Camp Borden, Ontario

400 Tactical Helicopter Squadron

400 Tactical Helicopter Squadron (THS) is a lodger unit of Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Borden. Equipped with seven CH-146 Griffon helicopters, its mission can be divided into pre and post mobilization segments. During peacetime, the squadron fills assigned commitments by providing operational and training support to Land Force Central Area (LFCA), defence of national sovereignty, support to national taskings, support to peacekeeping operations, and secondary search and rescue and MAJAID. In the unlikely event that the nation mobilizes, 400 THS will deploy all of its aviation assets, including support equipment, to augment 427 Squadron in Petawawa. Those personnel remaining behind will form the core of a forces generation unit. 400 THS has an establishment of 237 personnel divided into 6 flights: Three Flying Flights, a Maintenance Flight, an Administrative Support Flight, and Squadron HQ. HQ Flight is a conglomeration of the Orderly Room, Finance Section, Medical Section and the 400 Squadron Pipes and Drums Band.

Comments by Bob McDevitt: - 18 March 2005

All the THS's support Army Ops. MFAU is the acronym for Military Flight Advisory Unit. All MFAU's are under the command of 1 Wing Kingston, who oversees all the Army helicopter squadrons. A Flight Advisor is a conglomerate of Flight Following and VFR Tower control. The towers we work in all have a fixed Control Zone but limited activity. The powers that be have decreed that since the numbers are not there and the majority of work is Helo's, MCpl's are capable of providing advisory service. We maintain Positive Ground control on the airfield but cannot CLEAR aircraft to take off or land, we can suggest sequencing but cannot tell them their number. We also pass known traffic and coordinate requirements with outside agencies. It is basically a standard Control Tower without positive control of airborne traffic.

I guess I will start with the individual squadrons: CYED (Edmonton) is 408THS; CYBN (Borden) is 400THS (about 60% reserves); CYWA (Petawawa) is 427THS; CYOY (Valcartier) is 430THS; and CYCX (Gagetown) is 403THS. All ATC personnel are actually posted to the squadrons. As such our hours are dependent on the flying schedules, normally 0730 to 1600(L) Monday to Friday. But as you know there is always quite a bit of night and weekend flying activity. In 2004, 400 Squadron flew to midnight or later (the summer hours were gruelling), on average, 4 nights a week from May to October. The annual traffic for 2004 was about 8000 movements with helo, cadet glider activity as well as civilian and military overflights.

The manning is: as follows:

Edmonton - CYED: Manning is 1 x Capt(SATCO); 1 x Sgt(NCOi/c); and 3 or 4 MCpls
Petawawa - CYWA: Same as above
Valcartier - CYOY: Again the same
Gagetown - CYCX: Once more the same
Camp Borden - CYBN: Not the same, we have 1 x Sgt; 2 x MCpl's

Camp Borden is basically a feeder squadron for the other reg force sqn's. Duty Flight Advisors(DFA), with the other suadrons, do normally deploy with the squadron. But here at 400 we augmentee the other squadrons and only have 1 or 2 exercises a year. 2004 was the first time they took an ATC with them, lucky me. So to answer your question, "no, it is not a plum job but it does have it's advantages". ie: no 24 hour shift.