traditions of the RCAF.
The aviation age came to Canada on February 23, 1909 when Alexander Graham Bell's Silver Dart took off from the ice of Bras d'Or Lake at Baddeck, Nova Scotia with J.D. McCurdy at the controls. This flight was notable for being the first "controlled powered flight" (also the first flight of a "heavier than air craft") in the British Empire. The craft also set other firsts with a March 10, 1909 flight of over 20 miles around Baddeck and on August 2, 1909 the Silver Dart made the first passenger flight in Canada and the British Empire.
Despite these successes, the craft was similar to many early aircraft of the day and had poor control characteristics. "The Canadian Army was unimpressed at the headway made by the group. The general impression of the time was that airplanes would never amount to much in actual warfare. One official felt otherwise, and the group was finally invited to the base at PetawawaPetawawa is a town located in the Canadian province of Ontario. Situated in the Ottawa Valley, with a population of 15380, Petawawa is the largest municipality in Renfrew County. Geography Latitude 45°54' North and Longitude 77°17' West Petawawa is scenic to unveil their machine. The sandy terrain there proved to be the wrong thing for an aircraft with landing wheels about 2 inches in diameter, and there was great difficulty taking off. Worse still, on the fifth flight McCurdy wrecked the craft on landing when one wheel struck a rise in the ground. Thus ended the career of the Silver Dart."[1]
Several years later, the beginning of the First World War on August 4August 4 is the 216th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (217th in leap years), with 149 days remaining. Events 1500-1899 1578 Battle of Al Kasr al Kebir Moroccans defeat Portuguese. King Sebastian of Portugal is defeated and killed in North Africa, 1914Events January 4 77 seal hunters freeze to death on ice near Labrador January 5 Ford Motor Company announces an eight-hour workday and a minimum wage of $5 for a day's labor February 13 Copyright: In New York City the ASCAP (for American Society of Compos found Canada immediately embroiled in the conflict by virtue of Britain's declaration. Some European nations were using airplanes for military purposes and Canada's Minister of Militia and Defence, Sam HughesSir Samuel Hughes ( January 8, 1853 August 23, 1921) was the Canadian Minister of Militia during World War I. Sam Hughes joined the Canadian militia as a boy, and fought against the Fenian raids in the 1860s and 1870s. He was elected to Parliament in 1892, who was organizing the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF), enquired if LondonLondon is the capital of the United Kingdom and of England, and with over seven million inhabitants in the Greater London area, is the second-most populous conurbation in Europe (after Moscow). From being Londinium the capital of the Roman province of Bri required had any need for aviators. London answered with a request for 6 experienced pilots immediately but Hughes was unable to fill the requirement.
Hughes did authorize the creation of a small aviation unit to accompany the CEF to Britain and on September 16, 1914 the Canadian Aviation Corps was formed with 2 officers, 1 mechanic, and $5000 to purchase a biplane from a Massachusetts company for delivery to Quebec City. The plane was delivered on October 1, 1914 and was shipped immediately with the CEF. On arrival in Britain, the biplane was transported to the Salisbury Plain where the CEF was marshalled for training. The craft never flew. It quickly deteriorated in the damp winter climate and was written off. On May 7, 1915, the Canadian Aviation Corps was decommissioned.
In 1915, Britain asked the Dominions to consider training crew to serve with the Royal Flying Corps but Canada did not act on the request until 1918 (likely owing to other war priorities). During this period, Canadians served with the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service producing such greats as W.A. "Billy" Bishop, Roy Brown, and Wilfrid "Wop" May. In spring 1918, the Canadian government proposed forming a wing of 8 squadrons for service with the Canadian Corps in France but Britain felt the disruption to their war effort by relocating Canadian pilots and mechanics from their own air service was not worth the effort. Britain was short of groundcrew so Canadians filled this void for several months until August 5, 1918 when the British Air Ministry formed 2 Canadian squadrons (1 bomber, 1 fighter) and on September 19, 1918 the Canadian government authorized the creation of the Canadian Air Force to take control of these 2 squadrons under the command of Canada's Lieutenant Colonel W.A. Bishop, the leading ace of the British Empire and the first Canadian aviator awarded the Victoria Cross.
Several weeks previous, on September 5, 1918 the government authorized the Royal Canadian Navy to form the Royal Canadian Naval Air Service (RCNAS) with a main function to carry out anti-submarine operations using "flying boat" patrol aircraft. The U.S. Navy's Naval Air Station Halifax , located on the eastern shores of the harbour at Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia , was acquired but following the November 11, 1918 Armistice, the RCNAS was decomissioned.
The infant Canadian Air Force had planned to form 6 additional squadrons in Europe but the Armistice also disrupted these plans and in late November the existing 2 squadrons were merely upgraded with new aircraft. The following spring on June 19, 1919 the Canadian government decided against a permanent peacetime air force and in January 1920 the 2 squadrons were disbanded and equipment shipped back to Canada. On February 5, 1920 the Canadian Air Force was disbanded.