ABOUT 51 SQUADRON

Who we are

51 Canada Aviation and Space Museum Air Cadet Squadron (51 Squadron) is one of 440+ Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadrons in Canada and the first one to be established in Ottawa. The charter of the first Ottawa flight of the Air Cadet League of Canada was granted to a group of 22 boys in 1941 under the sponsorship of the Ottawa Optimist Club. The flight was known as the “No. 51 Ottawa Optimist Flight.”

In 1948 51st Ottawa Optimist Air Cadet Flight was renamed 51st Ottawa Optimist Air Cadet Squadron as quota exceeds 100 cadets on parade.  (As per Air Cadet League regulations, units of less than 99 cadets were called Flights and units of more than 100 cadets were called Squadrons). In 1975, girls were invited to join the ranks of the Royal Canadian Air Cadets.

In 1993 the Squadron moved from the Military Stores Building at Cartier Square to the then named National Aviation Museum. In 1996 the Squadron changed its name to 51 National Aviation Museum RCACS to honor its most important sponsor. The museum changed names several times over the years and so did the Squadron. The Squadron became 51 Canada Aviation and Space Museum Squadron in 2016 reflecting the museum’s new designation.

What we do

The Cadet Program provides youth aged 12 to 18 with opportunities to participate in a variety of fun, challenging and rewarding activities. Cadets learn valuable life and work skills such as teamwork, leadership and citizenship preparing them for their transition into adulthood. Many cadets are high achieving students that go on to become Canada’s future leaders.

In addition to the core aspects of the Cadet Program, Air Cadets focus on aviation related activities including flying, gliding and studies in aerospace. Cadets who are 16 years of age and older can apply for pilot training.  Air cadets also learn about forest survival skills during a yearly field training exercise (FTX) where cadets have the opportunity to practice different techniques such as preparing a fire, building a shelter or making themselves visible to the rescue team. The FTX is conducted over a weekend away at a local outdoor site.

Check out  WHAT DO AIR CADETS DO?  to learn more about this engaging program.

Training and Activities at 51 Squadron

Local Training is delivered at the Squadron level and is made up of mandatory and complimentary training, both of which are required for successful completion of a training level. Additional training is available through summer training courses which are offered at Cadet Training Centres throughout the country.

51 Squadron conducts mandatory parade (training) nights most Wednesday evenings from September to June, from 6:15 pm to 9:15 pm. Weekly parades are mandatory for all cadets.

There are two components of the Air Cadet Squadron training program:

• Mandatory/Complimentary training: weekly training nights on Wednesdays, and a few weekend exercises.
• Optional training: optional activities such as air studies, biathlon, band, drill, and marksmanship.

On our regular training nights, cadets attend interactive lessons to boost their skills in leadership, communication, aviation, general cadet knowledge, citizenship, and other technical skills. Cadets also learn survival skills during our weekend field training exercises.

Optional Activities

Are you ready to have some fun? Want to learn a new skill? Love to compete? Visit our Activities page and join one of our teams.

Location

The Canada Aviation and Space Museum serves as the home of 51 Squadron. Located in the heart of Rockliffe, Vanier, and Gloucester, the museum has served as 51 Squadron’s home for the last 20 years. As Royal Canadian Air Cadets, the squadron’s cadets are truly fortunate to have a world class facility where they Learn, Serve and Advance.

Adult Staff

The squadron’s adult staff who are responsible for our cadets is comprised of officers and civilian instructors.  The officers are members of the Cadet Instructor Cadre (CIC) branch which falls within Cadet Organization Administration and Training Service (COATS), a sub-component of the Canadian Forces Reserves. Their primary duty is the training, supervision and administration of cadets.

Civilian Instructors (CI) are non-uniformed members of the staff. They complement the knowledge and skill set of the CIC Officers as many are highly specialized in particular areas of cadet training such as flying, music, biathlon and marksmanship.  Many cadets become CIs once they have aged out of the program. They feel that they can give back to the program by sharing their experiences and becoming role models to a new generation of young people.

Adult Staff List

Cadet Staff

As cadets progress through the Air Cadet program, they learn to take on additional responsibilities, such as being in charge of a flight or teaching younger cadets. It is by becoming leaders today that cadets will become the leaders of tomorrow.