RCAF Air Traffic Control

Victoria RCC

The RCC in Victoria was located upstairs in MARPAC HQ right across the road from the Admirals big red brick house. We had a Senior Officers PMQ at Signal Hill on the water with a fireplace, garage, private cove with beach and view of the entrance to the harbour for $254.00 a month. An extremely worthwhile job that the hierarchy in ATC knew nothing about or cared about. Witness the outgoing ATC Major SSO/RCC shot us in the foot on departure telling the Admiral that the SSO job could be done by a Captain. I'm sure the Admiral said "thank you very much" and some work boat driver got a half ring. Took us two years to get the half ring back and it was the Admiral himself (Collier) who ordered it. Our guys in Ottawa did nada .

I worked for Lou Villeneuve, ex FTRCOp, CFR'd to ATC, whatever we needed we did an end run around the deadheads in MARPAC HQ to the Chief of Staff and even the Admiral himself. Living as you did in Victoria you know the job was very high profile and given the fact that the TV and Radio stations monitored our every move through Vancouver Marine Radio and VHF/HF frequencies. The Vancouver Sun used to call every nite to see if we had anything going. If we had something in progress and needed a hold we would fill in the blanks and they would not release it until we gave them the green lite. The mutual respect was good and the Sun did us a lot of good.

Had occasion to call out HMCS MacKenzie on a distressed sailing vessel, the Admiral ordered it so and the modern day version of the press gang went through the various messes, t'was late in the evening, rounding up a crew to sail her and she sailed and towed the vessel to port - all aboard the sailing vessel were lost. Some of the dark blue were not very happy with us as they were a secondary resource to us and the gentlemen did not like to sail without many days notice. Nice thing to see when an Admiral says jump to see how high the minions jump.

I would have done that job my whole career. There were sour grapes like the lack of support from the Ottawa commandos in ATC. Dark blue left us alone because they knew we had a pipeline to the COS and Admiral. We were resented for that and they took a dim view of how we treated our airmen. Our shift operated with one Captain Air, one Radar Controller, and one Coast Guard Officer. Whoever answered the phone, be he lower or upper deck, was expected to run any ensuing operation. There was no "yes sir, no sir, three bags full". Once the operation was up and running then whosever area of expertise it was became the prime controller.

I don't know whether you knew Lou Villeneuve when he was an arrow pusher or not - but to show you how ridiculous the system was, he was offered a five year extension and posted to Ottawa to become the editor of the French Language Sentinelle. Lou told the career mangler that he spoke no French and the career manager said "that's OK, your name is French". Lou turned him down and got out - a waste of a lot of talent and expertise.

Courtesy Frank Deegan - Victoria RCC 1973-1977