CFB Trenton
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| Canadian Forces Base Trenton Trenton Airport 8 Wing Trenton |
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|---|---|---|---|
| IATA: YTR - ICAO: CYTR | |||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Military | ||
| Operator | DND | ||
| Serves | Trenton, Ontario | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 283 ft (86 m) | ||
| Coordinates | |||
| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| 06/24 | 10,000 | 3,048 | Asphalt |
| 13/31 | 3,025 | 922 | Asphalt |
Canadian Forces Base Trenton (IATA: YTR, ICAO: CYTR) (also CFB Trenton), is a Canadian Forces Base located approximately 2.3 nautical miles (4.26 km) northeast of Trenton, Ontario. It is operated as an air force base by Canadian Forces Air Command and is the the hub for air transport operations in canada and abroad; its primary lodger unit is 8 Wing.
Contents |
[edit] History
In 1929, 960 acres (3.9 km²) of farmland near Trenton were purchased by the federal government to establish a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) station to be called RCAF Station Trenton. The base was officially opened in August 1931. Trenton was intended as a smaller supporting base to RCAF Station Borden, which was the home of Canadian military aviation and a major training base at the time. The location was chosen for being the mid-point between Ottawa and Toronto. It also provided the possibility of using the facility for sea planes operating on Lake Ontario.
RCAF Station Trenton became host to No. 1 Fighter and No. 3 Army Cooperation Flights, flying Siskin and Tiger Moth aircraft. Trenton became a major training centre during the Second World War under Canada's participation in the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. Following the war, Trenton became home to transport and fighter aircraft, with transport aircraft from the base taking part in the Korean Airlift, as well as numerous other missions throughout the 1950s and 1960s.
Canada upgraded its transport and search and rescue fleet in the 1960s when the RCAF purchased the CC-137 Husky, CC-130 Hercules, CH-113 Labrador and CC-115 Buffalo aircraft. Trenton became the home of training facilities for these aircraft.
RCAF Station Trenton was renamed Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Trenton after the February 1, 1968 merger of the RCAF with the Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Army to form the Canadian Armed Forces.
[edit] Present operations
AIRCOM operates the majority of its fixed wing tactical and all of its strategic airlift aircraft from CFB Trenton. CFB Trenton is also home to a Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC Trenton) which is jointly staffed by AIRCOM and Canadian Coast Guard personnel with responsibility for coordinating aircraft and marine rescue incidents in central and Arctic Canada. AIRCOM also operates the Canadian Mission Control Centre (CMCC Trenton) from the base, which is tasked with detecting satellite transmissions from emergency locating beacons on aircraft or marine vessels in distress through Canada's three search and rescue regions.
Land Force Command also operates several units at the base, including the Canadian Forces Land Advanced Warfare Centre (formerly the Canadian Parachute Centre) and in 2010, Joint Task Force 2 will move to the base from its present facility at Dwyer Hill.
8 Wing has several aircraft types, including CC-130 Hercules and CC-150 Polaris transport aircraft, the CH-146 Griffon tactical transport / search and rescue helicopter, the CH-149 Cormorant search and rescue helicopter, and the CC-144 Challenger VIP transport. The Challenger fleet, used to fly the Governor General, members of the Royal Family (when visiting Canada), the Prime Minister and members of the federal cabinet, is based in Ottawa but supported from CFB Trenton.
Current squadrons under 8 Wing include:
- 424 (Transport & Rescue) Squadron (424 Tiger Squadron)
- 426 (Transport & Training) Squadron
- 436 (Transport) Squadron
- 437 (Transport) Squadron (437 Husky Squadron)
- 412 (Transport) Squadron
- 2 Air Movements Squadron
- 8 Air Communications and Control Squadron
- 8 Air Maintenance Squadron (8 AMS)
It has been announced that the four recently purchased C-17 Globemaster III strategic transport aircraft will be based at CFB Trenton.
[edit] Other operations
- The base is also home to CSTC Trenton, a cadet summer training centre for the Royal Canadian Air Cadets.
- The base contains the RCAF Memorial Museum.
[edit] References
- Canada Flight Supplement. Effective 0901Z 15 March 2007 to 0901Z 10 May 2007.
- UNCLAS CANAIRGEN 025/06 (Canadian Air Force General Order)
[edit] External links
| Airports in Canada | |
|---|---|
| National Airports System: | Calgary • Charlottetown • Edmonton • Fredericton • Gander • Halifax • Iqaluit • Kelowna • London • Moncton • Montréal-Mirabel • Montréal-Trudeau • Ottawa • Prince George • Québec • Regina • Saint John • St. John's • Saskatoon • Thunder Bay • Toronto • Vancouver • Victoria • Waterloo • Whitehorse • Winnipeg • Yellowknife |
| By province/territory | BC • AB • SK • MB • ON • QC • NB • NS • PEI • NL • YU • NT • NU |
Fighter aircraft: CF-18 Hornet • Patrol aircraft: CP-140 Aurora/CP-140A Arcturus
Helicopters: CH-124 Sea King • CH-139 JetRanger • CH-146 Griffon • CH-148 Cyclone • CH-149 Cormorant
Cargo aircraft: CC-115 Buffalo • CC-130 Hercules • CC-138 Twin Otter • CC-144 Challenger • CC-150 Polaris • CC-177 Globemaster III
Trainer aircraft: CT-114 Tutor • CT-142 Dash 8 • CT-155 Hawk • CT-156 Harvard II • UAVs: CU-161 Sperwer
Future Aircraft: CH-147 Chinook • CC-130J Hercules • CF-35 Lightning II • CC-27J Spartan
Wings: 1 Wing Kingston • 3 Wing Bagotville • 4 Wing Cold Lake • 5 Wing Goose Bay • 8 Wing Trenton • 9 Wing Gander • 12 Wing Shearwater • 14 Wing Greenwood • 15 Wing Moose Jaw • 16 Wing Borden • 17 Wing Winnipeg • 19 Wing Comox • 22 Wing North Bay
