Father’s Day

Canadian Style

  Father’s Day is a time for relaxing and being with family and friends.

  What could be better than spending quality time watching airplanes fly. In Southern Ontario, it is well known fact that you have to go to Mount Hope Airport this weekend and take part in FlyFest presented by the Canadian Warplane Heritage.

  Throughout the two days, visitors could tour the hangar and look at or sit in several of the planes in the collection. For members of the museum and the general public, you could buy a flight in the Harvard or Stearman, or if you were lucky enough a chance to fly in the Lancaster.

  Along with the flights, the museum aircraft made photo passes over their ramp. Also on the ramp was the nearly restored Lysander. Known as the Bumble-Bee from the distinctive black and yellow paint scheme, it did an engine run up and taxied around the ramp.

  The Museum had guest aircraft, from the Vintage Wings of Canada – their Hurricane and Spitfire were parked on the ramp. And flying in later in the day were the Spitfire and BF109 from the Russell Air Group.  These aircraft, plus the Lancaster went up near the end of the day to make several formation passes and then head down to Fort Erie, the home of the Russell Air Group.

  Down in Fort Erie, the Russell people were holding their event, Friendly Foes over the Falls. Based on the former property of Fleet Aircraft and a grass runway, one best little shows took place.

  The day started with a missing man display featuring some of the Harvards from Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association, along with the Russell Group Harvard. Ida Red, Grumman Avenger and the Memphis Belle, B-17 were two of the guest from south of the border. From the airbase in Niagara Falls one of their Hercules did some circuits overhead.

  The Great War Flying Museum provided an aerial dog flight over the QEW highway and the Burnaby Sky Divers dropped in as well. Rick Volker performed in his SU-26M and the Harvard Aerobatic Team provided some new twists in the sky. Among the many aircraft flying were two Fleet Finch’s that were built on this property. One of the most unusual planes there was a Myers 160.

It was also a place to meet good friends, like Donna Flynn from British Columbia who air bossed this event. And Bill and Nancy Lowe who tried to MC the show, they had help with one the most interesting persons around, the Honourary Col. Charlie Fox. Charlie Fox is 88 years old, he was given a DFC and was the given credit for shooting up Rommel’s car. Charlie has many stories to be to tell and give the Lowe’s a break.

  The day ended with the five plane formation from Hamilton. With several passes the Lancaster did a missing man for all the bomber crews who did not make it home and for all the men and woman who are in the military keeping our world a little bit safer. The Lanc came back around and did several passes including one that made people shake their head with a very fast and low photo pass. The fighters came back for their turn breaking off into pairs. With the Russell group planes returning their home base the Vintage Wings aircraft disappeared, but returned with the Lancaster for one final flypast with the Lancaster.