SECRET
Annex "C" to Historical Report
109 KU has seen two significant events during the year. First its importance as a unit was reflected in the upgrading of the establishment for Officer Commanding to the rank of Wing Commander. On 8 Jul 66, W/C CS Olsen assumed command of the Unit and S/L D Spence who had until that time been acting O/C became Deputy O/C and Unit Operations Officer. Then, in late autumn, a large part of the Unit's operations were taken over by Hercules aircraft on a weekly rotation from 436 and 437 Squadrons in Canada. On 1 Nov 66 four B-170 Bristol Freighters, the only ones in operation in the RCAF, and four Dakotas were taken off Unit strength. The Bristols, after a fitting retirement ceremony on 27 Nov 66 with A/M Sharp, Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff, in attendance, were flown to Weston-super-Mare, England for disposal. The four Dakota aircraft were flown to Scottish Aviation Limited at Prestwick, Scotland for similar action. Earlier in the year the Unit lost another Dakota, the long-nosed "Pinocchio", used for radar prediction work at 4 Wing. It was flown back across the Atlantic to Trenton in late October. This has left 109 KU with eight Dakotas, one of which is on detachment with SHAPE in Paris. Of the seven at Marville, one is held in "Stored reserve" so that the Unit never has more than six aircraft available for operations out of 1 Wing. Three of the Unit's Dakotas are VIP-configured and one of these is normally retained by the Paris detachment.
In conjunction with the reduction in number of aircraft the Unit strength has fallen from approximately 185 men and 40 officers to roughly 110 men and 20 officers.
During the year 109 KU has flown a total of 10,686 passengers and 2,066,803 pounds of cargo, baggage and mail and logged a grand total of 9,334 hours in the process. It is interesting to note from the statistical returns for Nov 66 and Dec 66 that the monthly average is 172,658 pounds. In other words, the Unit has continued to airlift 70% of the original amount of freight per month despite the loss of the four Bristols and four Dakotas which represent well over half its original total hauling capacity.
Among the distinguished passengers flown by 109 KU during the year have been the Honourable Mr Winters, Minister of Trade and Commerce, the Honourable Mr Lionel Chevrier, Canadian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, the Honourable Mr Paul Martin, Minister of External Affairs and Ambassadors Ignatieff and Bauer.