RCAF's CH-149 Cormorant (Photo supplied by Erika Rolling)

By Erika Rolling

Search and Rescue Training

Air Force continuing Search and Rescue training despite unpleasant weather conditions

Apr 27, 2022 | 2:18 PM

Until Friday, four squadrons of the Royal Canadian Air Force along with Civil Air Search and Rescue Association, STARS, the US Coast Guard Air Station Sitka, Alaska as well as local Ground Search and Rescue teams are carrying out training exercises in and around Grande Prairie.

Residents may have already seen or heard the Air Force’s two CC-130H Hercules, a CH-149 Cormorant, a CH-146 Griffon and CC138 Twin Otter flying overhead from Beaverlodge to Grande Prairie to Valleyview.

Weather conditions in the region are forecast to be less than ideal, but Public Affairs Officer for 19 Wing Comox Captain Christine MacNeil says they train in just about anything.

“The reason for that is so that they can do search and rescue in just about anything, so they have to learn how to be prepared for different weather and how to respond in different weather so obviously having equipment that you need on a cold wet day is key.”

Between 70 and 80 people from across the country are in the city for SAREX according to Captain MacNeil.

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“There are four scenarios being trained for so far. The Cormorant responded to one, the Griffon responded to one, and the Twin Otter and Hercules each responded to a different one so the groups will be rotating.”

The two CC-130H Hercules aircraft are taking advantage of the mountain terrain close by to do specialized search and rescue training.

Commanding Officer for 435 Transport and Rescue Squadron in Winnipeg, Lieutenant Colonel Art Jordan, says it’s one of the advantages of being in Grande Prairie to train.

“One of the things we do with mountain search is called contouring where we will start at the top of a mountain and work way down around it. As you go around the mountains there’s always different weather conditions, on the east and far sides, so the crew has to consider what that’s going to be like with angles, shadows and what-not.”

“If we can practice it when we are not looking for something important we will have those skills when we may have to look for it.”

Lieutenant Jordan noted the Hercules will be looking for a crash north of Smithers, B.C.

“The crew that’s going out are actually is going to try to find a U.S Air Force B-36 bomber crash from (the) Cold War (in) the early ’50s, it might be under a lot of snow right now but they’re still going to give it a try.”

Training for a mass casualty scenario will take place before the Air Force squadrons return to their bases on Friday, April 29.

RCAF’s CC-130H Hercules (Photo supplied by Erika Rolling)

RCAF’s CC-138 Twin Otter (Photo supplied by Erika Rolling)