Royal Canadian Air Force W/C William G. Barker VC Aerospace College

The RCAF W/C William G. Barker VC Aerospace College (RCAF Barker College) was stood up in 2018 to meet the professional development needs of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) through a variety of advanced education and training courses. It replaced the Canadian Forces School of Aerospace Studies (CFSAS) which had carried out this role since 1987 and trains almost 2,000 RCAF personnel annually.

To further RCAF aerospace capability development, the College teaches the year-long Aerospace Studies Programme (ASP) and the Operational Test and Evaluation (OT&E) course, operating its own sophisticated Unmanned Aerial System (UAS). To enhance aerospace capability employment, the College teaches Basic and Advanced Electronic Warfare, Basic Space Operations and Space Operations, Human Performance in Military Aviation (HPMA), the Instrument Check Pilot (ICP), and Modelling and Simulation course. Many important professional development needs of RCAF junior officers are met through a combination of distance learning and residential courses through the five-part Air Force Officer Development (AFOD) program. Future Commanding Officers and unit Senior NCMs are better prepared for their positions through the RCAF Unit Command Team Orientation Programme, held once per year at our facility.

The RCAF Barker College is home to the LGen Lewis Memorial Library which specializes in subjects related to Aerospace warfare and technology and provides a wide range of services to 17 Wing Winnipeg. The library connects with other military libraries across the country in order to better serve the military community.

The RCAF Barker College also houses a state of the art Simulation Lab complete with two 5 by 12 foot video walls. The Simulation Lab was established in 1999 with the aim of enhancing education delivery for all courses within the unit. RCAF Barker College continues push new boundaries in Air Force training and education, leading the RCAF into the future.