Yellow Wings return to Picton and Trenton

Fairchild Cornell MK 11 - photo Peter Handley Vintage Wings of Canada

Vintage Wings of Canada is paying tribute this year to the 75th anniversary of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) through its “Yellow Wings” program bringing the story of “how Canadians, communities and companies did their part as the Aerodrome of Democracy to win the war against two evil empires.”
Vintage Wings of Canada calls the BCATP a stunning achievement in planning, construction, community involvement and aircrew training that involved every province of Canada, hundreds of small and medium-sized communities – including Picton – and hundreds of thousands of airmen from Canada, the British Commonwealth and the United States.

The organization, located at the Gatineau Airport, has restored many Second World War aircraft, including several of the training aircraft used at BCATP stations across Canada, including the No. 31 Bombing and gunnery school at Picton airport (now Loch Sloy Business Park).

Harvard IV -photo Peter Handley Vintage Wings of Canada

The public is invited to view the arrival at the Prince Edward Flying Club, 477 Cty. Rd. 22, between 6-6:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27 and will be on display all day Sunday.

Vintage aircraft enthusiasts will also want to visit to the National Air Force Museum of Canada at CFB Trenton Friday Aug. 26 when several vintage aircraft including the Harvard, Stearman, Fleet Finch and Fairchild Cornell will be on display until Saturday afternoon.

From Picton they will fly east to Kingston Airport where they will be on display Tuesday, Aug. 30 until late afternoon Wednesday.

The display marks the 75th anniversary of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan signed on Dec. 17, 1939 by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to provide for the training of a large percentage of Commonwealth aircrew.

The air training plan expanded at a fantastic rate and soon spread from coast to coast with training school facilities and new airdromes. The skies across Canada soon became dotted with yellow airplanes, the colour scheme of the training aircraft.

The National Air Force Museum of Canada event Aug. 26 will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m in the museum’s airpark. Tours of the newly “re-acquired” Hercules CC-130 will also be available in the airpark.