Joseph Armand Gerard Fernand Villeneuve

J.A.G.F. Fern Villeneuve, AFC, CD, was born at Buckingham, Quebec on July 2, 1927. His passion for aviation developed early as he watched aircraft flying at Uplands airport in Ottawa. He joined the Air Cadet program in 1943 and following that experience he worked hard to pay for flying lessons. He obtained his pilot's licence in 1946 and within two years had his commercial licence.

In June 1950 he joined the RCAF and trained as a military pilot. The following year he was assigned to No. 441 Squadron at St. Hubert, Quebec, flying the F-86 Sabre.

In 1952 the squadron was moved to Luffenham, England. Villeneuve's innate abilities as a pilot and his desire to excel led to his initial involvement as leader of the squadron's aerobatic team. They participated in numerous official flight demonstrations in Britain, including one attended by Prince Philip on May 21, 1953.

In 1954 Villeneuve joined No. 431 Squadron at Bagotville, Quebec. He was authorized to form a four-pilot demonstration team which was invited to perform at the International Air Show in Toronto. The team later toured Western Canada, where attendance records were broken everywhere, they went.

He was posted to the Advanced Flying Training School at Portage La Prairie in 1955 flying the T-33 Silver Star trainer. He accumulated over 1000 hours of instructional time on this aircraft.

He was then assigned to the Central Flying School in Trenton in 1957 where he established procedures which made forced landings more successful. He also carried out T-33 tumbling trials to determine the effect of elevator trim settings on recovery procedures. His experience and competence warranted his appointment as a Jet Flight Examination Officer.

Late in 1958 rumours began circulating about the formation of an 'official' acrobatic team. The Chief of Air Staff wanted a display team which would be part of the celebrations in 1959 saluting the 35th anniversary of the RCAF' and the 50th anniversary of powered flight in Canada. Villeneuve, with his skill, experience, and penchant for perfection, was the natural choice for this larger operation. He was invited by Air Force HQ to lead this team of Sabre pilots. He chose his team members, then went on to train, choreograph and lead the Golden Hawks for two show seasons during 1959 and 1960.

The exploits and impact of the Golden Hawks are well known, as is Villeneuve's association with them. His team performed 134 air displays throughout Canada and the U.S., establishing a standard for team aerobatics that is still upheld by current military aerobatic teams. He and the Golden Hawks became an icon of Canada's jet age.

At the end of the 1960 Golden Hawks season. Squadron Leader Villeneuve was transferred to the position of Chief Ground Instructor at No. 1 (Fighter) Operational Training Unit at Chatham, NB. On November 7, during a routine night training exercise, he was involved in an air incident that would again show his professional integrity. When the engine of his Sabre failed, he remained with the aircraft, ensuring that it would not crash into the houses below. For his courage and determination in avoiding a more tragic accident, he was awarded the Air Force Cross, which was presented on July 16, 1961, by Governor General Georges Vanier.

In the early 1960s, the RCAF was bringing the CF-101 Voodoo and the CF-104 Starfighter into service. While still recovering from his injuries, Villeneuve was appointed Staff Officer for Flight Safety at Air Defence Command at St. Hubert, QC. Being in charge of accident prevention at this time was a challenging task. However, with his knowledge of aircraft and operating procedures, he was able to assist in a smooth transition.

In 1965 Squadron Leader Villeneuve was appointed Commanding Officer of 434 Squadron, flying CF-104s at Zweibrucken, Germany. He was promoted to Wing Commander in 1967, and soon assumed command of 430 Squadron, also at Zweibrucken. His squadron maintained an operational capability second to none, making a significant contribution to the Western "Cold War" posture.

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In 1969 he attended the Canadian Forces Staff College in Toronto, and upon graduation in 1970, he assumed command of No. 414 Electronic Warfare Squadron in Ottawa. This position had its own challenges, as he had to manage deployments of aircraft that were constantly on the move around the country and into the U.S. He also oversaw re-currency flight training for RCAF pilots on staff tours at National Defence HQ.

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In 1972 Villeneuve was appointed head of the Accident Investigation Branch of the Directorate of Flight Safety in Ottawa. Here he was highly praised for his work in not only investigating the causes of accidents but finding ways of preventing them. He understood both human and aircraft factors very well and how the two interacted.

Following four years in this capacity, he was assigned to CFB Bagotville as the Base Operations Officer in which he flew the CF 101 Voodoo operationally with No. 425 Squadron. Three years later, in 1979, Villeneuve was posted to CFB North Bay as the Base Administration Officer where he maintained his currency status on the T-33 until his retirement from the regular force on July 2, 1982. He was a high-performance jet pilot for over 30 years, with a total military flight time of 8,317 hours.

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Although he retired from active service, Villeneuve's flying career was not over. He and his family relocated to the Trenton area where, in 1983, he re-emerged in uniform as a reservist, assigned as Operations Officer of the Central Region Gliding School in support of the Canadian Air Cadet Gliding program. While in this position, he introduced formal exercises for each training flight, which greatly improved the level of training and standardization of instruction. These lesson plans were later introduced as a national standard for air cadet glider training across Canada.

During 1984-87, Villeneuve also served as Commanding Officer of the Regional Cadet Gliding School at CFB Trenton. By 1988 he had overseen more than 400 Air Cadets undertake training as glider and tow plane pilots. He remained on staff as a glider and tow pilot instructor, chief tow pilot and maintenance test pilot until he retired from the reserve force in 1992. He then stayed on for 10 more years as a civilian instructor, amassing over 3800 hours on the Bellanca Scout tow aircraft and carrying out more than 20,000 glider tows for the Air Cadet League gliding program. His military service totaled 42 years.

The Royal Canadian Mint recognized Villeneuve’s contributions to Canada’s aviation history in 1997 by minting his cameo likeness on a $20 silver and gold coin depicting the F-86 in its famous Golden Hawk role.

Fern Villeneuve passed away on December 25, 2019.

W/C (Ret'd) Fern Villeneuve was inducted as a Member of Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame at ceremonies held in Montreal on May 27, 2006.

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