Royal British Columbia Air Force

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.

History
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 First World 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 and Avro Aberdeen C.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)

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 *
 * 503 Sqn *
 * 601 Sqn *
 * 602 Sqn *
 * 603 Sqn *
 * 604 Sqn *
 * 605 Sqn
 * 606 Sqn
 * 607 Sqn
 * 1 OTU *
 * 2 OTU
 * Flight Training School *
 * Advanced Flying School *
 * 1001 Maintenance Unit *
 * 1002 Maintenance Unit *
 * Experiment & Testing Unit *

Equipment
For an all-time list of RBCAF equipment, see Aircraft of the RBCAF; for all-time serial numbers, see RBCAF Serial Numbers.

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 and Thursdays.


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


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


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


 * BF108/BF109: Prince George – Takla Lake – Kemess Creek
 * Operates Wednesdays.


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

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

Facilities
(list not yet complete)


 * DFJB Boundary Bay - Ladner, Delta. Airbase shared with Royal British Columbia Marine Corps; home of 604 (surface-to-air missile) Squadron.
 * 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 Atlin - Former air defence base, closed 2010; formerly home of 607 (SAM) Squadron from 1975 to 2010.
 * RBCAF Blaenau - Radio station, home of 503 (Comms) Squadron; formerly home of 606 (SAM) Squadron from 1975 to 2010.
 * RBCAF Cassiar - Radio station, home of 501 (Comms) Squadron; formerly home of 605 (SAM) Squadron from 1975 to 2008.
 * RBCAF Dease Lake - Airbase; home of 502 (Comms) Squadron.
 * RBCAF Fort Nelson - Airbase.
 * RBCAF Kelowna - Airbase; home of 603 (SAM) Squadron.
 * RBCAF Kemano - Airbase; opened 1948.
 * RBCAF Meziadin - Air defence base, home of 602 (SAM) Squadron.
 * RBCAF Prince George - Airbase.
 * RBCAF Saanichton - Air defence base, home of 601 (SAM) Squadron.
 * 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 Terrace - former airbase; RBCAF relocated to Kemano in 1948.