CESSNA L-19A BIRD DOG

Bat One’s callsign was chosen by the Wing Commander at 1 Wing, Kingston, the home of Canada’s tactical aviation capability. At the centre of the 1 Wing unit crest is the image of a Bat, symbolic of an agile hunter at night or in day light. The term “Bat” is used for all One Wing HQ callsigns followed by the flight’s numerical designator — with Bat One reserved for our L-19A.  

The L-19 Bird Dog, designed by Cessna, was built for the US Army as a light observation aircraft with deliveries starting in 1950. In Canadian Army service, the L-19 was used as a spotter plane for artillery targeting as well as other duties. Twenty-nine Cessna L-19s were acquired by the Canadian Army as artillery spotters and general liaison aircraft. They were used to observe and direct the accuracy of the Army’s artillery fall. In Canada, the Royal Canadian Air Cadets used former CAF L-19 aircraft equipped with a rig to tow Schweizer gliders for the Air Cadet gliding program.

Bat One ws originally built as US Army 53-8058. It was delivered to storage at RCAF Station Lincoln Park, Alberta and at various times operated by Canadian Joint Air Training Centre (CJATC) at Rivers, Manitoba, Light Aircraft School at Rivers, Army Aviation Tactical Training School (AATTS of CJATC), Training Command at RCAF Station Centralia, Ontario, 3rd Regiment Royal Canadian Horse Artillery at Camp Shilo, Manitoba, Canadian Forces Navigational School at CFB Winnipeg, then on to No. 4 Flying Training School (FTS) at Rivers.

In Canadian Army service its serial number was L-19A 16709. At No. 4 Flying Training School at CFB Rivers, it was renumbered to 119709. Following brief storage at CFB Saskatoon, it then went to No. 3 Canadian Forces Flying Training School and then was made available for disposal and sold to Air Cadet League of Canada, becaming CF-TGF, later C-FTGF. It served with the Air Cadet League’s British Columbia Branch at Comox.

Following a training accident in 2010, the air frame was sold to G. Reynolds of Sechelt, BC, who restored it and then sold it to to Jayson Iverarity of Calgary. It was puchased by Vintage Wings of Canada in the summer of 2024.