1 Wing Resources

This handsome book tells the story not only of the aircraft but of the people who flew it. In its heyday over 20 years ago the CF-100 served on the front lines with NORAD and NATO. Such aspects as aircrew training at North Bay and Cold Lake, squadron formulations, weapons practice, armament research, and service with the Belgian Air Force (the only other air force to fly the CF-100) are covered in detail. Fascinating first-person accounts describe such events as test flying, scrambles, a bail-out after a near-fatal mid-air collision, and an electronic warfare mission with the Clunk playing enemy bomber.

The book includes the largest and finest collection of illustrations of the CF-100 and its era ever published -- over 300 photos, engineering drawings, cut-aways, foldout cockpit diagrams, and maps, as well as superb colour profiles by aviation artist Peter Mossman.

For further detail on either of these books, please contact Larry Milberry at:

The NFB can be reached at 1-800-267-7710 (283-9000 in the Montreal area) or at www.nfb.ca on the Internet.

Official Description: A brief introduction to the social adjustments and general rules of behaviour necessary for Royal Canadian Air Force personnel taking up European postings.

Our Description: If you served with the RCAF in 1 Air Division during the 1950s, and if you are into nostalgia, then this VHS film is a must. While the film is generic in nature, it covers all locations starting (in sequential order) with Metz, Langar (some excellent clips of the Bristol 170 Freighter), Marville, Grostenquin (about 6 minutes of footage which depicts not only the base but the PMQ area on the outskirts of St. Avold), Metz, Zweibrucken, Baden Soellingen, Decimomannu and even the RCAF cemetery at Choloy. There is some excellent low level aerial footage as well as a number of wide angle shots - thereby taking the viewer back in time. Talk about going back down "memory lane".

Official Description: A film of Royal Canadian Air Force jet pilots in Zweibrucken, West Germany.

Our Description: It doesn't matter that this movie was filmed at 3 Wing, Zweibrucken - as opposed to 2 Wing, Grostenquin. The content applies to all of the Wings which formed the Air Division during the 1950s. Fred Davis acts as host and the story is centered on two pilots of 427 Squadron based at 3 Wing. Davis interviews the pilots and attempts to determine exactly what they do, and how they do it. The movie was filmed at a number of locations such as the squadron dispersal area, the control tower and the GCA trailer and it shows how the aircrew was placed into various stages of readiness and eventually scrambled against an intruder which uses Luxembourg as its target. It is at this stage that the film enters an area of non accurate detail - as the movie would imply that the Operations Room resides at 3 Wing, where in reality, this complex was the 61st AC&W Squadron - located at Metz France. None the less, the movie shows the scramble of two F-86 Sabre aircraft from Zweibrucken, an excellent session pertaining to 61 AC&W Squadron (interior clips of the Operations room showing radar equipment, the vertical plotting boards, FCO and AS/FtrC personnel), the intercept of the intruder aircraft, and the eventual return to 3 Wing for the Sabres making use of a GCI-GCA approach. If you served in an operational role, then this 30 minute movie is a must.

Official Description:From 1951 through 1963 the Rotal Canadian Air Force ruled the skies over southern Europe. Flying their Canadian-built F-86 Sabres they were the scourge of airforces from Norway to Turkey. In this 55 minute video, specially commissioned for the recent RCAF Sabre Pilot's reunion (1996), see how they lived, loved and flew. Gleaned from hours of home movies and slides, never-before-seen shots show air-to-air gunnery at Rabat, Morocco, standing Zulu alert in France, flying the Atlantic and romance on the Continent - and much, much more. "An accurate video depiction of life in the Fighter Wings of 1 Air Division from the 50's into the early 60's". W/C Jack Webber, CD (RCAF, Retired).

The following detail was indicated on the video box: The Sabre Project, PO Box 85136, Alberta Park Postal Outlet, Calgary, AB, T2A 7R7