What have we here? No 3
 

A bit different question this time. This is a uniform, authentically patched. What is it for?

What have we here? No 3
 

Bill,
This is a tunic sleeve of the uniform of an officer who was a helicopter pilot in the 1960s up to unification. If he was serving with the helicopter troop of the Regiment's Reconnaissance Squadron, he would have been wearing the 1st Canadian Division red rectangle; i can only conclude that he was on the establishment of the flying school at Rivers, Manitoba.
You might try looking in the inside chest pocket of the tunic for a name. If there is one, pm me and I will probably be able to tell you more about the owner.
I can't for the life of me remember what AATTS means but I will do some digging to try to find out.
Wyn

What have we here? No 3
 

Bill,
Further info from my source the ex-FGH helicopter pilot. AATTS is the abbreviation for - what else? - Army Aviation Tactical Training School, at Rivers, Manitoba. The patch was worn by instructors st the School, which provided training for RCAC and RCASC helicopter pilots and RCA fixed wing pilots. The patch was worn only on flight suits, which, on, second examination of your photo, is what the uniform is.
Hope this helps.
Wyn

Hell, I am going to have to make these harder somehow.
Right on Wyn. Great id.

Thanks for the info Wyn. The image is from a friend of mine. He picked the flight suit up in a surplus store in the Barrie area about 15 years ago. I will try to remember to ask him if it is named.
I was able to acquire an example of the patch for my collection, but it is not in as good condition as the one in the image.
Wyn, were all the reg force armoured regiments equiped with the helicopter squadrons?

What have we here? No 3
 

Bill,
Only the recce squadron of the armoured regiment in Germany had a helicopter troop. The Fort Garry Horse had the first one, formed, I believe, in the summer of 1962 at Gagetown in anticipation of the Regiment's deployment to Germany in the fall of 1962. When the Garrys redeployed to Canada at the end of 1965. a recce squadron from the 8th Canadian Hussars replaced it; most of the pilots and observers in fact remained with the new squadron and did not rebadge. Indeed, by 1964, most pilots posted in retained their original regimental cap badges so we had a mixture of people from all four regular armoured regiments and even one, for a while, who was wearing QORofC badges. The helicopter troop became an air force unit designated 444 Squadron upon unification of the Canadian armed forces.
Wyn

Wyn, Do you know how long the AATTS remained at Rivers? Would the flight suit be for the period 1962 until unification, if the officer was posted to the training center for that long of a period?

What have we here? No 3
 

Not sure how long it stayed open. Most if not all of the flying training functions were split between Portage la Prairie and Moose Jaw, while the parachute training was moved to Edmonton in about 1968 or 1969 because that was where the Canadian Airborne Regiment was. I was in Rivers in the summer of 1970 to conduct training for militia recruits from Winnipeg, because there was accommodation and training space available while the base was undergoing a gradual close out. There was certainly no flying training going on by then. As to the AAFTS patch, it would have been worn until the time the flying training was co-opted by the air force in 1968 or 1969. Sorry I can't be any more specific than that.
Wyn

Thanks Wyn. That adds some provenance to the patch. For now I am going to put it with the Fort Garry badges, with the explanation.