The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan

Introduction

The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) was a program that trained aircrew of more than 130,000 men to supply the allies during conflicts in the Second World War. Even though most of the training for the BCATP transpired on Canadian soil, the controlling mandate was the Royal Air Force, based out of Britain. The subject of the BCATP is a very significant one because of the different aspects of aerial warfare. In order to attain superior air warfare, an effective training program is the key to success. This paper will generalize the different phases which Canada took to build and perfect the programme. Without sufficiently trained pilots, attributes such as; equipment, intelligence, strategic advantage are ineffective.

Body

The Assembling and Undertaking of the Programme

Throughout wartimes, Canadians always had visions of engaging in air combat along with other countries. At this time, Canada did not have a flying corps, therefore, all Canadian troops had to prance around in the mud at Flanders rather than sitting in a cockpit of an airborne machine. If a member of the Canadian forces were aspired to fly, their only option was to enlist in the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) or the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). In April 1918, the forces coupled and formed the Royal Air Force (RAF). Over 22,000 Canadian soldiers served in the RAF and at the end of the war was the most powerful air force in the world.

On the eve of Prime Minister King's birthday, 16 March 1939, there was a small gathering in his office to sign an "Agreement Relating to the Training of Pilots and Aircraft Crews in Canada and Their Subsequent Service." This was the foundation for the prospering BCATP. Britain was urging its other Dominions to train aircrew so they could eventually fly with the RAF. This idea was presented to Canada was accepted in 1935, but it was contemplated due to many factors including depression and increasing requirements in training and eventually finalized in 1937.

The plan that was developed for Canada's involvement in the programme was to train British pilots on Canadian soil, train Canadian soldiers to participate with the RAF and ultimately form an independent Canadian Flying Corps. At this time, Canada did not have sufficient military facilities to train the aircrew; therefore, it was contracted to various civilian flying clubs. In early 1939, eight clubs were given the option of undertaking the tasks of training these troops. The selected clubs were Vancouver, Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg, Hamilton, Toronto, MontrÐ"©al, and Halifax. The first training course started in June 1939. The new aviators were distributed throughout the eight flying clubs to commence their elementary pilot training. Out of the 33 who enrolled, three left the program. Three more were abolished when they went to camp Borden at the end of August. After completion of training in October, the first wing parade of the war was held to present the new pilots with their wings.

The Workings

Canada had much preparation in order to undertake the programme. New airfields, the training of instructors and ground crew, and trying to obtain the necessary equipment and aircraft were only a few of the preparations needed for BCATP. Recruiting was suspended in late 1939 due to overworked officers at the centers, but in January 1940, there was no lack of volunteers to enlist in the programme. By the end of March, the numbers of recruits rose from 4,171 to an outstanding 10,375.

Due to their overwhelming number, the new recruits were placed in the accommodations before they had been completely finished. This caused many problems for there was no adequate water supply system in place. The water that was there was highly mineralized and unfit for regular consumption. To solve this problem, water was pumped from wells some even further than seven miles away. This was a sufficient means to get water to the facilities, but there were several problems with the piping system. Metal piping was not available at this time; therefore, pipes were made of wooden staves and bound together with hoops. This, in turn, caused sudden drops in pressure, which was a real inconvenience for the recruits. This also caused safety hazards for fire prevention in the facilities and for fire fighters.

For the growing demand of air training, the Department of Transportation (DOT) got involved at an early stage of the programme. A hundred airfields were required in order to have sufficient emergency landing areas and aerodromes for the BCATP. With the under-funded Canadian military, DOT was awarded the contract to assist in building airfield sites that were approved by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). The DOT was able to provide Canada with 24 airfields, which needed very little modifications to make them suitable for training purposes. This left about 80 airfields to be constructed, but these airfields required much more extensive modifications in order to reach transportation standards.

Once the airfields had been established, there was one key factor that was overlooked. This factor was the maintenance and repair of equipment and aircraft. Since the aircraft and equipment were all new, this did not pose problems in the beginning of BCATP. From 1941 onward, as the equipment showed signs of wear, the RCAF and Department of Munitions and Supply installed an Overhaul and Repair division. This new division employed 18,000 men and women to help with this work. At the end of the war, the repair division refurbished and returned over 6,500 airframes and 30,500 engines. Over 90 percent of these were for training aircraft, which had been used in the programme.

The completed facilities were broken down into different arms of the Air Force. Bombing and Gunnery Schools were placed in very large secluded areas, with an excess of a hundred square miles in order not to disturb civilian property or endanger life. Navigation Schools were usually placed close to water or treacherous terrain in order for them to experience navigation over perilous environments. The graduates of this programme would be favored in post-war and civilian airports over any other training.

Pilot Training

When the BCATP started there was a very few number of instructors but a great tradition of pilot training. The RCAF pilot instructors had all attended Central Flying School in Britain, which was the standard for all air forces in the Commonwealth. Since Canada had no instructor training schools, three new schools were built to provide the programme. These schools had a great number of candidates but also a large number of failures.