Canadian Air Force Pilots Train at San Angelo’s Mathis Field

SAN ANGELO, TX — San Angelo’s Mathis Field, the city's municipal airport, is bustling with activity as it plays host to the Canadian Air Force this month. Around 50 student pilots from the Canadian Forces Base Moose Jaw in Saskatchewan have arrived to take advantage of the favorable weather conditions in the Concho Valley for their training.

The training involves about 50 student pilots and 32 instructor pilots engaging in four mass launches per day using around a dozen T-6 Texan II aircraft. The operation is supported by a substantial team of maintenance personnel. This rigorous training schedule includes aerobatics, formation flying, instrument flying, and navigation, with takeoffs happening in groups - two in the morning and two in the afternoon, along with occasional night flying sessions.

The Canadian T-6 Texan IIs, while similar to those used by the U.S. Air Force, are distinct in their solid midnight blue paint scheme, as opposed to the U.S. version's combination of midnight blue and white.

November in Moose Jaw presents challenging flying conditions, often hindered by icing, which is a rare occurrence in San Angelo. The Texan IIs are conducting their area training in the Texon Military Operations Area (MOA), an expansive airspace designated by the FAA over Rankin and Big Lake. Navigation training is also being carried out, with sorties flown to various local airports such as Kimble County Airport in Junction and Reagan County Airport.

The Canadian contingent, which has been in San Angelo since early November, plans to depart during Thanksgiving weekend. Conversations with a group of instructor pilots revealed unanimous praise for San Angelo’s hospitality, and an eagerness to return, potentially in the first quarter of 2024.

Mathis Field has become a hub for various aviation training programs. Angelo State University’s flight training program occupies the airspace east of the field, while the Canadian training takes place to the west. The Mooney Caravan, a formation flying clinic for Mooney aircraft (high-performance piston aircraft manufactured in Kerrville), has been held at Mathis since relocating from San Marcos in 2022. This April marks its third year at Mathis. Additionally, the National Air Transportation Association (NATA), Midland chapter, hosted a formation clinic for warbird pilots at Mathis in September 2023. This clinic focused on aircraft like the T-6 Texan I, P-51 Mustang, B-25 Mitchell, and T-28 Trojan. The U.S. Navy also periodically deploys T-6 Texan IIs from NAS Corpus Christi for training in the spring.

Mathis Field’s Airport Manager, Jeremy Valgardson, is reportedly thrilled with the airport’s increased activity. Typically, Mathis sees between 9,000 to 10,000 takeoffs and landings per month, but by early November, the count had already surpassed 6,500.

In a nod to Canadian aviation heritage, the Canadian Air Force has named their T-6 Texan II aircraft the “Harvard II,” officially designated as the Raytheon CT156 Harvard II. Moose Jaw is a significant site in Canadian aviation, also home to the famed formation air show team, The Snowbirds.