CFB Goose Bay (Goose Bay Airport)

CFB Goose Bay is located in the municipality of Happy Valley-Goose Bay in Newfoundland and Labrador. The site was selected in 1941 by the Dominion Geodetic Survey and constructed by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) between 1941 and 1943. During the Second World War, the base functioned as a transit point for aircraft bound for the United Kingdom. While the facility remained under overall Canadian control, the United States Army Air Forces and the Royal Air Force developed specific sections for their operations. During the Cold War, the base hosted United States Air Force units from Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Defense Command. It functioned as a storage site for nuclear weapons components until 1971. In 1976, United States facilities were transferred to the RCAF. From 1980 to 2005, the base hosted permanent detachments from the Luftwaffe, Royal Air Force, Royal Netherlands Air Force, and Aeronautica Militare.

The RCAF operates the facility as 5 Wing Goose Bay. Its mission is the defense of North American airspace and the provision of support for RCAF and allied air force training. The base hosts 444 Combat Support Squadron and the 5 Wing Air Reserve Flight. It also functions as a Forward Operating Location for CF-18 Hornet aircraft.

Infrastructure at the base supports both military and civilian aviation, with civilian operations managed by the Goose Bay Airport Corporation. The base operates a fleet of CH-146 Griffon helicopters and hosts squadrons of various aircraft during deployments. Facilities include hangars, a former Strategic Air Command Weapons Storage Area, and an ammunition storage area. Hangar 8 is a designated Canadian historic place. The facility serves as a landing site for trans-Atlantic commercial aircraft requiring fuel and for diverted flights.