Canadian Forces Base Comox

Canadian Forces Base Comox Base des Forces canadiennes Comox Comox Valley Airport
Characteristics
ICAO code	CYQQ
IATA code	YQQ
Coordinates	49 ° 42 '39 "  N , 124 ° 53' 12"  W Coordinates: 49 ° 42 '39 "  N , 124 ° 53' 12"  W.
Height above MSL	26 m (85  ft )
Transport links
Distance from the city center	5 km northeast of Comox
Street	Knight Road (civil terminal)
Local transport	Bus : BC Transit Route 11
Basic data
opening	1943
operator	Royal Canadian Air Force Comox Valley Airport Commission
Terminals	1
Passengers	420,811 (2018)
Runways
12/30	3048 m × 61 m concrete
18/36	1524 m × 61 m asphalt

The Canadian Forces Base Comox , or CFB Comox for short (French: Base des Forces canadiennes Comox ; BFC Comox), is an air force base of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and is located near the small town of Comox on Vancouver Island in British Columbia . The base is the main base of operations for the Airbus CC-295 - SAR aircraft, which have been stationed here since 2020. The unit maintaining the base is the 19th Wing (19th Squadron).

The railways are also used for civil purposes, the civil area is operated as Comox Valley Airport .

history

Construction of the base began in the spring of 1942 after the start of the Pacific War at the instigation of the British Royal Air Force, and Royal Canadian Air Force Station Comox was opened the following year . Until the end of the war there was a school squadron equipped with Dakota .

After the end of the war, the station was mothballed and reactivated during the Korean War in 1952 and in view of the Cold War . Since July 1952 Comox has been the base of the 407th Maritime Reconnaissance Squadron , now the 407th Long Range Patrol Squadron . The squadron flew the Lancaster , P2V-7 , CP-107 and since 1980 the CP-140 .

In addition, from late 1954 to 1984 the 409th All Weather Fighter Interceptor Squadron flew the CT-33 , the CF-100 and, most recently, from 1963 the CF-101 .

The current name was introduced in 1968 as part of a reorganization. In the same year, the 442nd Communications and Rescue Squadron was reactivated in Comox, which has taken on its current role since the subsequent renaming in 442nd Transport and Rescue Squadron . She initially flew HU-16 flying boats and H-21 helicopters. These types were later replaced by CC-115 and CH-113 . The CH-113 was replaced by the CH-149 from 2001 and the CC-115 from the CC-295 from 2020.

The civil joint use of the airfield began in the late 1950s. Pacific Western Airlines offered scheduled flights from Comox until the mid-1980s, most recently with Boeing 737 . As a result, Comox was only in the flight plan of Air BC and Time Air of Canada , which served Comox with turboprop aircraft.

Military use

The operator of the base is the 19th squadron with two flying squadrons.

• 407th Maritime Patrol Squadron , equipped with the CP-140 since 1980
• 442nd Transport and Rescue Squadron , equipped with CC-115 since 1970, with CC-295 since 2020 and with CH-149 since 2001

Civil use

Airlines and Destinations

Comox Valley Airport is used by Jazz Aviation , Pacific Coastal Airlines and Westjet Airlines . There are scheduled flights to Calgary , Edmonton and Vancouver .

Web links

Commons : CFB Comox  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• official website of the 19th Wing Comox (English)
• Website of the Comox Valley Airport (english)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Facts and Figures. ComoxAirport.com, accessed March 3, 2020 . 
2. ↑ Airlines. ComoxAirport.com, accessed March 3, 2020 . 
3. ↑ Routes. ComoxAirport.com, accessed March 3, 2020 .