Flying with 435 Squadron: A Centennial Experience

Written by Ron Lepp

April 1, 2024 marked the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), an organization with a proud history and a strong presence in Winnipeg. Among its key units is 435 Transport and Rescue Squadron, based at 17 Wing Winnipeg, which plays a vital role in search and rescue (SAR) operations across Canada.

Having worked closely with military aviation during my 36-year career with Transport Canada, I’ve always admired the RCAF. In the 1990s, I was fortunate to fly with the Snowbirds, in a CF-18 Hornet, and aboard a CC-130 Hercules with 435 Squadron. With the RCAF centennial approaching, I hoped to experience another mission with 435 Squadron and share how things have evolved over nearly three decades.

After months of coordination with 17 Wing Winnipeg and 19 Wing Comox, my opportunity finally came in July 2024. The mission was a SAR training exercise north of Winnipeg, involving search patterns over land and water, supply drops, and parachute jumps by SAR Technicians (SAR Techs).

On July 31, I joined the crew at 16 Hangar for the morning briefing, which covered aircraft status, mission objectives, and weather conditions. Our CC-130 Hercules crew included pilots, a flight engineer, an Air Combat Systems Officer, a loadmaster, and two SAR Techs. The professionalism and teamwork evident during the briefing set the tone for the day.

After takeoff from Runway 36, we flew to Gimli for search pattern training before heading over Lake Winnipeg.

I stood up after take off and moved forward to watch the pilots as they prepared to practice their search patterns as we got closer to Gimli.  The cockpit and nose area of the C-130 has lots of windows and the view out the front is spectacular.  The other thing that became abundantly clear is the incredible level of teamwork and coordination that takes place in the cockpit. It was particularly evident on this mission as there was an extra Flight Engineer and ACSO receiving training.  It was a bit cozy up front for this mission as there were seven bodies in the nose area when there would normally be four.  

Following the search pattern practice over the land near Gimli, we turned east for some water work over Lake Winnipeg. A small Coast Guard boat was in the water and our Hercules lined up for numerous passes over the boat to practice dropping smoke markers and sea rescue kits.  I had moved back to the search observation seat, got strapped in, and then watched the Loadmaster and SAR Techs practice throwing markers and dropping sea rescue kits (SRKs) out through the open rear door. They were working hard and it was fascinating to watch the accuracy with which the crew were able to drop the markers and SRKs close to the coast guard boat.

Once all the markers and SRKs had been dropped, the SAR Techs got their parachutes and wet suits on and got ready to jump out of the back of the aircraft.  The amount of equipment they were wearing as they headed to the ramp at the back of the aircraft was truly impressive. Within a few seconds, they had jumped and following their landing, would be getting picked up by the CCG boat along with the markers and the SRKs that had been dropped earlier.

Following the water operations, we returned to Gimli to pick up the SAR Techs and then flew back to Winnipeg, landing smoothly on Runway 31 after nearly four hours in the air. The post-flight debrief reinforced the complexity and coordination required for SAR missions and the dedication of everyone involved.

This experience underscored the evolution of technology since my first flight—modern navigation systems and digital tools now dominate the cockpit—but the core mission remains unchanged: saving lives. With the CC-130 Hercules soon to be replaced by the CC-295 Kingfisher, this flight was a poignant reminder of the Hercules’ legacy in Canadian SAR operations.

Search and Rescue in Manitoba is in exceptional hands with 435 Squadron, “The Chinthes.” My sincere thanks to the officers and crew who made this unforgettable experience possible.