| Description |
Canada's only Air Force base in British Columbia is situated in the heart of Vancouver Island's Comox Valley.
19 Wing has a rich history, which began with the construction of the air base in 1942 to protect the strategic Pacific coastline from a possible Japanese invasion.
Today, its two operational squadrons fly the Aurora Maritime Patrol Aircraft, cc115 Buffalo Search and Rescue (SAR) Aircraft, and the CH-149 Cormorant Helicopters.
Using five CP-140 Aurora airplanes, the pilots and crews of 407 Maritime Patrol Squadron spend long hours on surveillance missions over the ocean looking for illegal fishing, migration, drugs and pollution in addition to foreign submarines. They can also perform search and rescue missions using air-droppable survival pods.
With six CC115 Buffalo Aircraft and five CH-149 Cormorant Helicopters, 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron carries out search and rescue operations in the busiest region in Canada, stretching from the B.C.-Washington border to the Arctic, and from the Rocky Mountains to 1,200 km out into the Pacific.
In addition to its operational squadrons, the Wing is home to 19 Air Maintenance Squadron and a national training school, the Canadian Forces School of Search and Rescue (CFSSAR). 19 Wing also supports cadet training at the Regional Cadet Gliding School (Pacific) and HMCS Quadra sea cadet camp. |
