Historic re-enactment to take place at Air Park today and tomorrow.

eventsblue 100x100By Pepper Parr

July 5th, 2017

BURLINGTON, ON

 

It was going to be the war that ended all wars.

It was a war that had a huge impact on Canada as a nation that was just coming into its own.

It was a war that was fought with equipment that is close to laughable today – but the men, and they were mostly men back then, took to the air in the flimsiest of aircraft to fight for the dominance of the sky’s over Europe.

Vimy re-enactment

A ceremonial fly past during the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge.

Last April this country celebrated the 100th anniversary of the battle of Vimy Ridge. It is a great story and if it is of any interest to you the link to a video about the 100th anniversary of the battle of Vimy Ridge is at CLICK here. You might want to book mark it for viewing later .

Vimy Tour in Globe Master

The RCAF gave the fleet a lift in the C17 Globemaster. Four Nieuport II, 2 Sopwith Pups and one SE5 ready for the journey.

Today, Wednesday, a small crew of pilots will be in Burlington with the four aircraft that are part of the Vimy Flight which consists of a team of Canadian military pilots who are retired or active and continue to believe that our Nation was born out of the teamwork and the sacrifice that our brave soldiers and airmen endured during the Great War.

Today, with over 230,000 of combined flying experience, the ten hand-picked pilots understand the tremendous risk and courage required to fly these fragile craft.

Three of the aircraft

These aircraft kept the sky over France during the battle for Vimy Ridge fee of German aircraft. They were part of the 100th anniversary of the battle where they performed a ceremonial fly past.

The dramatic re-enactment of the 1936 fly over ceremony at the historic Vimy Memorial is being re-enacted across the country. The Vimy Flight team of pilots and support personnel will share the stories of the early military aviators in a way that has never been seen before. Passion, courage and adventure drives the team to provide Canadians the much needed message that it is our humbling privilege to honour those that sacrificed so much in order for us to enjoy the freedom that we enjoy today.

Vimy Flight team

Meet the men behind the machines L->R: Larry Ricker, Paul O’Reilly, Will McEwan, Dale Erhart, Dave Wilson, Peter Thornton, Rod Ermen, Gord Cooper, Al French. Missing from photo: Allan Snowie

VIMY FLIGHT is a team of dedicated volunteer pilots and ground support that had the honour of performing a commemorative bi-plane fly-past over the Vimy Ridge Memorial in Vimy France this April 9, 2017. That team is taking that fly past on a cross country tour that will be in Burlington today and for much of the balance of this week.

The Vimy Flight is in Burlington from July 4th to the 7th.

The aircraft arrived in Burlington yesterday July 4th.

Bell school line mapOn Wednesday, July 5 from 4:00pm – Dusk – there will be an Open House – BBQ at the Burlington Executive Air Park.

On Thursday, July 6 from 11:00am – 7:00pm – Local Flying / Static Display/

The aircraft leave Burlington 11:00 AM on July 7

The entrance to the Air Park is on Bell School Line.

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