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On
Thursday
August
11, 2011
the
Niagara
Central
Airport
played
host to
the
Yellow
Wings
initiative,
a
program
designed
to raise
awareness
about
the
vital
role
Canada
played
in the
Second
World
War. 10
bright
yellow
planes
of
various
models –
including
Harvards,
Fleet
Finches
and
Tiger
Moths –
flew 70
years
ago as
part of
the
British
Commonwealth
Air
Training
Plan
during
WWII and
were on
display
at the
airport.
The
British
Commonwealth
Air
Training
Plan was
a large
joint
military
training
program
for
pilots
from
England,
Australia
and New
Zealand.
About
210,000
pilots,
engineers
and
navigators
at 50
training
facilities,
including
the
Niagara
Central
Airport
(CNQ3)
across
the
country
were
involved.
The
yellow
planes
are part
of a
cross-country
tour
organized
by
Vintage
Wings of
Canada,
a
Gatineau-based
company
founded
by
Michael
Potter
to
celebrate
the 70th
anniversary
of the
Training
Plan.
The
Yellow
Wings
began
their
trip in
British
Colombia
in June
and
there
intention
is to
touch
down on
every
base
that was
built
and used
by the
British
Commonwealth
Air
Training
Plan
during
the
war.
The tour
touched
down in
the
Niagara
Region,
spending
time in
St.
Catharines
(CYSN)
and
Dunville
(CDU9)
in
addition
to
Niagara
Central.
The
planes
are now
traveling
to other
airfields
in
Ontario
en route
to the
East
Coast.
Leading
the
Vintage
Wings
group
was Dave
Hadfield
flying a
Cornell
PT26 who
instructed
at the
Niagara
Central
Airport
(formerly
Welland
Airport)
in the
70’s and
today is
a
captain
with Air
Canada.
Other
restored
PT 26’s
from the
local
community
included
ones
owned by
Alf Beam
of Fort
Erie and
Bruce
MacRitchie
of
Niagara
Falls.
Cam Harod
arrived
in his
Fleet
Finch
and the
Tiger
Boys led
by Tom
Dietrich
arrived
from
Guelph.
The grey
aircraft
shown in
the
picture
was
Drake
Andrews’
F24R
Fairchild
Argus.
This
group of
aircraft
from a
Finch to
a
Harvard
was a
collection
that has
probably
never
been
seen
before
in one
place. |
