440 Transport Squadron
Unit of the Canadian Forces / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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440 Transport Squadron is a unit of the Canadian Armed Forces under the Royal Canadian Air Force. It is part of 8 Wing and works closely with Joint Task Force (North) in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.
440 Transport Squadron | |
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440e Escadron de transport (French) | |
Active | 5 October 1932–present[1] |
Country | Canada |
Branch | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Part of | 8 Wing |
Headquarters | Canadian Forces Northern Area Headquarters Yellowknife |
Motto(s) | Ka ganawaitak Saguenay (Innu for 'He who protects the Saguenay') |
Equipment | 4 CC-138 Twin Otters |
Battle honours |
|
Website | www |
Commanders | |
Current commander | LCol Steve Thompson |
Aircraft flown | |
Transport | CC-138 DHC-6 Twin Otter |
Based at Yellowknife Airport and operating throughout Northern Canada, the unit's primary role is to provide support to the Canadian Forces, including the Canadian Rangers and the Royal Canadian Air Cadets, with search and rescue as a secondary role. The squadron operates four CC-138 DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft that can fly on tundra tires, skis or floats, though the float program was abandoned in 1999 when it was determined that there was not enough call for that capability in the CF.[2][3][4][5]
The squadron was founded in the 1930s as an army cooperation squadron. It was for a time an air defence squadron from the start of the Second World War before moving to the United Kingdom. There it equipped as a fighter-bomber squadron under Royal Air Force (RAF) operational control, flying Hawker Typhoon aircraft. 440 Squadron supported the ground campaign through Northwest Europe until the end of the war.