Grostenquin France

Emergence of Air Transportation - Assorted Sources

During the 1950s, the vast majority of RCAF personnel and their dependants made use of Cruise Ships when travelling to and from Europe. To many - this mode of transportation was considered to be a vacation trip on its own. A smaller number of service personnel found themselves making use of the "North Star" as their means of transport to Europe - while an even smaller number (like myself) were fortunate to travel on an RCAF "Comet". All of this more or less came to an end on 31 August 1961 when "Student Juliet" and "Student Kilo", 1 (F) Wing Zulu aircraft, were scrambled for Yellowjack (61 AC&W Squadron at Metz France) to escort the first CC-106 (callsign - 930) enroute Trenton to Marville. The intercept was completed at 1124Z in EE 3515 and the escort was carried out to 1 (F) Wing) with the arrival of the first CC-106 Yukon.

The following detail has been extracted from 1 Air Division RCAF Metz France Historical Narrative reports.

30 Nov 61

Air Division preparations were completed for the introduction of the Yukon aircraft into trans-Atlantic service for the air logistics and personnel support of the Air Division. 1 Wing, Marville, was designated as the European port-of-entry for this aircraft with 4 Wing as the alternate base. A terminal building was constructed at Marville and opened on 6 Nov 61, and dining facilities and overnight accomodation for transient service and DND personnel, and their families, has been provided through modifications to existing buildings. A hard-stand was completed at 4 Wing, Baden-Soellingen, in the event that a diversion requires the Yukon aircraft to use that base in lieu of Marville.

With the change over from trans-Atlantic surface to air transport, the RCAF Movements units in Europe were re-organized. 6 Movements Unit in Paris was disbanded at the end of 1961, and 5 Movements Unit at Langar was moved to Marville and re-designated 5 Air Movements Unit. Personnel from Langar and Paris moved to Marville to form the nucleus of 5 Air Movements Unit. This new unit is now responsible for all movements of personnel and materiel to and from Europe.

As a result of the introduction of this new means of Air Division trans-Atlantic support, an enlarged Continental and domestic transport system, between the trans-Atlantic terminal at Marville, the Air Division Wings, the United Kingdom, and the Canadian Army at Soest in Germany, will be introduced. The Dakota and Bristol aircraft of 109 Communications Flight and 137 Transport Flight, along with road transport, will be used for this purpose. Plans for the transport of this increase in personnel, baggage, and logistic support were finalized in 1961. The Bristol aircraft will continue to assist the fighter squadrons to deploy to the Air Weapons Training Installation in Sardinia for practice air-firing, and to their deployment airfields during exercises.

The introduction of direct air logistics support by Yukon aircraft has made it possible to plan for the progressive run-down of 312 Supply Depot at Langar. This run-down is being carried out gradually and should be completed by mid-1963.

15 May 61

5 Air Movements Units at Langar was disbanded and reformed as 5 Air Movements Unit at Marville. The re-location of this unit to to provide movements facilities for the European terminal of the CC-106 operation.

The Yukon was derived from the Bristol Britannia four-turboprop commercial airliner, though both Canadian types had considerably longer fuselages and greater engine power.

The CL-446 military transport version (RCAF designation CC-l06) had a pressurized fuselage with conventional side-loading of freight through double doors in the port side. Capable of carrying a 27433-kg (60480 lb) payload, the first Yukon was completed in August 1959 and made its initial flight three months later, on November 15. The powerplant comprised four Rolls-Royce Tyne Mk 515/10 engines, making it Canada's first turboprop-powered aircraft to attain production status. Range with maximum payload was 3800 km (2360 miles); with maximum fuel and reduced payload, this could be extended to 9090 km (5650 miles). The cruising speed of the CC-106 was 370 mph.

Twelve Yukons were built, two being allocated to No 412 Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force (with convertible interiors for use as passenger and VIP transports), and ten to No 437 Squadron for long-range logistic support of Canadian forces in Europe (No 1 Air Division), Africa and the Middle East.

Designed for high-speed, long-range transport duty, the pressurized Yukon could haul a 27-ton payload some 2,000 miles and a 14-ton payload nearly 4,000 miles. On the regular, scheduled trans-Atlantic trooping runs which the Yukons had been flying since January of 1962, the aircraft was arranged to accommodate 134 passengers and carried a crew of ten.

Operated by 412 and 437 Squadrons, the Yukon provided a ten-hour, non-stop trans-Atlantic service from Ottawa or Trenton to Marville, France. It was a Yukon of 437 Squadron which, in December of 1961, set a Canadian record for long-distance flight by making the 6,750 mile non-stop trip from Tokyo to Trenton in 17 hours and 3 minutes.

Derived from the Bristol "Britannia" and powered by four Rolls-Royce "Tyne" turboprop engines, the "Yukon" (CC-106) was introduced in 1961 to supplement the veteran "North Star" in RCAF service. It was produced by Canadair Limited and is the largest aircraft yet to be built in Canada. The Yukon was retired from service in the spring of 1971.