The Canadian Forces Air Navigation School is located at CFB Winnipeg Canadian pilots in the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) learned rudimentary navigation during World War I, but separate observer schools were not introduced until 1918.
[2] Royal Canadian Air Force specialty navigator training started in March 1942 as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan[3] 1 Air Navigation Schools (1 ANS) moved to Rivers, Manitoba from Trenton, Ontario, in November 1940, and 2 ANS started in Pennfield Ridge, New Brunswick in 1941.
Central Navigation School was re-formed at Summerside, P.E.I., on August 1, 1951, and then moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1954.
In November 1968 navigator training was again separated from flying training, and became the specialty of the Canadian Forces Air Navigation School (CFANS).
[7] In the early 21st century, CFANS expanded its role to include the training of Airborne Electronic Sensor Operators (AESOP).