Canadian Military Aircraft 5-letter call sign series

This short list was taken from a DND publication in the early 1970’s and only the squadrons and one airbase on the west coast are included, as that was all that was of interest at the time. If any reader knows other unit series, please send this information to myself at marscan1@canada.com

Series	Unit	Note
CF-RCF	Any Cdn Forces aircraft	General call when specific one unknown
VC-AJA to VC-AJZ	407 Maritime Patrol Sqdn	Based at Comox, BC
VC-BCA to VC-BCZ	409 Fighter Sqdn	Based at Comox
VC-CGA to VC-CGZ	442 Rescue Sqdn	Based at Comox
VG-ARA to VG-ARZ	VU33 Utility Sqdn	Based at Patricia Bay, BC
VC-LAA to VC-LAZ	CFB Comox	Base assigned aircraft

Note that the locations and squadron types were the ones in effect at that time. Also, while each of these series allows for 26 aircraft, no squadron had near that many. 409, which left Comox in the 1980’s, would have had no more than a dozen aircraft, and the others would have substantially fewer. The base flight at Comox likely had only one or two utility aircraft.

VU33 squadron came out of the former naval system, while the others came from the former air force, so this may explain why VU33 had the VG series and the others had VC call-signs.

I recall seeing one of the call signs displayed in the cockpit of a Maritime Patrol aircraft on static display at an airshow back in this era.

My opinion is that these 5-letter call signs are now obsolete and were only used, kept around more likely, in the era when morse code was still of possible use. They were likely not ever used for voice communications in the way that civilian counterparts were and still are used. It is also doubtful that they were painted on the wings and side of the aircraft in the manner of civilian aircraft. I certainly never saw them through the 50’s and 60’s.

Another interesting note is that in that era Canada strictly followed the XX-XXX format for aircraft call letters. CF was the prefix for civil aircraft. It might be inferred that VC was for air force (RCAF) prior to unification, and VG for naval (RCN). Perhaps the army had another series, and the air force maybe would need more than one prefix, such as VB or VD. In the late 60’s, CH came temporarily into use for hovercraft. Nowadays, CH is gone, and apparently all of the military ones, but CG has now augmented CF for civil aircraft, and CI also, for ultralights. Moreover, the format has gone from XX-XXX to X-XXXX, so that instead of CF-ABC, it would be C-FABC. Aircraft remaining from the old system (pretty much antiques now) still use the old style.