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 men wearing blue military uniforms and holding pens sit at a table covered with a tartan cloth on which there are documents. Behind the men are three flags.

22 Wing North Bay welcomes its new honorary colonel

On July 23, the members of 22 Wing North Bay welcomed Peter Chirico as their new honorary colonel during a virtual ceremony that boasted hundreds of spectators from across Canada and the United States.
August 4, 2020

Six people wearing military uniforms are in a room. Five of them sit on chairs and the one who is standing gives a patch badge to one of the people sitting.

12 Wing identifies five lead squadron Sentinels

New 12 Wing Lead Squadron Sentinels received their patch during a ceremony held on July 13, 2020.
July 31, 2020

Four men in running gear stand in a line, all grasping a relay baton.

Canadians take M55 4x400m Indoor World Record

Canadian runners capture the M55 4X400m Indoor World Record in Toronto.
July 30, 2020

Three men wearing blue military uniforms stand behind a table covered in tartan and on which are documents. Behind the men, are a big blue and white backdrop and three flags.

1 Canadian Air Division welcomes new commander

The Change of Command Ceremony for 1 CAD/CANR was held in Winnipeg on July 6, 2020. During the ceremony, Major-General Eric Kenny succeeded Lieutenant-General Alain Pelletier as the new Commander of 1 CAD/CANR.
July 24, 2020

Four women run on a track during a track and field competition.

Track and field for Masters Athletes 5: Planning your training phases

Athletes cannot expect ready-made programs to meet their needs. Proper planning will greatly impact success: fail to plan, plan to fail!
July 17, 2020

Past

A red aircraft in flight.

Five new inductees for Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame

Four individuals, including a First and Second World War Royal Canadian Air Force member and an RCAF air demonstration team, will be honoured by Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame in 2020.
November 15, 2019

A man wearing a disruptive-pattern uniform and a blue beret prepares to be high-fived by a toddler, while a second man in a similar uniform and a large crowd of people watch.

75th anniversary of 407 Squadron aircraft forced landing in Norway

Six Canadians crash-landed their Second World War bomber in Nazi-occupied Norway in 1944. Since the mid-1980s, their descendants and the descendants of the Norwegians who helped them escape the Nazis, gather yearly to remember and give thanks.
November 7, 2019

A man and a woman sit side by side

Profile of Courage: Jack Watts passes away at age of 98

Jack Watts, whose war-time exploits included helping destroy the Tirpitz battle ship and surviving a crash in the Mediterranean, died in 2019 at the age of 98.
November 5, 2019

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 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.
November 4, 2019

An engraved granite memorial with a crumpled piece of metal resting on the ground on one side, and a remembrance wreath resting on a stand on the other side.

Delta 673’s lost airmen commemorated

Eighty years after they mysteriously vanished, the aircrew of Northrop Delta 673 were commemorated and a granite monument unveiled in their honour on September 14, 2019, deep in the New Brunswick woods.
October 31, 2019

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