Page 16 - Derek Braithet Holland

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No. 37 SFTS opened on 22 October 1941 and operated by the Royal Air Force. About 800 pilots
received their wings at No. 37 SFTS during the War. Some had received their elementary flying
training in Britain, Australia or New Zealand but most were trained at one of the Canadian EFTS's.
The number of ground staff at No. 37 SFTS usually numbered around 300 persons and the Flying
Instructors and pilot students could number up to another 250 at any one time. So the total
number on the base, may have been as many as 500 during peak years of operation in 1942/43.

No. 37 SFTS was located at the southern end of what is now the Calgary International Airport.
Five standard, double BCATP hangars were constructed to the south of the runway system, as
well as numerous barracks and facilities. Some BCATP hangars are still in use in 2010; one by
'Ken Borek' Aviation. The 'Drill Hall' of No. 37 SFTS, now just off McKnight Blvd, was also used for
dances, boxing matches, and indoor Wings Parades (in times of inclement weather). It is the home
of the Calgary Aero Space Museum.

The school began operations as a 'twin-engine' Advanced Flying Training School, using Airspeed
'Oxford' aircraft that had been brought by sea from Great Britain and re-assembled in Canada.
Because of the relatively high altitude of Calgary Airport, the 'Oxford' take off performance was
less than satisfactory. The aircraft was powered by the Armstrong-Siddley 'Cheetah' X, engine, the
same engine installed in the 'Anson' Mark.1 but the 'Oxford' wing-lift capacity was much lower than
the 'Anson'. An exchange was made for North American 'Harvard' aircraft from No. 32 SFTS,
Moose Jaw in Saskatchewan October 1942 and for the remainder of the war, No. 37 SFTS was a
single-engine training base. One of the RAF 'Harvard' Instructor pilots based at No. 37 SFTS
during the war, was Flying Officer Peter Middleton, the grandfather of Catherine Middleton who is
now the Duchess of Cambridge and the wife of Prince William.