The Royal Canadian Air Force Pipes and Drums (RCAFPD) is a military

pipe band A pipe band is a musical ensemble consisting of Bagpipes, pipers and drummers. The term pipes and drums, used by military pipe bands is also common. The most common form of pipe band consists of a section of pipers playing the Great Highland b ...

unit composed of current members of the

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...

. The unit was formally established in October 1949 and is the longest continuous serving Air Force Pipe Band in the

Canadian Forces } The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force. ...

. All of its 40 members are volunteers who are drawn from both the military and civilian sphere. At the time of its foundation, it was known as the RCAF Station Rockcliffe Pipe Band.

Operations

The band usually performs for RCAF change of command ceremonies, military funerals, and other major occasions in the

National Capital Region A capital region, also called a capital district or capital territory, is a region or district surrounding a capital city. It is not always the official term for the region, but may sometimes be used as an informal synonym. Capital regions can exis ...

. Each year, band leads the

Remembrance Day Remembrance Day (also known as Poppy Day owing to the tradition of wearing a remembrance poppy) is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth member states since the end of the First World War to honour armed forces members who have died in t ...

parade in

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

near the National War Memorial, and even provides a lone piper to play ''Lament'' during the honors ceremony. It has participated in all RCAF

Presentation of Colours The Presentation of Colours is a ceremony that marks an anniversary or event in the history of a particular regiment. This involves the presentation of a new version of the regimental colour to a regiment or equivalent formation in the armed for ...

ceremonies, whether it be official such as the ceremony in 2017 in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, as well as a symbolic presentation of the old RCAF colours at

Air Canada Centre Scotiabank Arena ( French: ''Aréna Scotiabank)'', formerly known as Air Canada Centre (ACC), is a multi-purposed arena located on Bay Street in the South Core district of Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the home of the Toronto Rap ...

to the

Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...

. During the latter, the two pipers from the band took part in the ceremony while the band was in full composition during the former. The band took part in a 75th anniversary ceremony on Parliament Hill in recognition of the

Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defende ...

in September 2015. In 2018, the band took part in the Virginia International Tattoo. It celebrated its platinum jubilee in the fall of 2019.

Uniforms

The Pipe Band wear a modified highland dress that features Scottish uniforms augmented with a

kilt A kilt ( gd, fèileadh ; Irish: ''féileadh'') is a garment resembling a wrap-around knee-length skirt, made of twill woven worsted wool with heavy pleats at the sides and back and traditionally a tartan pattern. Originating in the Scottish Hi ...

patterned in the RCAF

Tartan Tartan ( gd, breacan ) is a patterned cloth consisting of criss-crossed, horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Sc ...

. The tartan was created in 1942 by Captain Elmer Fullerton from the

No. 9 Service Flying Training School RCAF No. 9 Service Flying Training School (SFTS), Royal Canadian Air Force, was a flight training school, located at RCAF Station Summerside, PEI, and later, RCAF Station Centralia, Ontario. It was part of No. 3 Training Command RCAF, carrying out Brit ...

. He wanted the tartan to reflect his Scottish heritage for his station band. It was approved by the Air Council and was subsequently sent to the

Lord Lyon King of Arms The Right Honourable the Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officers of State in Scotland and is the Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry in that country, issuing new grant ...

on 13 July 1942 to request it become the official RCAF tartan.

Notable members

*Thomas J. Brown, pipe major from October 2010 to 2015. *Jack Gauthier, a 58-year veteran of the band and a member of the Ottawa Police Service Pipe Band.

References

{{reflist, 1 Bands of the Royal Canadian Air Force Musical groups established in 1949 1949 establishments in Canada Canadian Armed Forces Organizations established in 1949 Pipe bands Scottish music

Operations

Uniforms

Notable members

See also

References