The mission of the Canadian Forces Air Navigation School (CFANS) is to select, develop and train commissioned Air Navigators and non-commissioned Airborne Electronic Sensor Operators to Wings standard.

Navigators and Airborne Electronic Sensor Operators in today's air force direct complex tactical missions by using modern aircraft positioning systems, such as GPS.

Air Navigators are airborne tactical officers, and assisted by the Airborne Electronic Sensor Operators, are, responsible for planning, coordinating and directing a wide range of missions.

The nine-month Basic Air Navigator course consists of three phases:

Phase 1 - Students are taught the fundamentals of Visual Flight Rules, concentrating on low-level visual and radar navigation.

Phase 2 - The emphasis is on modern navigation systems and communications. Specifically, students use the Global Positioning System (GPS) and Inertial Navigation System (INS) to navigate while practicing increased crew related duties and radio communications.

Phase 3 - Students learn to apply their new skills and knowledge in order to direct the Aircraft and crew in the accomplishment of a tactical mission. The types of missions include time-on-target, Search and Rescue and surveillance.

The Basic Airborne Electronic Sensor Operator course is a total of 93 training days, broken into two phases:

Academic Phase - Students are taught a variety of subjects including Mathematics, Meteorology, Theory of flight, Radar theory, Communication theory and Basic Air Regulations.

Trainer/Flying Phase - This phase is blended in near the end of the academic phase as the candidates are taught Radar Navigation, Radar Homing, Airborne Communications and Electronic Sensor Fixing. These skill sets are then put to practice first in the Tactical Mission Trainer (TMT) then on the CT-142 Dash-8.

Air training at CFANS is conducted on the de Havilland Canada CT-142 Dash-8 navigation trainer , flown by 402 "City of Winnipeg" Squadron , recognized as one of the most modern and sophisticated navigation trainers in the world. Four students can simultaneously operate their own independent GPS and INS. As well, the Tactical Display System permits tactical information to be superimposed on the student's individual radar displays.

CFANS also uses a ground-based trainer called the Tactical Mission Trainer (TMT), incorporating the latest in computer technology to develop mission management and tactical direction skills. In so doing, the TMT provides realistic training on navigation, communication and radar systems.

With the recent changes, CFANS is better suited than ever to graduate Wings-qualified Air Navigators for their roles in the Maritime and Transport operational communities.