By Erika Rolling

Search and Rescue Training

Royal Canadian Air Force conducting Search and Rescue Training next week in Grande Prairie

Apr 22, 2022 | 1:20 PM

The sky will be seeing more than regular air traffic in Grande Prairie and area starting Monday.

The Royal Canadian Air Force’s CC-130H Hercules, CH-146 Griffon helicopters, and a CC138 Twin Otter will be flying overhead with search and rescue technicians parachuting as part of their annual training. Residents in the area may also see rescue equipment being dropped from aircraft over drop zones.

435 Transport and Rescue Squadron based in Winnipeg will be joined by 439 Combat Support Squadron from 3 Wing Bagotville, QC, 417 Combat Support Squadron (4 Wing Cold Lake, AB), 440 Transport Squadron (Yellowknife, NWT), US Coast Guard Air Station Sitka, Alaska, Civil Air Search and Rescue Association (CASARA), Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service (STARS), as well as local ground search and rescue teams for the week.

Public Affairs Officer at 19 Wing Comox Captain Christine MacNeil says every year, the Squadron holds a large search and rescue exercise, but it has been on hold due to COVID-19.

“Everyone’s quite excited to have the opportunity to do it again and this is just a chance for them to keep their skills honed and learn from each other,” she explained.

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“If people want to watch, find a safe place to do so,” Captain MacNeil noted residents will be able to see the aircraft overhead and want people to be aware as “it’s not a regular day in Grande Prairie!”

435 Squadron holds an annual exercise to provide training opportunities for all members with locations varying allowing for different terrain, weather and different personnel they can work alongside.

“You never know where search and rescue is going to take place for real, so if they (RCAF) always trained in the same place and then something happened elsewhere… it allows them (RCAF) to experience a variety of different factors,”

The RCAF and other joining groups will be in Grande Prairie for the SAREX training from April 25-29 and will also appear in the Beaverlodge and Valleyview airfields during the time.