Quinte International Air Show 2016 - CFB Trenton

In 2016, Airbus Defence and Space undertook a North American Tour of their C295W tactical airlifter in collaboration with the Mexican Air Force, having done a similar tour in 2015 in Latin America. The tour was designed to demonstrate the aircraft's reliability and versatility in a variety of weather conditions.

The Airbus C295 is a candidate in the RCAF's Fixed Wing Search and Rescue (FWSAR) program. Other companies bidding on the project are the Leonardo (formerly Alenia Aermacchi) C-27J Spartan and the Embraer (Brazil) KC-390. The successful new aircraft will replace the RCAF's aging six CC-115 Buffalo and the older CC-130H Hercules, which are currently assigned to the SAR role.

The C295W tour ran from June 18 - 29, 2016, with the aircraft making several stops and some demonstrations in Canada, including:

• Saskatoon & Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
• Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
• Resolute Bay, Nunavut
• Churchill, Manitoba
• Thunder Bay, Pickle Lake & Kasabonika Lake, Ontario
• Winnipeg, Manitoba

After its last stop in Winnipeg the C295W was placed on static display at the 8 Wing / Trenton 2016 QIAS on June 25 & 26. On completion of the Canadian tour the aircraft was to make stops in the U.S. prior to its return to Mexico.

419 Squadron (RCAF) was formed during WWII at Mindenhall, England, on December 15, 1941. The squadron was the RCAF's 17th squadron formed overseas and the RCAF's 3rd Bomber squadron formed under Article XV of the BCATP.

The squadron (unit code letters 'VR') initially flew the Vickers Wellington MkIC and MkIII with No. 3 Group as a night bomber unit. The squadron converted to the Handley Page Halifax MkII in November 1942. On March 1, 1943 the squadron joined No.6 (RCAF) Group and in March 1944 began flying the Canadian built Avro Lancaster MkX.

Today the squadron is known as 419 (Tactical Fighter) Training Squadron and is based at 4 Wing / CFB Cold Lake, Alberta. The unit operates the CT-155 Hawk in the fighter lead-in training role.

To commemorate the squadron's 75th anniversary (1941 - 2016) a special paint scheme was applied to one of the unit's CT-155 Hawk aircraft. Designed by graphic artist Jim Belliveau the colour scheme is representative of the standard dark green and dark earth-brown topside colours and black underside worn by aircraft in RAF Bomber Command during WWII.

The aircraft is dedicated to the squadron's first Commanding Officer, Wing Commander (W/C) John "Moose" Fulton, DSO, DFC, AFC (December 21, 1941 - July 28, 1942) of Kamloops, BC, and bears a combination of markings. The unit code VR-W, the dedication on the aircraft nose, and yellow "W" are in honour of W/C Fulton and the Wellington bomber he flew. The Moose emblem and the aircraft serial KB799 honour one of 419 Squadron's Lancaster MkX bombers which carried the oldest known "Moose" art of the unit.

It should be noted that the Canadian Warplane Heritage (CWH) Museum's Lancaster MkX, "Mynarski Memorial Lancaster", is also painted in the Bomber Command colours of 419 Squadron (RCAF) aircraft serial KB726, code VR-A.

2 CFFTS, known as the "Big 2", is based at 15 Wing / CFB Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan and is the host unit of the NATO Flying Training in Canada (NFTC) program. CAE is the prime contractor for the NFTC program and is responsible for all support functions at the school including the provision of the Raytheon CT-156 Harvard II and BAE CT-155 Hawk aircraft.

2 CFFTS operates the CT-156 Harvard II in the primary and advanced (fast jet) training role. Graduates of the basic Harvard II course are streamed to either jet, multi-engine or helicopter advanced training. Those selected for jet receive further advanced training on the Harvard II prior to conversion to the Hawk as preparation for final their training phase at 4 Wing / CFB Cold Lake, Alberta.

In commemoration of the BCATP, 2 CFFTS, with the support of CAE, had one of its CT-156 Harvard II's (156120) painted in a special colour scheme. The aircraft is overall yellow and is representative of the WWII "Yellow Wings" trainers used in the BCATP. The aircraft paint finish was applied by Plane Perfection in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, and was completed on June 17, 2016.

The Harvard II is displayed in the markings of a WWII North American Harvard flown by Pilot Officer (P/O) John Gillespie Magee Jr. during his training at No.2 Service Flying Training School (SFTS) at Uplands, Ontario, in June 1941. P/O Magee is best known as the author of the poem "High Flight". "High Flight" is now considered to be poem of the RCAF and is read at graduation and commemorative ceremonies.

The CWH Museum's Lancaster MkX (serial FM213) was built by Victory Aircraft Company of Malton, Ontario in July 1945. It was converted later to a Mk X MR (Maritime Reconnaissance) and taken on strength with the RCAF on August 21, 1946. In 1952, with only 10.5 hours of flying time the aircraft was heavily damaged when the landing gear collapsed at Trenton, Ontario during a ferry flight.

The Lancaster was nearly unsalvageable; however, a replacement wing centre section was located on a farm in Penhold, Alberta. That aircraft (serial KB895) was known as "Lady Orchid" and had flown with 434 "Bluenose" Squadron (unit code letters "WL"). Repairs were completed to Lancaster FM213 using the mid section from "Lady Orchid" and it was returned to active service flying with 405 Squadron (Greenwood, Nova Scotia) and 107 Rescue Unit (Torbay, Newfoundland). FM213 was retired in late 1963.

In 1964 the remaining Lancaster's were retired from RCAF service. Lancaster FM213 was Struck off Strength on June 30, 1964, and was acquired by the Royal Canadian Legion in Goderich, Ontario, where it was placed on outdoor display.
In 1977 the aircraft was obtained by the CWH Museum. After 11 years of work, on September 24, 1988, the Lancaster was restored to flying condition.

There are currently only two flying Lancasters in the world: the CWH Museum’s Lancaster based in Mount Hope, Ontario; and the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight’s Lancaster based at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire, UK.

The CWH Lancaster is painted in the markings of 419 "Moose" Squadron, serial KB726, aircraft code letters VR-A, in memory of Victoria Cross recipient Pilot Officer (P/O) Andrew Mynarski of Winnipeg, Manitoba. The CWH Lancaster is known as the "Mynarski Memorial Lancaster".
Over the last couple of years the CWH Museum has honoured other RCAF Lancasters and their crews by temporarily applying their markings to the Mynarski Memorial Lancaster.

For the summer of 2016 the CWH Museum Lancaster will also have the markings and nose art of "Lady Orchid" (aircraft code letters "WL-O") applied to left side of the fuselage. It is an especially appropriate tribute given that "VR-A" was rebuilt using a portion of "Lady Orchid". Black decals were applied over the regular "VR-A" markings and for a more authentic look the "Lady Orchid" nose art was painted on.