CFB Winnipeg – flying high in St. James

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 25/06/2021 (1598 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The parachute snapped open at 2,500 feet, carrying Master Cpl. Geoff Tallis toward a remote campfire near

Big Trout Lake in northern Ontario, where one of a group of hunters had suffered an accidental but critical gunshot wound.

Both Master Cpl. Tallis and warrant officer Guay, search and rescue technicians with 17 Wing’s 435 Squadron, had plunged into the winter night from a Hercules transport, which would remain on station throughout the rescue, dropping flares and relaying messages.

The temperature aloft was -40c, with 60 knot winds but, according to Master Cp.l Tallis, “Your adrenaline’s going and you don’t even feel the cold.”

Before the SAR techs jumped, the aircrew had dropped additional supplies, and as they set up a tent and camp stove, a team of Canadian Rangers arrived to clear a landing zone nearby for the helicopter that would eventually airlift their patient to safety.

“There were a lot of moving parts on this one, and it was interesting to see it through from start to finish,”

Tallis said with humble understatement. The hunter made a full recovery.
435 Transport and Rescue Squadron is just one of the many specialized units stationed at CFB Winnipeg.

The base is home to 17 Wing, its sub-units, and ‘lodger’ units that share the base’s facilities, such as 1 and 2 Canadian Air Divisions.

The base, like St. James itself, has grown dramatically from humble beginnings. In 1922 a station of the fledgling Air Board was established in Winnipeg to serve as a base for units operating in northern Manitoba.

In 1924, the Royal Canadian Air Force was formed, and the base officially opened as RCAF Station Winnipeg in 1925.

402 Squadron made its home in Winnipeg in 1932, prior to the start of the Second World War. At that time, Winnipeg became an important training hub for the 130,000 aircrew that participated in the Commonwealth Air Training Plan.

Canada was considered ideal for training as it was far removed from conflict, had plentiful fuel supplies and wide open spaces where bad landings wouldn’t necessarily lead to bad outcomes. More than a few prairie farmers woke up to a Tiger Moth or Harvard trainer badly parked in their fields.

Today, 402 Squadron is still dedicated to training and operates the Dash 8, affectionately known as the ‘Gonzo’. In addition, it provides maintenance support to different types of transient aircraft, including the CF-18.

435 Squadron arrived in Winnipeg in 1994, and flies the C-130 Hercules in several configurations – as a transport, or as a mid-air refueler, and in a search and rescue role. Both the ‘Herc’ and the ‘Gonzo’ have become familiar residents of St. James.

If you’re interested in learning more about the base you can take a pleasant walk among the historic aircraft on Air Force Way, or visit 17 Wing History | Royal Canadian Air Force at forces.gc.ca

In my next column, I will expand on the base’s role in the community and abroad. As always you can contact me at 204-986-5848 or scottgillingham@winnipeg.ca