Air Board (Canada)

Ensign of the Air Board from 1922–23.

The Air Board, Canada's first governing body for aviation, existed from 1919 to 1923. The Canadian government established the Air Board by act of Parliament on June 6, 1919 with the purpose of controlling all flying within Canada. Canada was the first country to legislate and implement rules governing the entire domain of aviation.[1]

Functions

The Air Board had three functions: devising a means of, and administering Canadian air defence; controlling and conducting all civil (non-military) government flying operations; and providing rules and regulations for flying within Canada, which included licensing, issuing air regulations and managing air traffic. The Board consisted of three sections: 1) the Department of the Controller of Civil Aviation which controlled all civil flying; 2) the Directorate of Flying Operations which controlled civil flying operations of the Air Board; and 3) the Headquarters of the Canadian Air Force (CAF), which operated at Camp Borden.[2]

Stations

Several air stations were established for civil flying operations:

1. Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, a former US Navy seaplane base used for fishery and forestry patrols, and aerial photography.

2. Roberval, Quebec, a seaplane base on Lac Saint-Jean used for forestry patrols and surveying.

3. Jericho Beach, British Columbia, used for fishery, forestry, anti-smuggling patrols.

4. Morley, Alberta, used for forestry patrols (later moved to High River, Alberta).

5. Rockcliffe, Ontario, used for photo surveying.

6. Victoria Beach, Manitoba, a seaplane base used for forestry patrols.

Succession

In 1922 the Air Board, along with the former Department of Militia and Defence and the Department of Naval Service, was absorbed into the new Department of National Defence (DND). January 1, 1923, however, was set as the formal change-over date to allow time for reorganization.[3] The CAF, which had been a small non-permanent air militia directed by the Air Board and originally formed to provide refresher flying training to veterans, was reorganized and became responsible for all Canadian flying operations including the control of civil aviation. The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), which was created in 1924, would direct civil flying until 1927 when a Civil Aviation Branch was created within the DND.[4] In November 1936 the Civil Aviation Branch was transferred to the new Department of Transport, which would control all civil flying except for work directly related to defence.[3][5]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Roberts 1959, p. 32.
  2. ↑ Milberry 1984, p. 18.
  3. 1 2 Milberry 1984, p. 23.
  4. ↑ Roberts 1959, p. 101.
  5. ↑ Roberts 1959, p. 110.

References

External links

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