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What was once a dream, is now reality The following story was sent to us by the son of a retired Air Force pilot, who set, and accomplished a goal, much to the pride of his supportive parents. He will be here this summer as part of Canadian Forces and Air Display Weekend 2009, with his Fleet Finch. My father started his aviation career in 1936 at the Hamilton Aero Club. When war broke out in 1939, he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), and did his initial training at 8 Wing/CFB Trenton. He was then put on loan to the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) and was based at #9 EFTS in St. Catherines, Ontario. During this time he carried out duties as an instructor at the school until it closed in January of 1944. Number 9 Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS) operated Fleet Finch 16r (Finch 1) and Fleet Finch 16b (Finch 2) aircraft. Later they converted to D.H. 82C Tigermoths. Growing up, I listened to aviation stories as told to me by my father; I naturally became obsessed with vintage aircraft. With much support and encouragement from my mother and father, I achieved that goal and purchased Fleet Finch 16r s/n 397 RCAF #4494. My Finch appears at air shows all over Ontario throughout the summer months. At 90 years old, my Dad gets a big kick out of the fact that some 70 odd years later his kid is flying a Finch just like he did all those years ago. The BCATP officially disbanded is 1945 however, its ghost still exists. There are countless children of ex-BCATP personnel out there like myself that were inspired by stories about “the PLAN” as told by our parents. So, my theory is that while “the PLAN” no longer officially exists, its ghost and memory are inspiring some people to choose careers in civil and military aviation. In its own way, “ the PLAN “ after all these years, has never fully disappeared, and is still producing aircrew in Canada. Cam Harrod
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