Royal Canadian Air Force personnel from 1 Wing participate in the flying phase of Basic Tactical Aviation Course 2501 at 438 Tactical Helicopter Squadron in Saint-Hubert, Quebec, from November 3 to 28, 2025. Photo: Corporal Meg Findlay, 400 Tactical Helicopter Squadron, Canadian Forces Base Borden.
Residents across Renfrew County and parts of western Quebec may notice increased military helicopter activity beginning later this month as the Royal Canadian Air Force conducts tactical aviation training out of Garrison Petawawa.
The Basic Tactical Aviation Course will run from May 19 to June 15 and will involve CH-146 Griffon and CH-147F Chinook helicopters operating at low altitudes within designated training areas throughout the region.
Training exercises will take place in several eastern Ontario municipalities, including Pembroke, Deep River, Laurentian Valley, Laurentian Hills, Whitewater Region and Madawaska Valley, as well as communities in Quebec’s Pontiac region.
Military officials say the course is designed to prepare pilots and aviation leaders to plan and execute complex helicopter missions in support of combat and joint operations.
The exercises will include armed infantry personnel and simulated enemy forces as part of aviation-borne training scenarios. Residents may hear blank ammunition and observe pyrotechnics such as flares and smoke during the exercises. Officials say the effects are part of controlled simulations and do not pose a threat to public safety.
Simulated enemy forces will wear orange hunting caps and reflective armbands for identification. Weapons used in the exercises will also be marked with red adhesive bands and fitted with blank firing adapters when using blank ammunition.
The military says several private landowners in the region have voluntarily granted access to their properties to support the training exercises.
Officials warn that helicopter operations may create unfamiliar noise and attract public attention, but say all flights are carefully planned and supervised to ensure public safety.
(Steve Berard)
