The RCAF Fills the Skies over Ottawa
Any aviation enthusiast, especially a warbird and vintage aircraft buff, couldn’t ask for a better weekend than to attend the two aviation events in the Ottawa, Ontario, Canada area in mid-September. Saturday’s event was an open house and fly-in at Mike Potter’s Vintage Wings of Canada facility at the Gatineau, Quebec airport just across the Ottawa River which forms the border between Ontario and Quebec. Sunday’s event was the annual Battle of Britain Ceremony at Rockcliffe airport in Ottawa.
After driving the scenic 440 miles from Holliston, Massachusetts, we were greeted with blue skies and sunshine which prevailed for the entire weekend. Private planes especially warbird and vintage classics are welcome to fly in to either airport. Neither event is billed as an airshow, but the combined weekend events would satisfy seasoned airshow fans.
Vintage Wings of Canada has grown at a spectacular rate in just a few years. It now includes 15 restored aircraft. Their mission is to honor and educate Canadian aviation history. All of their aircraft have a Canadian connection. The WWII aircraft are finished in RAF/RCAF markings and depict actual aircraft from specific squadrons or of a specific pilot. Their large hangar at Gatineau serves as the Vintage Wings headquarters and base. It was built and opened in 2006. Vintage Wings then moved to this 1930’s-1940’s style hangar from their original base at the Rockcliffe Airport.
Saturday morning brought a steady stream of vintage aircraft to Gatineau before the formal flying displays schedule from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association from Tillsonburg, Ontario put on their spectacular aerobatic formation flying display in their North American Harvards (AT-6’s). They were followed by a pair of classics, the Vintage Wing’s bright red Beech Staggerwing and glossy black DeHavilland Fox Moth. Vintage Wings’ newest restored warbird, A Curtiss Kittyhawk IV (P-40N) flew in a four-ship formation with their North American Mustang IV(P-51D), Hawker Hurricane IV and Spitfire XVI, all in RAF/RCAF colors. The formation fly-by was followed by several low-level passes in pairs and then in line.
An all-jet “Heritage Flight” by a Canadian Air Force CF-18 Hornet, a Snowbirds Team Canadian CT-114 Tutor and Vintage Wings Canadian Sabre 5 (F-86). This trio has performed through the year as Canada celebrates 100 years of flight—1909-2009. The Kittyhawk is finished in the markings of the actual aircraft flown by Canada’s leading living ace of WWII, James “Stocky” Edwards. Mr. Edwards flew Kittyhawks with RAF No. 260 Squadron in North Africa and Italy in 1942-43. He was a special guest at Gatineau and sat in the jump seat of “his” Kittyhawk as they flew over the Parliament buildings in Ottawa. He later took the controls and flew the plane for over 20 minutes from the rear seat. This was his first flight in a Kittyhawk since 1943.
The high point of the afternoon was the practice flight for Sunday’s Battle of Britain Fly-by. The crowd thrilled to the sound of eight Rolls Royce Merlin engine, four in the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum’s Avro Lancaster X which flew in formation with two Spitfires and two Hurricanes, all powered by Rolls Royce Merlin engines. They were the Spitfire XVI and Hurricane IV from Vintage Wings and the Spitfire IX and Hurricane II owned by the Russell Aviation Group of Niagara Falls, Ontario. Saturday’s activities wound down as many of the visiting aircraft took off for home. Sunday’s weather was just as clear with bright sun and blue sky. The Battle of Britain Ceremony was held at Rockcliffe Airport, a former RCAF field and now the home of the magnificent Canada Aviation Museum.
Grandstands and seating were set up on the tarmac facing the runway. Current Canadian Air Force personnel marched in along with young aviation cadets followed by many WWII veterans. Marching music was provided by the Canadian Air Command Pipe and Drum Corps as well as the Canadian Air Force Central Band. The troops and the cadre of WWII veterans were reviewed by the British High Commissioner, Anthony Cary; the Minister of National Defense, Peter MacKay; and Chief of the Air Staff, Lt. General Angus Watt. Memorial wreaths were ceremoniously laid by the above plus other dignitaries including uniformed military attaches from the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Poland and France, countries who had participants in the 1940 Battle of Britain.
These impressive ceremonies were followed by fly-bys of a formation of five WWII fighters; Vintage Wing’s Kittyhawk, Spitfire and Mustang and the Russell Group’s Spitfire and Hurricane. They were followed by the jet Heritage Flight, CF-18, Sabre and Tutor, and an unusual low level fly-by of an Airbus CC-150 tanker with CF-18 Hornet jet fighter. The CC-150’s trailing refueling probes seemed close enough to the CF-18 to refuel it. The Lancaster was supposed to fly with the fighter, but due to a problem starting up, arrived a little late, but did do a couple of solo flyovers.
The five fighters did more fly-bys and then landed and set up static displays for everyone to see them up close. A walk through the Canada Aviation Museum completed this perfect aviation weekend. There is a movement by Canadian veterans groups and others to revive the “Royal” prefix on the Canadian Armed Forces; i.e. Royal Canadian Air Force, Royal Canadian Navy, etc. When Canada unified their armed forces the “Royal” designation was dropped.
These events took place in two Canadian Provinces, Quebec and Ontario, at two airports (just a few kilometers apart) and were made possible by many organizations: Vintage Wings of Canada, Russell Aviation Group, Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, Canada Aviation Museum and the Canadian Air Force. It was also conducted in two languages, English and French. It didn’t seem to have many visitors and airplanes from the USA. I would recommend that Americans consider driving or flying to Ottawa next September to enjoy the scenery, setting and events as well as the attractions of Ottawa.
By Mike Raftus