Canadian Forces School of Aerospace Technology and Engineering
The Canadian Forces School of Aerospace Technology and Engineering (CFSATE) is a unit of 16 Wing, a lodger unit of Canadian Forces Base Borden and is operationally responsible to 2 Canadian Air Division.
The role of CFSATE is to provide the Air Force with qualified personnel to ensure Aircraft serviceability by developing and carrying out individual aerospace engineering training in accordance with approved doctrine and standards.
Training is delivered to Aerospace Engineering Officers and Military Occupation Classification (MOC) 500 technicians for both Regular and Reserve Force. Military Training Assistance Program (MTAP), Air Cadet League, and the Air Force Association of Canada are all supported to the extent that resources and policy allow.
The school conducts apprentice level training for various trades, including Avionics (AVS 526), Aviation (AVN 514), Aircraft Structures (ACS 565) and Imagery (IMAGE 541) technicians. Generally several months in length, the courses precede the graduates going directly to flying squadrons where they do on-job-training and on-type courses for their Aircraft type.
CFSATE is institutionally bilingual, meaning that French and English can be used in all facets of administration and operations. The organizational structure permits military and civilian personnel to serve and be served to the maximum extent possible in either official language.
The vision of CFSATE is to be trainer of choice for all Canadian Forces aerospace technical and engineering training.
It all started in 1917. At that time, Camp Borden was the first flying station to be built in Canada by the Royal Flying Corps (FRC).
It was the largest of all airfield built and generally regarded by authorities as one of the finest aviation centres in the world. Above all, Borden was the location in Canada where a long and successful history of Aircraft technical training was to take place.
On April 1st 1918, the Royal Flying Corp became the Royal Air Force (RAF) and Borden became known as RAF Canada Flying Station.
Between the first and second world wars, Borden found itself at the centre of the development of Canadian aviation providing refresher training to both civilian and military aviators.
When the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) war formed on 1 April 1924, the Borden aerodrome became the RCAF Station Borden. Technical and flying training continued at Borden throughout the 20's and 30's and culminated during WWII under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP).
During the 50's, Borden saw flying training decrease while technical training was gradually brought back from the various wartime schools. the construction of Hangars 17 and 18 in 1953 and the Stedman Building in 1958 provided greatly improved training facilities and by the 1960's, most Aircraft trades training had returned to Borden at #2 Technical Training School (2TTS).
Between1964 and 1968, Integration brought about the creation of an integrated Training Command, and the new name Canadian Forces Aircraft Trade School (CFATS) was adopted. The new school was formed by the joining of seven different schools, one of them dedicated to Aircraft technical and support trades training. AERE Officer training moved from CFB Clinton to join CFATS in 1969.
Consolidation of technical training in the Canadian Forces culminated in 1970 with the joining together of CFATS and the Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers School to become the Canadian Forces School of Aerospace and Ordnance Engineering (CFSAOE). In 1984, an agreement between Canadian Forces Training Systems and Air Command lead to the formation, on 1 September 1985, of the present Canadian Forces School of Aerospace Technology and Engineering (CFSATE), where AERE Officers and MOC 500 series technicians now receive their basic and some advanced training.
Originally CFSATE was the only Air Command unit at CFB Borden. In October 94, it was joined by the Air Command Professional Development and Training Center (ACPDTC) to create a new family under 16 Wing.
Effective January 1997, the Military Occupation Code (MOC) 500 series trades went through a major restructure which redefined the roles of numerous occupations. The previous thirteen MOC 500 trades were amalgamated into three on-Aircraft occupations which are now identified as Aviation (Avn), Avionics (Avs) and Aircraft structures (ACS), and one off-Aircraft occupation Photo. This amalgamation has naturally lead to major innovative changes in the school's method of training.
CFSATE
CFB Borden
PO Box 1000 Station Main
Borden ON L0M 1C0
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