RCAF Station Mount Pleasant
RCAF Station Mount Pleasant was a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) station in Mount Pleasant, Prince Edward Island, Canada. Two of its runways remain in use by members of the Experimental Aircraft Association.
RCAF Station Mount Pleasant | |||||||||||
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Near Ellerslie, Prince Edward Island in Canada | |||||||||||
RCAF Station Mount Pleasant | |||||||||||
Coordinates | 46°35′54″N 064°00′24″W | ||||||||||
Site information | |||||||||||
Owner | Dept of National Defence (Canada) | ||||||||||
Airfield information | |||||||||||
Elevation | 110 feet (34 m)[1] AMSL | ||||||||||
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Airfields |
World War II
The aerodrome opened during World War II in 1940 under the auspices of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP); it was intended to serve as a relief landing field for No. 9 Service Flying Training School, which was located at nearby RCAF Station Summerside.
In September 1943, RCAF Station Mount Pleasant evolved from a relief field to a full training facility when it began hosting No. 10 Bombing and Gunnery School (B&GS)[2] . Aircraft used for this training include the Avro Anson, Fairey Battle, Bristol Bolingbroke and Westland Lysander. No. 10 B&GS ceased operation in June 1945.
The airfield was used as a storage depot for a short time before being decommissioned by the RCAF in 1947.
Aerodrome information
The airfield was constructed in the typical BCATP wartime pattern, with runways formed in a triangle. In approximately 1942 the aerodrome was listed at 46°36′N 64°00′W with a Var. 25 degrees W and elevation of 110 feet (34 m). Three runways were listed as follows:[1]
Runway Name | Length | Width | Surface |
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2/20 | 3,048 feet (929 m) | 150 feet (46 m) | Hard (asphalt)surfaced |
8/26 | 3,002 feet (915 m) | 150 feet (46 m) | Hard (asphalt)surfaced |
14-32 | 2,994 feet (913 m) | 150 feet (46 m) | Hard (asphalt)surfaced |
References
- Staff writer (c. 1942). Pilots Handbook of Aerodromes and Seaplane Bases Vol. 1. Royal Canadian Air Force. p. 32.
- Hatch, F. J. (1983). The Aerodrome of Democracy: Canada and the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, 1939-1945. Ottawa: Directorate of History, Department of National Defence. ISBN 0660114437.