August 10, 2011, Yellow Wings Visit St.Catharines Airport for monument re-dedication ceremony.

visited our airport on Aug. 9 and 10.

The Yellow Wings is a venture organized by the Vintage Wings organization. http://www.vintagewings.ca/

The purpose is to celebrate the “British Commonwealth Air Training Plan” (BCATP) by organizing a fleet of planes that were used to train airmen in the Second World War in various airports that were purpose built in every province of Canada.

This was an extraordinary achievement by the British to involve communities all over Canada to train these pilots for the war.

The plan is to travel across Canada in these Harvards, Fleet Finchs, Cornells, Tiger Moths, and Stearmans and touchdown in each airport that was built for the BCATP.

For more detailed information, check out the above websites.

The monument below used to be located on the circle in front of the old terminal building. It was originally erected on 1988 which was the 60th anniversary of the Flying Club. The monument is inscribed with the poem High Flight which was penned by pilot officer John Gillespie McGee who trained with #9 E.F.T.S. in 1941.

Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth

And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;

Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth

Of sun-split clouds...and done a hundred things

You have not dreamed of...wheeled and soared and swung

High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,

I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung

My eager craft through footless halls of air.

Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue

I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace

Where never lark, or even eagle flew.

And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod

The high untrespassed sanctity of space

Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

A good sized crowd came out for this occasion including several veterans that had trained at the St.Catharines Flying Club during the war. The timing was arranged so that the Yellow Wings would visit the airport to take part in the re-dedication of the monument.

The pilots of the Vintage Wings aircraft relax in Peter Ramm's hangar.

Jack MacCarthy trained on Cornell #715, the sister plane to this one in High River Alberta during the second world war.

The public got a chance to take a close look at the beautifully restored vintage Stearman, Cornell, Harvard, and Fleet Finch.

The Fleet Finch takes position on the tarmac.

The Stearman takes position

Bill hopes the brakes work on the Harvard as it taxis into position.

It's a snug fit inside the Stearman.

Folks gather around for the ceremony.

Rudy Suter welcomes the visitors and pilots, and briefly describes the history of the airport and memorial that is being re-dedicated.

Rudy introduces Len Hodges, one of the veterans that trained at the airport during the Second World War.

Len Hodges gives a detailed description of what the training was like in the days when the pressure was on to produce quality pilots in a very short time to serve in the war.

Rudy intrudeces Dave Hadfield, team leader of the Yellow Wings group. Dave explains the history and purpose of the Yellow Wings program.

A group of veterans that trained on the aircraft during the war. Most of this group trained at St.Catharines.

A Cornell piloted by Dave Hadfield takes off with one of the air cadets for a demo flight that the cadet will never forget.

Andrej Janik, Yellow Wings pilot taking veteral pilot Len Hodges for a nostalgic flight in the Harvard.

Andrej and Len climbing out.

You could almost see Len grinning from ear to ear as the Harvard climbs up through the clouds into the blue sky.

A view of the lounge area of our new airport terminal.

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The St. Catharines Flying Club