Our People

The men and women of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and their civilian colleagues are the RCAF’s greatest strength, the heart of the institution and the foundation upon which the RCAF’s future is built. They are extraordinary and professional, capable of accomplishing great things, setting standards of quality that are respected around the world. Day after day, night after night they contribute directly and indirectly to the delivery of air and space power for our nation.

Our airmen and airwomen are guided and inspired by the achievements of those who have served in the Air Force throughout its history.

Here are some of their stories.

Present

Three people, all wearing military flight suits, stand in a row as one hands a small box with a medal in it to another.

Honorary Colonel Loreena McKennitt recognized for 12 years of service

Lieutenant-General Al Meinzinger, commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force, and Chief Warrant Officer Denis Gaudreault  recently visited personnel deployed with the Air Task Force-Romania. While there, LGen Meinzinger presented Honorary Colonel Loreena McKennitt with her Canadian Forces Decoration.
December 20, 2019

Five people, wearing military uniforms and holding band instruments, surround Santa Claus who is sitting behind a drum set.

Santa checks out the holiday sounds of 14 Wing’s band

Santa Claus recently travelled from the North Pole to visit 14 Wing Greenwood’s band to make sure everything was in order for the wing’s upcoming holiday concert.
December 19, 2019

Two men.

Holiday greetings from the RCAF command team

During the 2019 holiday season, Royal Canadian Air Force leaders send greetings to RCAF personnel. Here is the message from the Royal Canadian Air Force’s command team.
December 18, 2019

Four people, wearing disruptive pattern combat uniforms and Santa or elf-style hats, walk across a grassy area with a person dressed as Santa.

Operation HO HO HO brings joy to children in three communities

The RCAF’s Operation HO HO HO now brings Christmas cheer to sick children who have to be in hospital over the holiday season in three communities. 
December 18, 2019

Two men.

Season’s Greetings 2019 from 2 Canadian Air Division

The commander and chief warrant officer of 2 Canadian Air Division sent holiday greetings to 2 CAD personnel in December 2019. Here is their message.
December 18, 2019

Past

A vintage photo of two men shaking hands, one sitting in the cockpit of an aircraft and the other standing beside it.

The RCAF in the Korean War

From 1950 to 1953, Royal Canadian Air Force personnel served in Canada, the US and Korea in a United Nations-driven effort to rebuff North Korea’s advances into South Korea.
June 25, 2020

A black and white photo of man sitting in the cockpit of First World War fighter biplane.

Billy Bishop, Canada’s first Air Force Victoria Cross winner

On June 2, 1917, Capt William Avery “Billy” Bishop took off from his home base with No. 60 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, near Arras in northern France, on a daring early morning mission that would win him the Victoria Cross.
June 2, 2020

A black-and-white photo of six uniformed women standing in a row with their arms around each other’s waists, looking up.

We have come a long way

International Women’s Day is an opportunity to celebrate the great accomplishments of women today, but also those of women who paved the way for the generations that followed them.
March 6, 2020

A vintage black and white photo of a woman in operational flying dress speaking into a microphone held by a man wearing a sports jacket.

Grace MacEachern, para-belle: An RCAF pioneer

Pilot Officer Grace MacEachern was a pioneer for women in a revolutionary time for women's roles and rights. As a para-belle in the Canadian Armed Forces in the 1950s, she blazed a trail both for women and for the Royal Canadian Air Force.
March 5, 2020

In a black-and-white photograph, two young men in uniform sit on the leading edge of the wing of a vintage propeller aircraft, and two more stand in front of the wing.

Junius Lyman Edward Hokan: An extraordinary RCAF officer

Pilot Officer Junius Hokan was 20 when he died, but during his service he broke the race barrier barring Black-Canadians from serving in the RCAF, was an accomplished fighter pilot, and invented a navigation device that drew the attention of Great Britain’s air ministry.
February 26, 2020

Date modified: