CFB Shearwater
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| 12 Wing Shearwater Halifax/Shearwater Airport |
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| 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 | |||
| Website | |||
| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| 10H/28H | 1,250 | 381 | Asphalt |
| 16H/34H | 8,998 | 2,743 | Asphalt |
| Source: Canada Flight Supplement[1] | |||
12 Wing Shearwater (IATA: YAW, ICAO: CYAW), is located in Shearwater, Nova Scotia on the eastern shore of Halifax Harbour in the Halifax Regional Municipality.
It is operated as a heliport by Canadian Forces Air Command and is the birthplace and headquarters for naval aviation in Canada; its primary lodger unit is 12 Wing.
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[edit] History
12 Wing 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 taken over by the Air Board in 1920 for civil flying operations, and later developed by the Canadian Air Force and the Royal Canadian Air Force. The station 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.
According to charts published in the Canadian Flight Supplement, 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). As alluded to in the press release of May 29, 2007, this was to allow for operations (including instrument approaches) to continue during "existing runway and two taxiways will be reconstructed and resurfaced to provide a new landing area and taxiways" [2] and the construction of other facilities. The diagram at the bottom of the backgrounder [3] shows the current extent of Shearwater, with 16H34H being farthest to the east and 10H/28H being the east end of that runway. The new 16H/34H will be along the taxiway just inside the fenceline (parallel and west of the old main runway) and will be the only active runway. The west end of the old 10/28 will become a helicopter landing area. The east end of 10/28 (to the fenceline) and the taxiway just south of it (also to the fenceline) will become helicopter utility practice areas. The old 16/34 will be closed and outside the fenceline. However, an article in The Chronicle-Herald [4] states that the longer runway is contained within a parcel of land currently owned by Canada Lands Company. The article goes on to say that DND is considering reacquiring this parcel, although there are no plans to keep the longer runway open.
12 Wing Shearwater's primary mission remains as a heliport, used by the Canadian Navy's east coast shipborne helicopter fleet. 12 Wing currently operates the CH124 Sea King but will transition to the CH148 Cyclone commencing in 2009.
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 two locations with four squadrons:
- CFB Shearwater
- 406 Maritime Operational Training Squadron—an operational training squadron for all maritime helicopter aircrew in the Canadian Forces.
- 423 Maritime Helicopter 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
- Helicopter Operational Evaluation and Test Facility—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 Maritime Helicopter Squadron—an operational squadron based at Victoria International Airport which provides CH-124 Sea King helicopters for Maritime Forces Pacific warships.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Canada Flight Supplement. Effective 0901Z 10 April 2008 to 0901Z 5 June 2008
- ^ http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/newsroom/view_news_e.asp?id=2314
- ^ http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/newsroom/view_news_e.asp?id=2284
- ^ http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/Search/1046105.html
- Milberry, Larry, ed. Sixty Years—The RCAF and CF Air Command 1924–1984. Toronto: Canav Books, 1984. ISBN 0-9690703-4-9.
[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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