1 January |
Air Training Command (Toronto) was renamed No. 1 Training Command. To implement the BCATP, three additional training commands (TC) were established: No. 2 TC on 15 April (Winnipeg), No. 3 TC on 18 March (Montreal) and No. 4 TC on 29 April (Regina). |
February |
Air Commodore Robert Leckie, a Canadian who had served in the RAF since the First World War, was appointed Director of Training at RCAF Headquarters to oversee the BCATP. Leckie was appointed due to a lack of experienced RCAF staff officers. Leckie transferred to the RCAF and became Chief of the Air Staff in 1944. |
April |
The age limits for pilot trainees were set at 18 and 28. For other aircrew categories, they were 18 and 32. |
15 April |
No. 1 Initial Training School, Eglington Hunt Club, Toronto, officially opened. The first of seven initial training schools, it received its first intake of 164 trainees on 29 April. |
28 April |
Z-Day. The BCATP commenced officially. |
27 May |
No. 1 Air Observer School, Malton, Ontario, opened officially; it was the first of 10 air observer schools that were established. They were operated by civilian organizations with RCAF supervision. |
7 June |
A Canadian order-in-council stated that foreign nationals enlisting in the Canadian armed forces were not required to swear allegiance to His Majesty the King. This ruling was made so that American recruits—who by law would lose their citizenship if they swore allegiance to a foreign head of state—could continue to enlist in the RCAF. |
24 June |
The first four Elementary Flying Training Schools were opened: No. 1 at Malton, Ontario; No. 2 at Fort William, Ontario; No. 3 at London, Ontario; and No. 4 at Windsor Mills, Quebec. In the end, 24 Canadian and 6 Royal Air Force Elementary Flying Training Schools were established. The Canadian schools were operated by civilian companies with RCAF oversight. |
22 July |
The first intake of BCATP trainees arrived at No. 1 Service Flying Training School, RCAF Station Camp Borden. |
5 August |
No. 2 Service Flying Training School, Uplands, Ontario, was officially opened. No. 2 Service Flying Training School was the first of 18 RCAF and 10 RAF schools that were purpose built. |
September |
Seeking additional pilot trainees, the upper age limit was raised to 31. |
30 September |
The first BCATP-trained pilots graduated from No. 1 Service Flying Training School, RCAF Station Camp Borden, Ontario. Most of the graduates were posted to other schools as instructors. By the end of 1940, of the 203 new Canadian pilots, 165 of them were employed within the BCATP. |
24 November |
The first draft of BCATP graduates arrived in England. The 12 officers and 25 sergeant observers had graduated from No. 1 Air Navigation School, Trenton, Ontario, on 24 October. |