8 Wing is located at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Trenton and is under the operational command of 1 Canadian Air Division.
From delivering supplies to the high Arctic to airlifting troops, equipment and humanitarian loads worldwide, 8 Wing/CFB Trenton is the hub of Royal Canadian Air Force air mobility operations in Canada. CFB Trenton is home of the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (Trenton), responsible for search and Rescue operations over a large area of central and northern Canada. The famous Skyhawks parachute demonstration team is based out of CFB Trenton. This unit is part of the Canadian Army Advanced Warfare Center (CAAWC).
Located on the shores of Lake Ontario, the base's history began during the interwar period - with construction beginning in the early 1930's, to be further expanded during the Second World War.
8 Wing/CFB Trenton is at the forefront of Canadian military airlift with its fleets of tactical and strategic transport aircraft. Daily flights to the four corners of the globe are routine for this wing, which is highly responsive to international events. Members of 8 Wing are involved in virtually every Canadian Armed Forces operation. Most personnel and equipment deployed by air within Canada, or around the world, pass through Trenton at some point.
Along with high-profile deployments, aircraft and personnel from Trenton are involved with resupplying Canadian Forces Station Alert, the world's northernmost permanently inhabited location. Members of 424 Transport and Rescue Squadron are responsible for providing SAR coverage to a million square-kilometre area in central Canada and has supported international missions. Members of 412 Transport Squadron located in Ottawa, and 437 Transport Squadron are responsible for flying Canadian Armed Forces personnel, equipment and VIPs around the world.
CFB Trenton provides the equipment warehouse for the Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART). Thanks to the CC-177 Globemasters and CC-130J Hercules based at 8 Wing, this quick response team has provided humanitarian response to natural disasters around the world.
Read about the history of 8 Wing Trenton.
