Harvard association hosts military history day

The Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association’s vintage Harvards and one Yale were kept busy taking people up for rides during Sunday’s event. The training aircraft were joined by three T28 Trojans, which were aircraft mainly used on aircraft carriers. (Jeff Helsdon Photo)

Jeff Helsdon, Editor

The Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association’s inaugural Military Heritage Open House and Fly Day was called a success by organizers despite a one-day delay due to weather.

Originally scheduled for last Saturday, the event was rescheduled to Sunday due to smoky conditions and thunderstorms in the forecast. Association president Walther Irie estimated the crowd at 150 to 200, which he was pleased with after the rescheduling.

Changing the day meant the event lost a military vehicle display, the association’s dive team display, and food trucks – all due to other commitments on the Sunday.

Although the association holds monthly fly days during the warmer months, this weekend’s event was planned to bring out more people.

“What I’m trying to do is reach out so more people can see their history,” Irie said.

One of the displays was from London Air Patrol of the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association. It’s one of 10 search and rescue units in Canada that assist the military and law enforcement in searching for lost aircraft, boats and people.

Members are trained by the military, but are volunteers and not part of the reserves. Some are pilots, but this isn’t mandatory. Members have assisted the military with search and rescue missions as spotters in the RCAF’s Hercules.

“Spotting is a very intense job; the more people you have in the air, the better,” said president Larry Porter.

The organization recently added a drone to its available search and rescue tools. It is outfitted with thermal imaging and infrared.

“The drone can fly over a heavily wooded area and direct people to it,” Porter said.

Second World War reenactor Kai Helsdon was at the event, dressed in a period RCAF uniform, along with his fiancée Jessica Korhowiec, who was wearing period civilian clothing. His display of Canadian military memorabilia included reproduction uniforms and some original items, such as a gas mask, a pilot’s mask, a German magazine from April 1939, and a small Union Jack flag that was his great-grandfather’s and is several decades old.

“It’s hard to find original uniforms because it’s so fragile,” he explained.

Helsdon started as a volunteer with the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in Hamilton during high school, and then became involved with a reenactor’s group.

Irie said the event will run again next year.