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366:. This directorate was nominally civilian, the director reporting directly to the Deputy Minister of National Defence, but was still staffed almost entirely by attached or seconded RCAF personnel. The following year, all photographic operations were re-organized as independent detachments reporting directly to Ottawa, and High River provided support to No. 1 Photographic Detachment instead of fielding its own photographic flight. In 1928,
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to High River over the winter of 1920–21. The Morley Air
Station was one of the initial five stations established for civil operations in the summer of 1920. From experience gained during the 1920 flying season, the weather at Morley was determined to be too erratic and dangerous for flying. In the
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were delivered to replace the DH.4s on forestry patrol, with two of the latter type retained for the station's mobile photographic flight. In July 1925, retroactive to 1 April, all the RCAF's civil operations stations were re-designated as numbered squadrons, with High River becoming
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After jurisdiction for natural resource management was transferred to the
Province of Alberta in 1930, fire towers were built and spotting aircraft were no longer necessary. Fire-spotting patrols gradually ceased. No. 1 Photographic Detachment moved to
273:. Initially, most of the flying operations consisted of fire-spotting forestry patrols over the mountains and foothills to the west. Two patrols were made daily, to the Clearwater, Bow and Crowsnest Forest Reserves. One patrol flew north as far as the
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and the civilian personnel were commissioned or enlisted into the
Canadian Air Force. The name changed again when the Canadian Air Force was granted the "Royal" prefix effective 13 March 1923, becoming
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in June. Changes to the organization of the air stations were deferred to the fall to avoid administrative issues during the flying season. On 25 November 1922, the High River Air
Station was renamed
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with a Var. 23 degrees E and elevation of 3,295 feet (1,004 m). The field was listed as "Dry Lake Bed" and was located at Frank Lake, east of High River, and was marked as a square measuring:
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to develop radio signals to be broadcast over distances greater than 300 km. The most powerful radio transmitter in North
America began operating from the High River Air Station in 1922.
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Following the cancellation of part-time training for military pilots on 31 March 1922, the Air Board restructured its flying operations, merging the Flying
Operations Branch into the
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at the northern and southern ends of the patrol routes. Patrols were flown outbound in each direction in the morning, refuelled at the sub-bases, and returned in the afternoon.
886:
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On 1 July 1927, the RCAF's civil operations were transferred to the new
Directorate of Civil Government Air Operations, and No. 2 (Operations) Squadron again became the
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with a Var. 23 degrees E and elevation of 3,400 feet (1,036 m). The field was listed as "Irregular all-way turf field" and had three runways listed as follows:
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aircrew training during the Second World War. No. 5 Elementary Flying
Training School (EFTS) was established at High River on 28 June 1941 after having moved from
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for the 1930 flying season. Other activities such as aircraft testing continued until the station closed on 31 March 1931, with its facilities transferred to the
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experimentation, aircraft testing, and aerial pesticide spraying. In the early 1920s the station became involved with experimenting with radio.
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The High River aerodrome closed in
December 1944. The site is no longer a functioning airport and is used for private commercial purposes. I
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418:. An unprepared emergency and practice landing field, also known as a relief landing field, was located on the then dry lakebed of nearby
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for care and maintenance. The station did, however, remain as an aircraft storage facility until the beginning of the
825:
Bruce
Forsyth's Canadian Military History Page - Abandoned Bases (Alberta): No. 5 Elementary Flying Training School
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because of wind problems at Lethbridge. Training was provided by civilian instructors from the Calgary Aero Club.
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229:
833:
Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines, Aerial Reconnaissance in the Canadian Rockies During the 1920s
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D.H. 4 aircraft G-CYDM of the Canadian Air Board, High River, Alberta, Canada, 4 November 1922
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replaced both the DH.4s and the Avro 552s. That same year, a sub-station was established at
422:. More than 4000 pilots were trained at No. 5 EFTS. The school closed on 15 December 1944.
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Site of RCAF Station High River. Remains of the main hangar can be seen in the upper left.
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Aerodrome of Democracy: Canada and the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan 1939–1945
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commenced flying operations on 6 May 1921 when the Flying Operations Branch of the
835:. Western Division, Canadian Association of Geographers. Western Geography 7 (1997)
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in early October. None of these changes, nor the official formation of the
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The High River Air Station and No. 5 Elementary Flying Training School
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The High River Air Station and No. 5 Elementary Flying Training School
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when the station was reactivated to train pilots for wartime service.
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operations were also begun in 1922, using modified DH.4 aircraft.
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on 1 April 1924, substantially altered the role of the station.
639:. Canadian War Museum Paper No. 2. Ottawa: Canadian War Museum.
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in 1926, though Eckville was used again temporarily in 1927.
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function and was the largest in Canada with ten war-surplus
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Air Board, Canadian Air Force and Royal Canadian Air Force
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were the first aircraft used. They were later replaced by
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In approximately 1942 the relief aerodrome was listed at
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Ottawa: Canadian Department of National Defence, 1983.
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Pilots Handbook of Aerodromes and Seaplane Bases Vol. 2
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Airports of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan
355:. The northern refueling field moved from Eckville to
794:
Sixty Years - The RCAF and CF Air Command 1924 - 1984
811:. Toronto: Clark, Irwin and Co. Ltd., 1959. No ISBN.
867:
Air station description from bombercommandmuseum.ca
438:In approximately 1942, the aerodrome was listed at
402:RCAF Station High River was a major participant in
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854:A Proposal to Commemorate RCAF Station High River
663:. Nanton, Alberta: The Nanton Lancaster Society.
27:Former air station in High River, Alberta, Canada
815:Fencelines and Furrows Historical Book Society.
613:. Royal Canadian Air Force. c. 1942. p. 98.
292:equipment was developed in cooperation with the
56:DH4 aircraft at the High River Air Station, 1922
280:Other responsibilities of the station included
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635:Hitchens, Wing Commander F.H. (August 1972).
8:
737:. Burnstown: General Store Publishing House.
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887:Canadian Forces bases in Canada (closed)
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269:provided to Canada by Britain after the
257:early days, the station had an entirely
735:Photographing Canada from Flying Canoes
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398:No. 5 Elementary Flying Training School
299:In 1922, sub-bases were established at
44:Near High River, Alberta in Canada
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404:British Commonwealth Air Training Plan
7:
756:Pilots Handbook of Aerodromes, p. 94
661:The Canadian Air Force at High River
210:4,000 feet (1,219 m) turf
25:
882:Royal Canadian Air Force stations
533:Relief landing field - Frank Lake
202:3,100 feet (945 m) turf
194:3,125 feet (952 m) turf
138:Dept of National Defence (Canada)
374:to enable the patrolling of the
368:De Havilland DH. 60 Cirrus Moths
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66:
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819:. First Edition, 1969. No ISBN.
265:aircraft that were part of the
907:1921 establishments in Alberta
796:. Toronto: Canav Books, 1984.
747:Fencelines and Furrows, p. 11.
1:
575:E-W - 2,640 feet (805 m)
572:N-S - 2,640 feet (805 m)
897:Defunct airports in Alberta
353:No. 2 (Operations) Squadron
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520:4,000 feet (1,219 m)
164:3,400 feet (1,036 m)
733:Shaw, S. Bernard (2001).
294:Canadian Corps of Signals
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523:1,000 feet (305 m)
509:1,000 feet (305 m)
506:3,100 feet (945 m)
495:1,000 feet (305 m)
492:3,100 feet (945 m)
412:De Havilland Tiger Moths
333:Royal Canadian Air Force
230:Royal Canadian Air Force
786:. Retrieved 2010-04-26.
408:RCAF Station Lethbridge
329:RCAF Station High River
226:RCAF Station High River
81:RCAF Station High River
33:RCAF Station High River
817:Fencelines and Furrows
659:Birrell, Dave (2019).
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364:High River Air Station
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246:High River Air Station
240:High River Air Station
114:50.59306°N 113.84167°W
18:High River Air Station
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228:was a station of the
856:Retrieved 2019-06-04
850:Retrieved 2016-04-07
837:Retrieved 2016-04-07
827:Retrieved 2014-05-23
821:Retrieved 2018-07-10
809:There Shall Be Wings
720:Retrieved 2016-04-07
692:Roberts 1959, p. 44.
388:Winnipeg Air Station
357:Rocky Mountain House
325:RCAF Unit High River
156:Airfield information
119:50.59306; -113.84167
552: /
453: /
376:Peace River Country
346:Late in 1924, five
320:CAF Unit High River
236:, Alberta, Canada.
110: /
846:2011-07-06 at the
792:(General Editor).
774:2014-02-11 at the
716:2011-07-06 at the
580:Closure to present
556:50.550°N 113.717°W
457:50.600°N 113.850°W
431:
416:Fairchild Cornells
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316:Canadian Air Force
309:Aerial photography
282:aerial photography
254:Morley Air Station
250:Canadian Air Board
232:(RCAF) located at
186:Length and surface
807:Roberts, Leslie.
701:Smith 1997, p. 86
683:Smith 1997, p. 74
670:978-1-9990157-1-8
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42:, Alberta, Canada
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392:Second World War
275:Clearwater River
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143:Site history
559: /
460: /
148:In use
117: /
105:113°50′30″W
93:Coordinates
902:High River
876:Categories
831:Smith, D.
588:References
420:Frank Lake
263:Airco DH.4
234:High River
102:50°35′35″N
40:High River
434:Aerodrome
384:Vancouver
286:parachute
219:Airfields
182:Direction
161:Elevation
151:1921–1944
844:Archived
772:Archived
714:Archived
547:113°43′W
484:Surface
448:113°51′W
301:Eckville
290:Wireless
544:50°33′N
478:Length
445:50°36′N
327:, then
176:Runways
800:
782:
667:
517:14/32
481:Width
526:Turf
512:Turf
503:8/26
498:Turf
489:7/25
259:civil
199:16/34
135:Owner
798:ISBN
780:ISBN
665:ISBN
303:and
244:The
207:2/20
191:7/25
166:AMSL
878::
725:^
645:^
619:^
596:^
378:.
284:,
804:.
769:.
673:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
