4 Sqn RBCAF

4 Squadron RBCAF is a unit of the Royal British Columbia Air Force serving the transport role since 1945.

4 Sqn also operates a number of scheduled route services open to the public between remote airports on unprofitable routes, as well as scheduled flights between RBCAF bases that are open to members of the BCDF and their families. 4 Sqn's callsign for these services is "OWL", and use the IATA code BF and ICAO code RBF.

History
In July 1945, 4 Sqn was converted to the transport role, which it has fulfilled ever since; in the summer of 1946, it began operating scheduled flights open to the public.

Partial timeline

 * 1917: established as fighter squadron
 * 1919: disbanded
 * 1923: reformed as fighter squadron
 * 1937: disbanded
 * 1940: reformed as maritime patrol squadron
 * July 1941: converted to fighter squadron
 * July 1945: converted to transport squadron

Aircraft

 * Avro Aberdeen C.1 (2000 to date)
 * Avro Tudor C.1 (1949–1954)
 * Boeing Osprey VC.1 (2004 to date)
 * Bolas Burnaby (7/1945–1949)
 * Bristol Bolingbroke Mk IV (1940–7/1941)
 * De Havilland BC Vancouver C.1 (1963–2005)
 * De Havilland BC Victoria C.1 (1955–1965)
 * Douglas Dakota C.3 (1949–1972)
 * Fairey BC Firefly Mk. I (192x–1937)
 * Lockheed Lightning F Mk. I (7/1941–1944)
 * Lockheed Lightning F Mk. IV (1943–11/1944)
 * Lockheed Lightning F Mk. V (1944–7/1945)
 * Lockheed Lightning F Mk. VI (1944–7/1945)
 * Parnall Plover (1923–192x)
 * Sopwith Camel (1917–1919)

Public air services
Since June 1946, 4 Squadron provides scheduled air services open to the public serving routes in remote areas that are socially essential, but that offer little chance of profitability; these generally operate once a week. In addition, 4 Sqn also operates scheduled flights between its bases that are open to members of the BCDF and their families.

4 Sqn's callsign for these services is "OWL", and use the IATA code BF and ICAO code RBF.

Route services
All route services are operated at present with Osprey VC.1 aircraft. All route services are open to the general public.


 * BF100/BF101: Comox – Scar Creek – Tsuniah Lake Lodge – Puntzi Mountain – Tsetzi Lake – Tsacha Lake – Moose Lake – Prince George
 * Operates Mondays northbound, Thursdays southbound.


 * BF102/BF103: Dease Lake – Atlin – Mule Creek
 * Operates Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays both ways.


 * BF104/BF105: Prince Rupert – Stewart – Brucejack – Bronson Creek – Dease Lake
 * Operates Wednesdays northbound, Saturdays southbound.


 * BF106/BF107: Fort Nelson – Kahntah – Peggo – Helmet
 * Operates Mondays and Fridays both ways.


 * BF108/BF109: Prince George – Takla Lake – Kemess Creek
 * Operates Sundays both ways.


 * BF110/BF111: Prince George – Ospika – Fort Grahame – Tsay Keh – Fort Ware
 * Operates Mondays both ways.

Direct services
All direct services are operated with Avro Aberdeen C.1 aircraft. These flights are open to members of the BCDF and their families, but members of the general public may use these services with approval on a case-by-case basis; that condition exists to satisfy laws protecting private enterprise, but as there are no commercial operators operating the same destination-pairs the RBCAF does, this approval is in practice merely a formality.


 * BF1/BF2: Comox – Dease Lake; daily except Sunday
 * BF3/BF4: Comox – Fort Nelson; Monday, Wednesday, Friday
 * BF5/BF6: Comox – Kelowna (Supermarine Field); daily except Sunday
 * BF11/BF12: Dease Lake – Fort Nelson; Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
 * BF14/BF15: Dease Lake – Kelowna (Supermarine Field); daily except Sunday
 * BF16/BF17: Fort Nelson – Kelowna (Supermarine Field); Monday, Thursday