Canadian Forces Air Navigation School

The Canadian Forces Air Navigation School is located at CFB Winnipeg

From Observers to navigators
Canadian pilots in the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) learned rudimentary navigation during World War I, but separate observer schools were not introduced until 1918. Right up until the outbreak of World War II there was still no category of air observer in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).

World War II
Royal Canadian Air Force specialty navigator training started in March 1942 as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan   1 Air Navigation Schools (1 ANS) moved to Rivers, Manitoba from Trenton, Ontario in November, 1940, and 2 ANS started in Pennfield Ridge, New Brunswick in 1941. The two Air Navigation Schools, 1 ANS and 2 ANS, amalgamated on May 11, 1942 to form Central Navigation School. In early 1944 two other schools, 2 ANS and 3 ANS (re)opened. Central Navigation School disbanded on September 15, 1945.

Post-war
Central Navigation School was re-formed at Summerside, P.E.I., on August 1, 1951, and then moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1954.

In August 1967, CNS and Central Flying School (CFS) joined as Central Flying and Navigation School (CFNS) training both flying and navigation. In November 1968 navigator training was again separated from flying training, and became the specialty of the Canadian Forces Air Navigation School (CFANS).

In the early 21st century, CFANS expanded its role to include the training of Airborne Electronic Sensor Operators (AESOP).

Present
On June 26, 2009 CFANS adopted the name of the Canadian Forces advanced pilot training school, 1 Canadian Forces Flying Training School (1 CFFTS), inheriting the histories of both advanced flying training and navigator training.