Harvard Fly Days provide an experience like no other

The wing camera situation on one of the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association planes shows the Town of Tillsonburg under the plane. (Sean Voskamp photo).

By Jeff Helsdon

A flight in a Harvard with the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association is a combination of a history lesson, a sightseeing tour, and a thrill ride.

Going through the pre-flight check on a Harvard is like stepping back in time, seeing what young airmen went through in the Second World War.

My journey was part of an opportunity to fly in a Harvard that is offered through the organization’s Fly Days, held monthly through the summer. It was also a journey that involved a little “fun” as pilot Sean Voskamp called it.

Voskamp, one of the pilots with the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association (CHAA), started at the front of the plane, pointing out the 1941 penny embedded in the front of the rotary engine. His spiel included background on the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, which put through nearly 50,000 pilots in just five years. Most of the training took place in Canada, with the Harvard being an integral part of that.

The plane we would be flying in was built in the United States and was pulled across the border by horses prior to America entering the Second World War so our southern neighbours could maintain their neutral status. After the United States joined the war, Harvards were built under license in Canada.

Pilot Sean Voskamp smiles as he takes a Harvard into a climb with editor Jeff Helsdon along as a passenger. This experience is part of the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association’s fly days, held monthly through the summer. (Sean Voskamp photo).

The Tillsonburg Airport was built as a reserve, or secondary, field when the plan was in full swing. It was a back-up landing area for the Aylmer base, now the site of the Ontario Police College; however, there were bases scattered across Ontario in Fingal, Cayuga, Jarvis, and Dunnville, to name a few nearby locations.

My wife Karen, who was along to take photos, volunteered that her uncle was part of the program. Her step-mother Janet McKibbin’s father, Stuart, was a flight instructor in one of the Harvards now in the CHAA collection.

The association has eight Harvards, although not all are flyable. The planes are painted bright yellow for high visibility in all four seasons when teaching formation flying. The other plane involved in the program was the Yale, of which CHAA has one. Ironically, the association’s Yale came from the collection of Ernie Simons from Mabee’s Corners. That’s a story in itself.

With the association celebrating its 40th year, Voskamp’s pre-flight run-through included warnings about flying in an 80-plus year-old aircraft. He cautioned me not to stick my camera outside the cockpit, as it could become airborne. Additionally, he noted that the plane had no floor, meaning any dropped items could only be recovered after landing.

Voskamp provided careful instructions on how to enter the back cockpit of the training aircraft and how to strap myself in. Once in, he said all passengers had to be able to undo the seatbelt, open the cockpit, and exit the plane within 20 seconds. I successfully demonstrated this exercise.

Looking down, I saw my feet resting on rails, with the floor beneath. Voskamp also pointed out the controls, asking if I wanted to fly it, to which I provided an affirmative. And he asked about some “fun”, which I agreed to as Karen was smiling and encouraging it.

Although the plane was from the Second World War, I had complete faith in the pilot. Voskamp has been flying the Boeing 737 Max for Air Canada for 18 years, and flew for Air Georgian and medivac in the Arctic before that.

He knew he wanted to be a pilot when he was three.

“I was sitting in cockpit of KLM flight to Amsterdam and knew that’s what I wanted to do,” he related.

Starting flying lessons when he was 14, he had his pilot’s license before his driver’s license. Although he lived in Sarnia at the time, he first flew Harvards in Tillsonburg when he was 17. It’s a passion that’s stuck with him as he pilots on Fly Days and fly-overs with the Harvards.

“When you fly formation, you’re hyper vigilant because you’re making small adjustments all the time,” he said.

This view from the open cockpit of a Harvard shows Tillsonburg from the community centre to Glendale High School and south down Broadway. (Jeff Helsdon Photo).

With the formalities out of the way, Voskamp climbed into the pilot’s seat. He started by saying “Clear” after checking no one was in front of the plane, and “Contact” as he pushed the starter and the engine chugged to life.

I was given the option of flying with a closed or open cockpit, and Voskamp demonstrated the feel of the open cockpit, which I was good with.

Take-off was smooth on a calm day with little wind, as was the entire ride. As we reached 2,500 feet of altitude, I asked if it was possible to see the Aylmer base back in the day. Voskamp said it was, volunteering Toronto was visible from that height on a clear day.

After a pass over Tillsonburg and a fly-by past my house, Voskamp asked if wanted to take the controls.

“It’s a dual command plane and I’m the pilot in charge,” he explained.

I took control of the stick and kept the plane on the straight and level, with a bit of advice on keeping the nose up. Then Voskamp asked if I was ready for some “fun”. Taking back complete control, Voskamp put the plane into a 20-degree fast dive, recovered, and then climbed on the same angle. Straightening out, he then banked the plane hard to the left, tilting it on its side.

“That was 1.5G,” he explained of the force I felt. “A fighter pilot experiences 9Gs.”

As a trainer, the Harvard is rated for 5G, although Voskamp said the pilots are gentle on the octogenarian planes and never aim for that force. The aircraft are designed to withstand this force, as pilots in the CWATP transitioned from Harvards to P-51s or Spitfire training before being sent off to battle.

With any small plane, I’ve found the landing is always the part that demonstrates the pilot’s ability.

“The number one reason for Harvards crashing was pilots didn’t put down the landing gear,” Voskamp joked over the intercom. “I’ve put down the landing gear.”

After a landing that was smoother than some I’ve experienced in the 737s Voskamp flies, he explained that one of the idiosyncrasies of the Harvards is that, with the steering in the rear wheel, it can be harder to steer on the ground. I wouldn’t have known it though as we quickly and smoothly taxied back to the hangar.

The next Harvard Fly Day is August 16, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. This is an excellent opportunity for history buffs, thrill seekers and airplane lovers.