On Canadian Wings - Ep 7. Fast Times for the Golden Jets 1946-1958

After World War II, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) scaled down to 16,000 personnel, returning to its core peacetime functions: aerial photography and survey, transport, Arctic resupply, and search and rescue. This period also saw the integration of wartime technological advancements. The Rock Number One photo establishment, recognized as a leading post-war air survey photographic laboratory, processed over a million prints and photographed more than 400,000 square miles of Canadian territory in 1946 alone. In 1948, the RCAF received its first Vampire jets, eventually acquiring 85. These nimble fighters, initially deployed at the Central Flying School in Trenton, were popular with pilots. Amidst growing concerns about the Soviet threat, Canada joined NATO in 1949. This led to a recruitment drive, airbase upgrades, and the domestic design and construction of jet aircraft. The Winter Experimental Establishment conducted crucial cold-weather operation tests for both the RCAF and RAF at locations like Watson Lake and Churchill, establishing expertise in this field given Canada's climate. Rotary-wing aircraft were introduced in 1947, starting with Sikorsky H5s and later Bell H3s. The Mid-Canada Line project, a component of North American air defense, marked the RCAF's first major helicopter operation in 1954. This involved constructing 102 radar sites across the north, with the 108 Communications Flight, the RCAF's sole all-chopper unit, transporting materials and equipment under challenging conditions. Search and rescue operations were also formalized, dividing the country into five regions with 34 aircraft, including Norsemen, DHC-3 Otters, Canso, Lancasters, and helicopters, forming a nationwide network extending into the Arctic. Rescue specialists and medical personnel received specialized training, a system that would ultimately save tens of thousands of lives. Significant strides were made in polar navigation during the late 1940s and 1950s, an area where the RCAF earned global recognition. Canadian navigators, flying in US Air Force B-29s from Edmonton and Alaskan bases, developed navigation procedures, tested radars, and completed vital mapping projects in the high Arctic. In June 1950, when North Korea attacked South Korea, Canada joined UN forces. The RCAF's primary contribution was the Korean airlift, which lasted until mid-1954. RCAF North Stars flew between McChord Air Force Base and Tokyo via northern (Alaska and Aleutians) or southern (Wake Island and Hawaii) routes. Twenty-two Canadian fighter pilots flew operationally in Korea on exchange with the USAF, crediting them with nine confirmed Mig-15 kills, two probables, and ten damaged. Flying Officer Ernie Glover, the RCAF's Top Gun, was credited with three confirmed kills and received the first Distinguished Flying Cross since WWII. Squadron Leader A.R. McKenzie was shot down and held prisoner, released in 1954. In May 1951, the RCAF began recruiting women again, allowing them to serve directly in the Air Force rather than a separate division. The RCAF Blue Devils aerobatic team, flying Vampires from 410 Squadron, performed to acclaim in Canada and the US between 1949 and 1951. Around this time, Air Force Headquarters commissioned the development of an all-Canadian, all-weather, long-range jet interceptor for air defense, which became the Avro Canada CF-100. After a challenging flight test program, the CF-100 entered service in late 1952. In 1950, Canada committed an air division to Europe, consisting of four wings, each with three squadrons flying the F-86 Sabre jet. The first Sabres went to 410 Squadron in May 1951. By mid-1952, three Canadian Sabre squadrons were operating in England as part of RAF Fighter Command, marking the first swept-wing fighters to fly with the RAF in the 1950s. The RCAF enjoyed a high reputation within NATO for its aircrew competence and first-rate equipment. Mass Atlantic crossings of Sabre wings were an impressive feat, with formations leapfrogging across the ocean to temporary bases in Europe. In 1954, the division consolidated in Marville, France, receiving new Orenda-powered Mark V Sabres, which were faster and could fly higher than earlier models. An important naval aviation milestone occurred in October 1956 with the rollout of the first Canadian-built anti-submarine aircraft, the Tracker CS2F, built under license from Grumman. With the introduction of Banshee Fighters for air defense and Canadian-modified Trackers, alongside an experimental unit of six helicopters for ASW, the naval air branch was poised to become part of a capable small navy. On January 17, 1957, the powerful HMCS Bonaventure was commissioned, beginning 13 years of flying operations. The Sabre jet became a symbol of the RCAF's "golden years" through the 1950s and into the 1960s. The Golden Hawks formation flying team, formed to commemorate 50 years of powered flight in Canada, performed 65 shows in 1959, earning acclaim as "the best in North America." The presence of Canadian Sabres in the air often deterred Soviet incursions into NATO territory, as the Soviets acknowledged the Mig's inferiority and the Canadians' fighting spirit. However, a 1956 decision to re-equip one squadron per wing in Europe with CF-100s to provide NATO with an all-weather interceptor was not universally welcomed. Maritime Patrol and anti-submarine warfare flying were re-established at Greenwood in the early 1950s, with Avro and de Havilland modifying Lancasters for the task. The RCAF acquired 25 Lockheed Neptunes in 1955 as a stopgap until the Argus, then in development, became available. In May 1958, 405 Squadron re-equipped with the superb Argus, a Canadair conversion of the Bristol Britannia airframe into a preeminent ASW maritime patrol aircraft. This design was further refined into the CC-106 Yukon long-range transport, which began replacing the aging Northstar in 1959. NORAD (North American Air Defense Command) was established in 1958. Data from the DEW Line, Mid-Canada Line, and Pine Tree Line radar stations fed into underground headquarters in Colorado Springs and regional stations like North Bay. NORAD, designed to provide air defense against Soviet attack over the North Pole, involved a significant American presence on Canadian soil and the deployment of fighter aircraft capable of intercepting enemy aircraft, working closely with the United States Air Force. This profoundly affected the RCAF, intertwining its doctrine and attitudes with the USAF and developing a highly competent air interception capability, a dream for fighter pilots.