Avro Anson

Avro Anson Mk. V
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum
The Museum's Anson Mk. V was built by MacDonald Brothers in Winnipeg in 1944. It flew with No. 7 Photographic Wing and No. 414 Squadron in Ottawa on photo survey work until the late 1940s. In 1956, it was purchased by INCO and used for mineral surveying until 1980, when it was donated to the Museum. The exterior is painted in the yellow colour common to all BCATP trainers and is in its same wartime RCAF markings.

The Avro Anson was known by a number of nicknames including "Faithful Annie" or "Flying Greenhouse". It was the first aircraft to be flown by the Royal Canadian Air Force to have a retractable undercarriage, which was a comparative novelty in 1936. In 1940, a Canadian government owned company, Federal Aircraft Limited, was created in Montreal to manufacture the Anson for Canadian use. Nearly 3,000 Anson aircraft were produced and, in the early days of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), the Anson was the standard trainer for many pilots, observers (navigators), wireless operators and bomb aimers. More than 20,000 aircrew received training on the Anson. In Canadian service, the aircraft was substantially re-designed with the substitution of North American engines and many other airframe and equipment changes. Harold Skaarup web pages

Harold A Skaarup Web Page

Avro Anson History

Avro Anson Construction

Anson Mk. II 8363

18 SFTS (18 Service Flying Training School)

Graduates of the EFTS "learn-to-fly" program went on a Service Flying Training School (SFTS) for 16 weeks. For the first 8 weeks the trainee was part of an intermediate training squadron; for the next 6 weeks an advanced training squadron and for the final 2 weeks training was conducted at a Bombing & Gunnery School. The Service schools were military establishments run by the RCAF or the RAF.

There were two different types of Service Flying Training Schools. Trainees in the fighter pilot stream went to an SFTS like No. 14 Aylmer, where they trained in the North American Harvard or North American Yale. Trainees in the bomber, coastal or transport pilot stream went to an SFTS like No. 5 Brantford where they learned multi-engine technique in an Airspeed Oxford, Avro Anson or Cessna Crane.

CWHM Avro Anson

No 18 Service Flying Training School was formed in Gimli, Manitoba on 1943/09/06. The school had a relief landing field at Netley Lake, a few miles south of the school. The unit was disbanded at Gimli on 31 May 1945.

For More Information on RCAF Station Gimli see here

RCAF.Info - RCAF Station Gimli MB

RCAF.Info - Relief Landing Field Netley Lake MB

Military Bruce -18 SFTS Gimli MB History

Manitoba Historical Society - 18 SFTS Gimli MB

On 1 June 1945 the school was reformed at Souris, Manitoba. Replacing No 17 Service Flying Training School which had been disbanded shortly before. The school had relief landing fields at Hartney and Elgin. The school was again disbanded on 5 September 1945.

For more Information on RCAF Station Souris see here

RCAF.info - RCAF Station Souris MB

RCAF.info - Relief Landing Field Hartney MB

RCAF.info - Relief Landing Field Elgin MB

Manitoba Historical Society - 17 SFTS