Civilian and military flight advanced together, pushing innovations in both fields.
The Wright Brothers completed the first powered flights
Designed with Alexander Graham Bell and J.A.D. McCurdy; first flight in Canada at Baddeck, Nova Scotia.
Both were "pusher" style aircraft with rear-mounted propellers.
Carling Brewery sponsored London → London flight (Canada → England), pilots went missing.
with London Flying Club as main tenant. Airfield remained active until 1942, used for monitoring communications.
This work is based on "Avro Lancaster" (https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/avro-lancaster-2f15889043d84b09835aea5fa47ac0af) by helijah (https://sketchfab.com/helijah) licensed under CC-BY-4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Training for Commonwealth pilots and crews.
8-week course, 50 hours basic flight training; Tiger Moth, Fleet Finch, Fairchild Cornell; operated by civilian flying clubs under RCAF contracts.
Trained navigators; 8 weeks AOS → 1 month Bombing & Gunnery → 1 month Navigation; civilian instructors under RCAF supervision; aircraft: Avro Anson.
Carling Brewery sponsored London → London flight (Canada → England), pilots went missing.
Southwestern Ontario bases chosen for flat farmland, proximity to lakes, and safety in rural areas.
Training for bomb aimers, navigators, pilots, wireless operators, and air gunners.
Ground crew school at St. Thomas trained 40,000 personnel.
Many bases today are municipal airports Goderich, Brantford, St. Thomas, Tillsonburg.
Trained ~130,000 airmen across ~200 bases in Canada.
Wet/dry areas, barber shop, tuck shop.
Supported #3 Elementary Flying Training School (1940–42) and #4 AOS (1940–44).
Trainees mostly Canadian, some from RAF, Australia, and New Zealand.
No. 31 Air Navigation School
#12 Elementary Flying Training School
Radio Direction Finding / No. 31 (#5 in 1943)
#8 Service Flying Training School
#4 Wireless
#3 Elementary Flying Training School (1940–42), #4 AOS (1940–44)
#7 Elementary Flying Training School
#4 Bombing and Gunnery
#1 Technical Training School
#14 Service Flying Training School
#1 Bombing and Gunnery
#16 Service Flying Training School
#6 Service Flying Training School
#9 Elementary Flying Training School
No. 33 Air Navigation School / #10 Elementary Flying Training School / #1 Wireless
#5 Service Flying Training School
16 Locations around Southwestern Ontario
| Location | School / Abbreviation |
|---|---|
| Port Albert | No. 31 Air Navigation School |
| Goderich | #12 Elementary Flying Training School |
| Clinton | Radio Direction Finding / No. 31 (#5 in 1943) |
| Centralia | #8 Service Flying Training School |
| Guelph | #4 Wireless |
| London | #3 Elementary Flying Training School (1940–42), #4 AOS (1940–44) |
| Windsor | #7 Elementary Flying Training School |
| Fingal | #4 Bombing and Gunnery |
| St. Thomas | #1 Technical Training School |
| Aylmer | #14 Service Flying Training School |
| Jarvis | #1 Bombing and Gunnery |
| Hagersville | #16 Service Flying Training School |
| Dunnville | #6 Service Flying Training School |
| St. Catharines | #9 Elementary Flying Training School |
| Mount Hope | No. 33 Air Navigation School / #10 Elementary Flying Training School / #1 Wireless |
| Brantford | #5 Service Flying Training School |
420 Squadron, Snowy Owls, trained at the airport.
A Wing (427) RCAF Association purchased the building.
Objectives: support modern RCAF, memorialize veterans, support air cadet units.
Museum & exhibit honoring airmen trained in London and 250+ Londoners who died in WWII.
