Hams Honour Retired Search and Rescue Planes

Four aircraft used by Canada’s Air Force for S&R work were retired during the pandemic without much fanfare. Those four planes are now getting their retirement party thanks to amateurs who love aviation as much as they love ham radio. Using the antennas on board the planes (which will be grounded as museum pieces now in four provinces) they will be calling QRZ on July 22nd and will be open to attract visitors from the region and they will even attempt a 2m net between all four planes. This event is called Buffalos on the Air, so named for the RCAF’s CC115 Buffalo aircraft. It was organised mainly by aircraft technician Phil Tanner VA7XOZ, who worked on the planes.

This is a way to mark history, to educate the public about the S&R function of the planes and, of course, to show people what amateur radio can do. The antennas on the planes are indeed capable of using HF frequencies reserved for amateurs because the planes in their S&R functions often had to make contact on the civilian frequencies.