CFB Shearwater

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CFB Shearwater Halifax/Shearwater Airport
Image:12wing-esc 72.svg
IATA: YAW – ICAO: CYAW
Summary
Airport type		Military
Owner		Government of Canada
Operator		DND
Location		Shearwater, Nova Scotia
Elevation AMSL		167 ft / 51 m
Coordinates		44°38′23″N 063°29′58″W / 44.63972, -63.49944
Website		www.airforce.forces.gc.ca/12wing
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	ft	m
10H/28H	1,250	381	Asphalt
16H/34H	8,998	2,743	Asphalt
Source: Canada Flight Supplement[1]

Canadian Forces Base Shearwater (IATA: YAW, ICAO: CYAW) (also CFB Shearwater), is a Canadian Forces Base located in Shearwater, Nova Scotia on the eastern shore of Halifax Harbour in the Halifax Regional Municipality.

It is operated as an air force base by Canadian Forces Air Command and is the birthplace and headquarters for naval aviation in Canada; its primary lodger unit is 12 Wing.

CFB Shearwater's airfield is also used by civilian aircraft, with civilian operations at the base referring to the facility as Halifax/Shearwater Airport.

Contents 1 History 2 Current operations 3 See also 4 References 5 External links

[edit] History

CFB Shearwater is the second-oldest military aerodrome in Canada. In August 1918 the US Navy established Naval Air Station Halifax on the shores of Eastern Passage to support flying boat patrol aircraft. The land-based airfield was developed by the Royal Canadian Air Force and became known as RCAF Station Dartmouth and later RCAF Station Shearwater through the Second World War.

Post-war, the Royal Canadian Navy took over the US Navy's flying boat facility, naming it HMCS Shearwater, also known as Royal Canadian Naval Air Station Shearwater (RCNAS Shearwater).

The combined land and sea-based aerodromes were used to station carrier-based maritime patrol and fighter aircraft. Shearwater was also the home to early experiments with ship-borne helicopters - something which was copied by navies around the world. During the 1960s, the aerodrome at the former RCAF Station Debert was attached to RCAF Station Shearwater as a training location for carrier landings.

The February 1, 1968 unification of the three service branches into the Canadian Forces saw RCAF Station Shearwater (and RCNAS Shearwater) change its name to Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Shearwater.

Over the years the airport was scaled back with only runway 10/28 remaining open and surplus land being sold. In July 2007 runway 10H/28H was reduced to 1,250 feet (380 m) from 5,692 feet (1,735 m) and 16H/34H was reopened with a length of 8,998 feet (2,743 m); CFB Shearwater's primary mission remains as a heliport which is used by 12 Wing.

The Shearwater Aviation Museum is located on base and documents Canada's naval aviation heritage.

[edit] Current operations

CFB Shearwater is the headquarters of 12 Wing, whose sole purpose is to support and operate shipborne helicopters for the Canadian Forces Maritime Command.

12 Wing operates out of 2 locations with 4 squadrons:

• CFB Shearwater
  • 406 Squadron - an operational training squadron for all maritime helicopter aircrew in the Canadian Forces.
  • 423 Squadron - an operational squadron based at CFB Shearwater which provides CH-124 Sea King helicopters for Maritime Forces Atlantic warships.
  • 12 Air Maintenance Squadron - provides aircraft maintenance and engineering support to the wing
  • HOTEF - is responsible for researching and testing state-of-the-art equipment for the Sea King, to enable crews to operate efficiently, ashore or while deployed.

• Patricia Bay, British Columbia
  • 443 Squadron - an operational squadron based at Victoria International Airport which provides CH-124 Sea King helicopters for Maritime Forces Pacific warships.

[edit] See also

• Halifax International Airport
• Swissair Flight 111

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• 12 Wing/CFB Shearwater
• Shearwater Aviation Museum website
• Atlantic Canada Aviation Museum website
• Accident history for YAW at Aviation Safety Network
• Past three hours METARs, SPECI and current TAFs for CFB Shearwater from NAV CANADA as available.

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Fighter aircraft: CF-188 Hornet Patrol aircraft: CP-140 Aurora/CP-140A Arcturus Helicopters: CH-124 Sea King • CH-139 JetRanger • CH-146 Griffon • CH-149 Cormorant Cargo aircraft: CC-115 Buffalo • CC-130 Hercules • CC-138 Twin Otter • CC-144 Challenger • CC-150 Polaris • CC-177 Globemaster III Trainer aircraft: CT-114 Tutor • CT-142 Dash 8 • CT-155 Hawk • CT-156 Harvard II UAVs: CU-161 Sperwer Possible Future Aircraft: CH-47 Chinook • CH-148 Cyclone • C-130 Hercules • F-35 Lightning II • Alenia C-27J Wings: 1 Wing Kingston • 3 Wing Bagotville • 4 Wing Cold Lake • 5 Wing Goose Bay • 8 Wing Trenton • 9 Wing Gander • 12 Wing Shearwater • 14 Wing Greenwood • 15 Wing Moose Jaw • 16 Wing Borden • 17 Wing Winnipeg • 19 Wing Comox • 22 Wing North Bay