BCATP site locations for visitors
If you are interested in discovering some of Alberta’s
aviation history, a trip to a former British Commonwealth
Air Training Plan (BCATP) base may be something you would
enjoy. Click on a location below for directions
to the site of your choice.
Bowden
Evidence of the BCATP still exists just outside of Bowden,
and can been seen while driving on Highway 2 approximately
one hour north of Calgary. However, the former site of Royal
Air Force (RAF) Station Bowden, No. 32
Elementary Flying Training School
(EFTS) is now owned by Canada Correctional Services
and is the home of the Bowden penitentiary.
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Calgary
Royal
Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Station Calgary hosted three BCATP training schools and thus, there are
three relevant sites to visit in one locale.
No. 3 Service
Flying Training School (SFTS) was located in
southwest Calgary, on what is now the Lincoln Park Campus
of Mount Royal College. Near this site is the former Canadian
Forces Base Currie which was closed only a few years ago.
This area, rich in military history, is located just east
of the corner of 37 St. and Glenmore Trail.
No. 37 Service Flying Training School (SFTS) was located in northeast Calgary and is now
occupied by the Calgary International Airport. Be sure to
stop into the Aerospace Museum located in a former BCATP
hangar! To find the museum, follow McKnight Blvd. east until
McCall Way. Turn left and follow the road until you reach
the museum.
No. 2 Wireless
School (WS) was located on what is now the campus
of Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT).
While most of the buildings have been dismantled, there remains a beautiful historic building that is worth
the trip. To get to this site, follow the Trans Canada Highway
west until you reach 14th St. NW and turn left. Take your
next left and follow 14th Ave. onto the campus.
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Claresholm
The former site of Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF)
Station Claresholm, No. 15 Service Flying Training School (SFTS)
is the home of
a small industrial airport as well as local businesses.
To visit the site, drive west of Claresholm on highway 520
approximately 2 km.
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De Winton
Located south of Calgary, the former site of Royal Air
Force (RAF) Station De Winton, No. 31 Elementary Flying
Training School (EFTS)
has been all but forgotten. Currently it is privately owned.
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Edmonton
Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Station Edmonton was home to three of the training schools opened
in the province under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan
(BCATP).
To visit the former site of No. 4
Initial Training
School (ITS), go to the University of Alberta,
located at 112 St. and 83 Ave. and find Pembina Hall, one
of the oldest and most beautiful buildings on campus.
No. 16 Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS) and No.
2 Air
Observer School (AOS) shared the site that is
now known as the Edmonton City Centre Airport. Many of the
buildings have since been removed, but the Edmonton Aviation
Heritage Society and Museum are located in a former BCATP
hangar. To find the site, follow the Kingsway Avenue west
until 114th St.
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Fort Macleod
Located on the outskirts of the south side of town is the
former site of Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Station
Fort Macleod, No. 7 Service Flying Training School (SFTS).
Now the Fort Macleod Industrial Airport, BCATP buildings can still be found. If you would
like to visit this site, follow 12th St. west until you
cross the town train tracks onto the south side. Stay on
12th St. until you reach 1st Ave., and then turn left. Follow
1st Ave. until you reach the airport.
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High
River
Located outside of High River is the former BCATP base
of Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Station High River, No. 5
Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS). It is currently privately owned and used
for commercial purposes. There are two monuments that have
been erected in High River, one inside the town and one
at the actual site of the former base. To get to High River,
follow Highway 2 south of Calgary.
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Lethbridge
Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Station Lethbridge,
was home to two training schools, No. 5 Elementary Flying
Training School (EFTS) and No. 8
Bombing and Gunnery School (B&GS).
Both were located at what is now the Lethbridge County Airport.
To visit the site, follow highway 5 approximately 3 km south
of the city.
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Medicine Hat
Medicine Hat Municipal Airport grew out of the former
Royal Air Force (RAF) Station Medicine Hat, No. 34 Service
Flying Training School (SFTS). To visit the site, take the No. 1 highway
into the city. Turn onto the “highway 3 Lethbridge” exit.
Following the road approximately 1.5 km from the interchange you will come to the airport.
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Pearce
The Pearce aerodrome was
at one time, the home of three training schools, No. 36
Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS), No. 3 Air Observer
School (AOS) and No. 2 Flying Instructor School (FIS). Today, there is little to
remind us of this. The land that was used for this site
is currently privately owned.
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Penhold
What
used to be Royal Air Force (RAF) Station Penhold, No. 36
Service Flying Training School (SFTS) is now the Red Deer Municipal Airport.
To visit the site, follow signs from highway 2. From the
overpass suggested by signs, drive west until you reach
Highway 2A. Turn left onto highway 2A and follow the road
south until you reach your first right hand turn. Turn right
and follow that road to the airport.
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Vulcan
For a brief while during World War II, Royal Canadian
Air Force (RCAF) Station Vulcan
was home to No. 2 Flying Instructor School (FIS) and more permanently, No. 19
Service Flying Training School (SFTS).
The site is now privately owned, but many of the BCATP hangars
still exist. In terms of sheer size, the Vulcan aerodrome
would be marvelous to visit as it was one of the “double”
schools built under the Plan. To visit the site, travel
east of Nanton on highway 533. Leave the highway when it
turns to the north and continue directly east for an additional
9.5 km.
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