BC Air Cadets unveil brand new tow plane

The new tow plane at its unveiling in Comox.

19 WING COMOX, British Columbia – Kids who want to learn to fly can now soar thanks to a brand new, shiny tow plane to make their dreams take flight.

The Air Cadet League of Canada (BC Provincial Committee) unveiled its first-ever, brand new tow aircraft during a ceremony held at the Regional Cadet Air Operations in Comox, British Columbia recently.   The Polish-made WILGA 2000 joins five venerable Cessna 305, or L-19 “bird dogs”, that tow the cadet gliders aloft in the air cadet gliding program. 

Each year up to 320 air cadets are awarded gliding scholarships to train as glider pilots at five Regional Gliding Schools located in Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba and B.C.  The Canadian Forces and the Air Cadet League of Canada sponsor the youth program now in its 65th year. 

In general the Canadian Forces provides the flying, most of the aircraft maintenance as well as instructors and supervisory personnel.  The Air Cadet League provides the fleet of 58 gliders and 27 tow aircraft and some of the maintenance upkeep costs. Since 1965, nearly 11,000 cadets have become glider pilots and since 1946 almost 15,000 cadets have been trained as private pilots in the air cadet program.  

A significant number of Canada’s commercial airline pilots began their flying careers as teenaged air cadets and they are the safest pilots in the world.

Many famous Canadian pilots and astronauts, such as Colonel (Ret’d) Chris Hadfield and Major Maryse Carmichael, became inspired to join the Air Force by joining the air cadets.