Marc Archambault, Catherine Archambault

In the evening of 11 December 2008, the honorary colonel of 427 Tactical Helicopter Squadron, HCol Bob Middlemiss, was given the honour of dropping the puck for the inauguration of the Windsor Family Credit Union Centre, new home of the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League.

With a rumble of tires on tarmac, Hercules number 130308 - Herc 308 to friends - rolls steadily to a stop at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, no surprise with this veteran aircraft. On this trip, Herc 308 became the grand-daddy of the Canadian Forces' tactical airlift fleet with the completion of 45,000 flying hours in mid-December 2008.

Earlier this fall, John Webber and Duncan Mason, the engineering team at Shearwater Aviation Museum (SAM), travelled to Canada’s west coast to take possession of the wreckage of a former Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Supermarine Stranraer (a.k.a. the Stranny).

2008 was an eventful year for the Air Force. Thank you for visiting our website this past year and learning about the hard work and dedication of Air Force personnel through our stories, photos and videos. We look forward to bringing you many more stories in 2009.

"As a new year dawns, we are filled with a renewed sense of hope. The days, weeks and months ahead may be whatever we imagine them to be and will be whatever we make of them."

As part of ongoing training for deployment to Afghanistan, 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron (THS), of CFB Edmonton, Alta. participated in a three-day "virtual" exercise at the Edmonton Garrison Lecture Training Facility.

Montreal, Que., was the place to be from October 24-26, but even more so if you were a recipient of one of the Air Force Association of Canada's annual awards of excellence. In addition to celebrating its 60th year of existence, the AFAC handed out awards recognizing great achievements in the Air Force.

The Air Force dismantled and loaded several CH-146 Griffon helicopters destined for Afghanistan onto the giant airlifter, the CC-177 Globemaster III, and officially declared the CU-170 Heron airworthy and ready to provide high tech top cover in Afghanistan.

Another Christmas, another busy year for the Air Force and the Canadian Forces. Thank you for taking the time to visit our website. We hope you enjoyed the stories, photos and videos that showed the incredible work the men and women of Air Force are doing at home and abroad.

In advance of the holiday season and its 50th year of tracking Santa Claus on his annual journey around the world, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has activated its "NORAD Tracks Santa" website for 2008.

The Minister of Public Works and Government Services, the Honourable Christian Paradis, and the Minister of National Defence and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway, the Honourable Peter Gordon MacKay, today announced amendments to the contracts with Sikorsky International Operations, Inc., for the Maritime Helicopter Project.

Many of those who have served in Afghanistan know that there is much mountainous terrain in the Canadian area of operations. Flying at these high altitudes will be a challenging factor for Canadian tactical helicopter crews who have been called into service in Afghanistan, including those who will fly the CH-146 Griffon.

The Comox Valley airport terminal was unusually busy in the early hours of Saturday. Family members of the 19 Mission Support Squadron (19 MSS) waited with excited anticipation for the arrival of their loved ones returning from a tour of duty in the Middle East.

The Honourable Peter Gordon MacKay, Minister of National Defence and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway, announced on Friday December 19, the awarding of a contract to Newfoundland and Labrador-based Provincial Aerospace Ltd. for the mid-life inspection and refurbishment of four CT-142 Dash 8 military training aircraft.

For half a century, the men and women of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) have been working hard to defend Canada and the United States. During that time, however, they've also shouldered another important mission - tracking Santa Claus' annual Christmas journey around the world.

Air Force personnel from 8 Wing Trenton, Ont. and United States Air Force personnel trained side by side during Exercise Green Flag - in an annual tactical airlift training exercise held at the U.S. Little Rock Air Force Base in Arkansas - from December 1 to 8.

When the Advanced Tactical Aviation Course (ATAC) from 403 Helicopter Operational Training Squadron (Hel) OTS, Gagetown sought after a guest speaker for their course, they wanted someone who had been there, seen it and done it.

Griffon Helicopters from 438 Tactical Helicopter Squadron located at St-Hubert (Quebec), arrive at Mirabel Airport, where they will be shipped to Afghanistan.

The dry, barren Alberta prairie, with its cacti and snowdrifts cresting over the horizon, may seem an unlikely place to train for desert operations. However, the freedom to fly in such an open and forgiving air space is exactly what brought Major Daniel Boisvert and his team here.

For members of 3 Mission Support Squadron (MSS), December 1st was an emotional day as they bid farewell to their loved ones before departing for a six-month mission in Southwest Asia.