Table of Contents
- 1 When did the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan start?
- 2 What was the purpose of the British Commonwealth Air training Program?
- 3 How did Canada’s policy of total war change the economy Why was the policy necessary?
- 4 What were the three aircraft used for initial pilot training in the BCATP?
- 5 How many aircrew did Great Britain train each year?
- 6 Why was the UK unsuitable for Air Training?
When did the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan start?
1939
In 1939, the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCAPT) agreement was signed between Great Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to train aircrew for service overseas. The Plan trained aircrew, including pilots, navigators, bomb aimers, wireless operators and flight engineers.
What was the purpose of the British Commonwealth Air training Program?
Located in Canada, the plan’s mandate was to train Allied aircrews for the Second World War, including pilots, navigators, bomb aimers, wireless operators, air gunners, and flight engineers.
Why was Canada chosen for Allied air training?
Under a deal signed in 1939, Canada agreed to provide facilities and training for airmen from every part of the Commonwealth. Canada was ideally suited for this program because our country was far from most of the active fighting and had lots of wide-open spaces and good flying conditions.
How many Bcatp training sites schools were set up across Canada?
231 locations
Schools and facilities were set up at 231 locations across Canada. Many of these facilities were airfields.
How did Canada’s policy of total war change the economy Why was the policy necessary?
How did Canada’s policy of TOTAL WAR change the economy? Shipyards built war ships and all around, the Canadian market was flowing again. The policy was necessary because the army had to ensure that it had enough supplies.
What were the three aircraft used for initial pilot training in the BCATP?
The EFTS used de Havilland Tiger Moth, Fleet Finch and Westland Cornell aircraft for instruction. There were 26 RCAF and six Royal Air Force (RAF) Elementary schools in the BCATP. They were privately run with civilian instructors and RCAF or RAF management.
What was the British Commonwealth air training plan?
One of the first and most important contributions our country would make to the war effort would be the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP). Under a deal signed in 1939, Canada agreed to provide facilities and training for airmen from every part of the Commonwealth.
Where was the Canadian Air Training Plan located?
Located in Canada, the plan’s mandate was to train Allied aircrews for the Second World War, including pilots, navigators, bomb aimers, wireless operators, air gunners, and flight engineers. More than 130,000 crewmen and women were trained between 1939 and 1945, making this one of Canada’s great contributions to Allied victory in the war.
How many aircrew did Great Britain train each year?
The agreement called for the training of nearly 50,000 aircrew each year, for as long as necessary: 22,000 aircrew from Great Britain, 13,000 from Canada, 11,000 from Australia and 3,300 from New Zealand. Under the agreement, air crews received elementary training in various Commonwealth countries before travelling to Canada for advanced courses.
Why was the UK unsuitable for Air Training?
The United Kingdom was considered an unsuitable location for air training, due to the possibility of enemy attack, the strain caused by wartime traffic at airfields and the unpredictable weather, so the plan called for the facilities in the Dominions to train British and each other’s aircrews.