This weekend the Harvards fly again in spectacular homecoming

CBC

18-07-2025

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As Canada's efforts in the Allied forces mounted during the Second World War, more and more young pilots took to the skies in Harvard training planes.
This weekend the Harvards, with their iconic yellow paint, will be flying above Thunder Bay. At the airport, the Northwestern Ontario Aviation Heritage Centre (NOAHC) is hosting a special event commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force.
The event takes place both Saturday and Sunday.
"I'm a lover of history," Denise Lyzun of NOAHC said. "I'm always amazed how many people are just so enthused about aircraft."
The single engine aircraft was a breeding ground for effective aviation, its dual controls allowing a pilot in training to operate the plane alongside the watchful eye of a trainer.
But, Harvards are not the only aircraft that NOAHC will have on display.
Their event also includes a Harvard 2 courtesy of the RCAF — a modern version of a Harvard currently used for advanced training.
Coming in from Tillsonburg, there will also be the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association's FIN number 242. John Hill, also from NOAHC, will be taking a ride on that aircraft with his daughter and hopes to continue a unique family connection.
"My father flew that particular aircraft when he was a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force," he said. "So we will have a third generation of Hills flying in that one airplane."
Thunder Bay made
Although Harvards were used for training in the Second World War, the aircraft on display this weekend were built in the 1950s to support the Korean War.
One of the main production hubs for these Harvards was Thunder Bay.
The Canadian Car and Foundry ("Can Car"), located on Montreal Street, was Canada's largest aircraft manufacturer during the Second World War. It would go on to maintain a production line for aircraft long after the war.
This 101-year-old veteran flew in a Harvard II training plane
8 months ago
A very special flight happened Wednesday at Tillsonburg Regional Airport. Ken Raven, who turned 101 years old earlier this November, got to ride in a Harvard II trainer, an aircraft he hasn't flown in since he was a young man.
"There are still many people who have family members who worked at Can Car during World War II and after World War II on aircraft," Lyzun says.
After the war, Can Car would keep producing Harvards for pilot training across North America.
"North American Aviation Corporation did not have the production line," Hill says. "So they contracted out mainly to Thunder Bay, to Canadian Car and Foundry, and here we ended up building an additional 555 of these airplanes for the Royal Canadian Air Force and the United States Air Force."
Party like it's 1959
As well as watching the aircraft in action, NOAHC's event at the weekend will also lean into history.
There will be '50s music, and attendees are encouraged to dress in line with the time period.
"We're trying to maintain that '50s vibe... but also it's so educational too, to learn about our history this way," Lyzun says.
For Lyzun, the event also has a personal connection.
"My late husband wrote a book called Aviation in Thunder Bay and it has been well received in the community," she said.