Courtesy of Bruce Wellman
GROUND CONTROL APPROACH SCHOOL, DORVAL QC
On 24 August 1948, AFHQ Organization Order 947 stated, "As a result of the introduction of GCA into the RCAF it is necessary to establish a school to train personnel as controllers and in the maintenance of GCA equipment. This training is necessary because of the complexity of these installations." The function of the GCA School was as follows: "To train selected Flying Control Officers and Aircraft control Assistants as GCA Controllers to operational standards." As well, another task of this School, established under control of 426 Transport Squadron and commanded by F/L Ron Gilmour was, "To train selected Master Radio Technicians, Radar Technicians and/or Radio Technicians (Ground) in the maintenance and repair of GCA Equipment to a level that will enable them to perform any servicing normally done at Station level."
At the same time, it was realised that the RCAF needed ATC assistants to carry out the Flying Control tasks and the training of Flying Control Other Ranks started again at #1 Instrument Flying School (Trenton) with Squadron leader KCM Dobbin (Pilot) appointed as Officer Commanding Flying Control training. While this training was reinitiated, the Air Board at AFHQ decided that enough personnel had been trained to fulfill the needs of RCAF personnel for the particular MPN-1 GCA equipment purchased for the RCAF, and under Org Order 1/50 dated 14 Feb 1950 the GCA School at Dorval was closed on 29 May 1950 after four Technician Courses and eight GCA Controller courses had been completed. These courses were dedicated solely to the particular MPN-1 GCA Equipment. Later, training of MPN-1C Controllers was carried out at RCAF Station Edmonton in 1951 under command of F/O Lloyd Pike (pilot on ground tour) while in Eastern Canada MPN-1 GCA training was carried out at RCAF Station Rockcliffe.
Updated: June 6, 2005