430 Tactical Helicopter Squadron

430 Tactical Helicopter Squadron is a unit of the Canadian Forces under Royal Canadian Air Force. It operates Bell CH-146 Griffons from CFB Valcartier, near Quebec City in Quebec, Canada.

History
No. 430 Squadron RCAF was a fighter squadron unit of the Royal Canadian Air Force that was formed during World War II as the "City of Sudbury" squadron. 430 "Silver Falcon" Squadron was formed in 1943 as a Fighter Reconnaissance Squadron. The unit was stationed in England, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany, until it was disbanded in August 1945.

In the Cold War period, the squadron was reformed in November 1951 at RCAF Station North Bay, flying the Canadair F-86 Sabre. 430 Fighter Squadron went to 2 Wing RCAF Station Grostenquin near Grostenquin, France in September 1952. The squadron was located at Grostenquin until deactivation in September 1962.

430 Fighter Squadron was reactivated at 3 Wing Zweibrücken, West Germany in February 1963, and transitioned to the Canadair CF-104 Starfighter. The squadron moved to 1 Wing Lahr, West Germany in February 1969 until it was disbanded in May 1970.

The unit reformed again in 1971 as a French-language Canadian Forces tactical helicopter squadron at Valcartier and known officially as 430e Escadron tactique d'hélicoptères. There it operated the Bell CH-136 Kiowa and the Bell CH-135 Twin Huey in support of 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group. The unit transitioned to the CH-146 Griffon in 1994.

Operations
The squadron was deployed as part of the United Nations Mission in Haiti (UNMIH) and also provided core personnel to the Rotary Wing Aviation Unit of the Multinational Force and Observers on peacekeeping operations in the Sinai.

Aircraft

 * Curtiss P-40 Tomahawk
 * North American P-51 Mustang
 * Supermarine Spitfire
 * Canadair F-86 Sabre
 * Canadair CF-104 Starfighter
 * Bell CH-135 Twin Huey
 * Bell CH-136 Kiowa
 * Bell CH-146 Griffon