Canadian Reconnaissance Aircraft in Europe
CANADIAN RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT IN EUROPE
After WW 2 the tactical reconnaissance role was taken by 417 Sqd RCAF in
Europe. Initially equipped with Mosquito FR XV1's, by 1952 these were
obsolete and the RCAF began the search for a replacement. They evaluated both
the Meteor FR 9 and the RF84F in 1953-4 finding both aircraft suitable for
their needs, but opting to obtain the newer American aircraft on lease due to
unacceptable delivery times with the Meteor. So 417 reformed with 24
Thunderflashes in 1955 and was based in France, W Germany and Southern Italy.
In 1961 with the adoption of the CF101 fighter the RCAF looked to update
their reconnaissance assets and simplify their logistics by obtaining the
RF101C. The first of 18 aircraft were delivered in 1963 replacing the
faithful Thunderflashes.
Due to the UK's involvement in the ongoing SE Asian war the other NATO and
Commonwealth countries supporting the NATO commitment to Europe found
themselves stretched very thinly along the East/West borders of Europe. The
RCAF requested extra RF101C's from the US in 1968, but due to a perceived
lack of recce assets in SE Asia within the USAF this request was turned down.
McDonnell was busy converting as many single seat fighter-bomber Voodoos to
the recce role as fast as they could. But they did offer a conversion for the
F101B and F two-seat fighter Voodoos that were being withdrawn from front
line USAF service. This would give the two-seater dual controls and a
'missionised' rear cockpit. The reconnaissance cameras and sensors being
housed in a 'canoe' under the nose and in the weapons bay. Twelve aircraft
were converted by Avro after they were withdrawn from storage in Nevada and
delivered to 417 sqd. The crews found the two-seaters to be a great success
due to the shared workload in the generally poor European weather conditions.
This along with the USAF's requirement for more single seat recce Voodoos led
to the RCAF withdrawing the remaining 22 RF101C's in 1970 and returning them
to McDonnell for overhaul before they were issued to the USAF, who had borne
the cost of the overhauls and offset a large percentage of the conversion
cost by donating the replacement airframes to the RCAF. They were replaced in
Canadian service with RF101B's on a one for one basis.
The Voodoos soldiered on in Europe on both the inner German and inner
Italian boarders thoughout the '70s and early '80s until replaced in 1984
with Tornado GR1A's. These were a quantum leap in technology for the CAF and
they served in Europe until after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. The
three year upheaval of the interregnum saw the CAF flying many missions in
support of the UN over the Balkans, Italy and Cyprus. The celebrated
interception of a CAF Tornado by RAF Tornados over Cyprus where the Canadian
crew were invited for a beer and a curry is a well known story. But hides the
very serious and often dangerous missions flown at low level, under fire over
the 'Green Line' by the CAF's Tornado force. The shooting down of a Greek
Cypriot National Guard Fiat G91 by a CAF Tornado, and an engagement with
Turkish AF Kifirs attests to this.
In 1994 the CAF withdrew from Europe, 417 was co-located at CAF Station
North Bay Ontario with 414 sqd. They continue to make detachments abroad in
support of the UN, one of the latest being to police the UN brokered
ceasefire between the Zapatista rebels and the Federal Mexican Government in
the southern provinces of Oaxas and Chiapas.