Chronology of Canadian Military History Canadian Military History, Colonial Period, New France, First Peoples, Seven Years War, French Indian War Canadian Military History, British North America, American Invasion, War of 1812, Dominion of Canada, Riel Rebellion, South African War Canadian Military History, World War 1 History, 1914-1918, Canadian Armed Forces, conscription Canadian Military History, World War 2, 1939-1945, Battle of the Atlantic, conscription, invasion, Dday, Normandy, Germany, axis, allies, Hong Kong, Dieppe 1946-today
Canada and the 
Second World War
The World Crisis
Canada goes to War
Canada at Britain's side
The Battle of the Atlantic
Canada's War at sea
The War comes to Canada
The Battle for Hong Kong
Disaster at Dieppe
The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan
Bomber Command
The Royal Canadian Air Force
The Home Front
Conscription
The Italian Campaign
Canada at D-Day
The Normandy Campaign
Liberating Northwest Europe
Victory
The War against Japan
Forced Relocation: the Japanese-Canadian Story
Going Home
Counting the Cost
A Nation Transformed

THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH AIR TRAINING PLAN

1939-1945

The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (B.C.A.T.P.) was one of Canada’s greatest contributions to victory.

Canada had plenty of room for flight training, good flying weather, and was beyond the reach of enemy forces. The B.C.A.T.P., created by an agreement in December 1939 between Canada, Britain, Australia, and New Zealand, called for Canada to train these countries’ air crews. It was an enormous undertaking. Ottawa administered the Plan and paid most of the costs, although the majority of graduates, eventually drawn from many Allied countries, went on to serve in Britain’s Royal Air Force.

At its peak, the Plan maintained 231 training sites and required more than 10,000 aircraft and 100,000 military personnel to administer. It trained pilots, navigators, bomb aimers, radio operators, air gunners, and flight engineers. More than half of its 131,553 graduates were Canadian.

See also :
Canadian Newspapers and the Second World War : The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan


THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH AIR 
TRAINING PLAN
DND-PL- 4217

The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan
Canadian War Museum
1 Vimy Place
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0M8
1-800-555-5621