The Royal British Columbia Air Force (Chinook Wawa: Hyas Tyee yaka Kosah Keedaw) is the air force of BC, and forms one of the three environmental commands of the BC Defence Force.
Established in 1915 as the British Columbia Flying Corps, and from 1917 units of the BCFC were deployed to Europe to take part in the Great War. After the war, King George V granted the BCFC the 'Royal' title, thus becoming the Royal British Columbia Flying Corps. Subsequently, it was renamed Royal British Columbia Air Force, by which name it has been known ever since.
Over the course of its history, the RBCAF has served in the First and Second World Wars, the Korean War, the Malayan Emergency, the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, the Gulf War, the Kosovo War and various United Nations peacekeeping missions and APTO operations.
Current Order of Battle[]
See also RBCAF Historical Orders of Battle
- Fighter: 6 sqn Spitfire F.3 (1, 2, 3, 7, 9, 111)
- Transport: 1 sqn Osprey VC.1 (4), 1 sqn Kiev C.1 (11), 1 sqn Detroit CV.2 (103)
- Transport/SAR: 2 sqn Osprey VSR.1 (6, 110)
- Tanker: 1 sqn Detroit K.1 (8)
- Helicopter: 2 sqn Yarksis (109, 114), 2 sqn Blackhawk (112, 113)
- SAM: 4 sqn S-300PMU-2 (601, 602, 603, 604)
Equipment[]
For an all-time list of RBCAF equipment, see Aircraft of the RBCAF; for all-time serial numbers, see RBCAF Serial Numbers.
Facilities[]
(list not yet complete)
- DFJB Boundary Bay - Ladner, Delta. Airbase shared with Royal British Columbia Marine Corps.
- DFJB Comox - Comox, Vancouver Island. HQ RBCAF. Airbase shared with Royal British Columbia Navy.
- DFJB Cranbrook - Cranbrook. Airbase shared with British Columbia Army.
- DFJB Queen Charlotte - Helicopter base, shared with RBCM and BC Army.
- RBCAF Dease Lake - Airbase.
- RBCAF Fort Nelson - Airbase.
- RBCAF Kelowna - Airbase.
- RBCAF Prince George - Airbase.
- RBCAF Sea Island - Sea Island, Richmond. Co-located with South Terminal of Vancouver International Airport. Formerly a full airbase, now only SAR helicopter base.
- RBCAF Kemano - Airbase
Units[]
Currently active units marked with *
- 1 Sqn *
- 2 Sqn *
- 3 Sqn *
- 4 Sqn *
- 5 Sqn
- 6 Sqn *
- 7 Sqn *
- 8 Sqn *
- 9 Sqn *
- 10 Sqn
- 11 Sqn *
- 12 Sqn
- 101 Sqn
- 102 Sqn
- 103 Sqn *
- 104 Sqn
- 105 Sqn
- 106 Sqn
- 107 Sqn
- 108 Sqn
- 109 Sqn *
- 110 Sqn *
- 111 Sqn *
- 112 Sqn *
- 113 Sqn *
- 114 Sqn *
- 393 Sqn
- 394 Sqn
- 395 Sqn
- 396 Sqn
- 397 Sqn
- 398 Sqn
- 399 Sqn
- 501 Sqn *
- 502 Sqn *
- 601 Sqn *
- 602 Sqn *
- 603 Sqn *
- 604 Sqn *
- 1 OTU *
- 2 OTU
- Flight Training School *
- Advanced Flying School *
- 1001 Maintenance Unit *
- 1002 Maintenance Unit *
- Experiment & Testing Unit *