The Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association (CHAA) is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the RCAF by stepping up its displays, both static and aerial, of the storied training aircraft that served both the RCAF and the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) in support of the Second World War.
The CHAA will be participating in the Borden Air Show on June 15 and 16 at CFB Borden in Ontario. Then, on Canada Day, there will be a fly-over of Port Burwell, about 60 km southeast of London, Ontario, on the north shore of Lake Erie. On July 13 and 14, they will participate in the Geneseo Air Show in upstate New York, known for its turf runways and enthusiastic participation of warbirds.
The CHAA is based at Tillsonburg airport (CYTB), about 35 km east of London, and it is there where, on July 20, the organization will host its Open House and Fly Day, a free event where the public can tour CHAA’s facilities and see Harvards up close. For an additional cost, flights in a Harvard will be available.
The CHAA owns nine Harvards, most of them Mk 4 models. The Harvard is a North American Aviation T-6 Texan training aircraft, dubbed the Harvard in Canadian service. Over 15,400 were built, mostly in the United States, but 2,557 were built under licence in Canada by Noorduyn, designated as the Harvard II.B. A further 285 Harvard 4s were built by Canada Car & Foundry, designated as the NA-188.