Uplands is located about ten miles south of Ottawa. On 19 July 1919, a privately owned Jenny bi-plane landed on a cow pasture in an area known as Hunt Club and Golf Club Roads. Thus began aviation in the nation's capital. Later after his epic trans-Atlantic solo crossing, Charles Lindbergh landed at Ottawa with the Spirit of St. Louis during a good will tour. For many years to come as a result of the visit, the site was called Lindy Field. In 1939 Uplands was selected as a flying training site with the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. Harvards of No. 2 Service Flying Training School buzzed around the Ottawa valley from their home at Uplands. During the summer of 1941 Uplands went to Hollywood. A portion of the classic movie Captains of the Clouds starring James Cagney and Alan Hale Jr. was filmed there. The last Wings Parade was in March 1945.
RCAF Station Uplands was reopened near the end of 1950 as part of Air Defence Command. New buildings were constructed and the runways lengthened. The first unit to begin flying from the newly renovated airfield was 416 (F) Squadronm with North American Mustang Mk. IVs in January 1951. They traded in their piston engine aircraft for the new Canadair Sabre Mk. 2 in March 1952. 416 Squadron subsequently went overseas to No. 2 (F) Wing Grostenquin, France, as part of the No. 1 (RCAF) Air Division in September 1952. On 1 September 1951, 439 (F) Squadron formed at Uplands with Canadair Sabre Mk. 2a. 439 Squadron left Uplands the following May for No. 1 (F) Wing at North Luffenham, Nottinghamshire, England. On 1 July 1952, Uplands saw the formation of 434 (F) Squadron flying the Sabre Mk. 2. In January 1953, 422 (F) Squadron, equipped with the Sabre Mk. 2, was formed and in April they traded these in for the newer Sabre Mk. 4. 434 Squadron bid farewell to Uplands in early May 1953 and departed for No. 3 (F) Wing Zweibrucken, Germany during "Operation Leapfrog III". In September 1953, 422 (F) Squadron began patrolling the German skies from their new home at No. 4 (F) Wing, Baden-Soellingen, Germany. In September 1953, 445 All Weather (Fighter) Squadron arrived at Uplands from RCAF Station North Bay with CF-100 Mk.3s. In June 1954, 428 AW (F) Squadron was formed. 428 Squadron, with various versions of the CF-100 Canuck, spent their entire career in Uplands until disbandment in June 1961. In November 1956, after the departure of 445 Squadron for Europe on "Operation Nimble Bat I", 410 Squadron was reformed after being disbanded the previous month at No. 1 (F) Wing, Marville, France. They were re-equipped with the CF-100 Canuck Mk. 5 and later the CF-101 Voodoo before being disbanded in April 1964. In mid 1964, Uplands relinquished its role as an Air Defence Command station and became part of Air Transport Command. This did not spell the end of air defence for Uplands. In the fall of 1968, after leaving CFB St. Hubert, Quebec, 414 (Electronic Warfare) Squadron took up residence at CFB Uplands (the name had been changed as part on unification). The Clunk as the CF-100 was affectionately called, and the T-33 operated far and wide from Uplands until they moved again. 414 Squadron returned back to North Bay after an eight year absence in August 1972.
Today the old QRA still stands, but it is empty, and the Ottawa Airport is now known as McDonald-Cartier Airport.
Updated: April 13, 2005