1st Canadian Air Group Memories

[F3]

Like many Yorkshire people I feel a special affinity with the RCAF, which as 6 Gp. Bomber Command occupied a number of bases north of York. Hundreds of Canadians never returned home and are buried in Harrogate cemetery. Consequently there are memorials at several locations such as Leeming and Skipton-on-Swale and so representatives of Canadian Sqns. have periodically returned for their dedication or re-dedication. Until the early '90s the Canadian Air Group was based in Germany's Black Forest region @ Baden-Soellingen and Lahr and comprised three fighter Sqns., equipped with the CF-18 Hornet, a helicopter Sqn. equipped with the CH-136 Kiowa and a detachment of 412 Sqn. in the transport role, equipped with a pair of DHC Dash 7s and later a single Dash 8. All these types were regular visitors to our Air Shows, but with the end of the Cold War in '89 they soon returned home after the Gulf War, in which a composite Hornets Sqn. operated under the nom de Guerre Desert Cats. This set of images is dedicated as a tribute to our Canadian allies and their contribution to the UK air airshow scene over the decades. If any of you feel a similar affinity with the Canadians and have any suitable images feel free to add them as I would be interested to see the development of a thread.

1 CAG CF-104 Flagships, 441, 439 + 421 Sqns. by Michael Britton, on Flickr

CF-18 742 439 Sqn. Mildenhall '86 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

1 CAG - Dash 7 001 412 Sqn.Ch.Fenton circa '85 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Cannuck - Dash 8 (Flying) by Michael Britton, on Flickr

1 CAG - CT-133 542 Silver Star Finningley by Michael Britton, on Flickr

1CAG - CF-18 display Ch.Fenton '89 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

CAG - CF - 18 421 Sqn. Finningley '88 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

CF-18 758 409 Sqn. Waddo Photocall '90 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

1 CAG CF-18 780 - Fully armed Fairford '91 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

CF-18 769 439 Sqn. in Tiger sch. Fairford by Michael Britton, on Flickr

1 CAG - CH136 Kiowa 834 444 Sqn. Fairford '91 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

CAG - Sqn. Badges by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Desert Cats patch by Michael Britton, on Flickr

[Mustang531]

Thanks for sharing these, once the Canadians went home, it certainly made a bit of a hole in the air show programmes. The CF-104 display team, the Tiger Romeo's being a highlight. The CC-132s were replaced by a pair of CC-142s and they used to pop up everywhere, I even saw one in Heathrow once. Living near Gatwick, CC-109s, CC-130s and CC-137s were regular visitors too. At least there's a CT-133 preserved in Yorkshire, but it would be nice to see a Hooter there as well. Then there's the CF-100 at Duxford from an earlier era. Happy days!

[paddyboy]

Hi Mick

Some great memory-jerkers in the mix there

That first pic

Thanks for posting

Paddyboy

[mancman]

Here's a few of my Canadian memories.

104761 CF-104G Canadian AF July 1981 Greenham Common by Andy Bird, on Flickr

104760 CF-104G Canadian AF Aug 1981 St Mawgan by Andy Bird, on Flickr

CF-104G x 4 Canadian AF July 1981 Greenham Common by Andy Bird, on Flickr

CT133 Canadian AF Abingdon 1990 by Andy Bird, on Flickr

132001 CC-132 Canadian AF Aug 1981 St Mawgan by Andy Bird, on Flickr

188787 CF-188 Canadian AF July 2000 Cottesmore by Andy Bird, on Flickr

[F3]

Liking those Andy, esp. the CF-104 display team. I do think the Cannucks punched above their weight at air shows!

[Buccs2b]

A quartet of shots from the 2 Cottesmore RIAT shows

2001_CF188_IAT by Tony Adams, on Flickr

TA_FA18_20_1 by Tony Adams, on Flickr

TA_FA18_21_1 by Tony Adams, on Flickr
TA_FA18_22_1 by Tony Adams, on Flickr

[F3]

Nice ones Tony. Those last two had been based @ Goia during the NATO air campaign against Serbia where the personnel complained about being housed in rat infested accommodation so they painted the rat's heads on the top of the fins. You can see them quite clearly when enlarged.

[mancman]

One more which I particularly like. Single CF-104 doing a practice display at St Mawgan a few days before the annual show.

CF-104G Canadian AF Aug 1981 St Mawgan by Andy Bird, on Flickr

[3Greens]

Hi Mick,
here's a few from the visit of 8 Starfighters over from Sollingen into Coningsby noted on 12th July 1978
The white fin and red maple leaf I believe was applied during the TAM at Wildenwrath







Great memories for me too
3Greens

[F3]

Loving these Keith, esp that last one. Can literally smell the Avtur and feel the heat! Unfortunately never got to see them on deployment. The Cannucks were hooter drivers par excellence. No-one else would have dared to field a display team flying such an unforgiving a/c as they did for years w/out a single loss that I can recall. (Doubtless someone will correct me on that but certainly I did nt see/hear of any).

[lardyboy999]

A selection from my tour in Gibraltar 1988-1991.





























Cheers.

Andy

[Mustang531]

Thanks for putting up the extra shots, nice to see some more CF-104s, but the Hornets and Convair in Gibraltar are different.

[3Greens]

Loving these Keith, esp that last one. Can literally smell the Avtur and feel the heat! Unfortunately never got to see them on deployment. The Cannucks were hooter drivers par excellence. No-one else would have dared to field a display team flying such an unforgiving a/c as they did for years w/out a single loss that I can recall. (Doubtless someone will correct me on that but certainly I did nt see/hear of any).

Hi Mick should have added this final one in my post ... awesome experience and you can feel the heat



3Greens

[F3]

Thanks to everyone who's contributed to this thread but esp 3Greens and lardyboy999. Just shows how the Canadians got around. As I said they always punched above their weight. Re the Gib set, the Cosmopolitan reminds me that later on the 412 Sqn Det lost their new Dash 8s and were issued with this instead. Another thing about the Canadians was that they liked getting value for money. Wish I'd been on holiday in Gib back then judging by the variety of a/c types in the b/ground, Buccs, Canberra + Vulcan to name but three. Must have been a great posting. Was it an Exercise?

[lardyboy999]

Thanks to everyone who's contributed to this thread but esp 3Greens and lardyboy999. Just shows how the Canadians got around. As I said they always punched above their weight. Re the Gib set, the Cosmopolitan reminds me that later on the 412 Sqn Det lost their new Dash 8s and were issued with this instead. Another thing about the Canadians was that they liked getting value for money. Wish I'd been on holiday in Gib back then judging by the variety of a/c types in the b/ground, Buccs, Canberra + Vulcan to name but three. Must have been a great posting. Was it an Exercise?

Probably the annual Exercise Open Gate which happened around April/May. The Vulcan was the old Gate Guard which used to reside by the road which crosses the runway and Victoria football stadium. Where you see it was where it was scrapped in 1990 (?). I've got other photos of it being butchered if you're an aviation sadist.

Andy