Taking a flight in a historical plane holds a bit more meaning for one Lethbridge man.
Kendall Gibson has been eagerly waiting to step foot in the same plane his father flew nearly seven decades ago.
The Yellow Thunder Formation Aerobatic Team made a pit stop in southern Alberta, offering flights in one of two Harvard aircrafts.
To the surprise of Gibson, his late father, Gordon flew in the exact Harvard Mk4 that would be landing in town.
Gordon was a World War II pilot flying in Mustangs, Spitfires and Hurricanes. His background included flying over Normandy Beach and in letters sent to his wife in 1944, recalled his contribution during D-Day.
After the war, Gordon retired briefly but according to Kendall, his father “missed the clouds”, and rejoined the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) as an instructor.
Between 1953 and 1957, Gordon was stationed in Penhold, Alberta, training young pilots to fly in the Mk4 #20243.
“My brother in Saskatoon actually has the logbooks from my father for all the planes he flew and that number showed up hundreds of times,” said Kendall. “So, to get the chance to fly in the exact say plane is unbelievable. It’s really cool.”
Dave Watson, the now owner of the 71-year-old aircraft, was contacted by Kendall about his connection to the plane and was intrigued to hear about the coincidental history.
“Only one or two occasions have I had people look it up in logbooks and tell me they’ve flown in this exact aircraft and Kendall is one of them,” shared Watson. “That was kind of neat. It’s a connection, and you look at the plane a little differently now when you know there’s that history.”
Watson explained that since his father obtained the plane in 1981, it remains almost in its original condition.
“We’ve done regular maintenance the way you have to, just like a car: change the oil, fix the breaks, it had a paint job around 2003. I’ve had to fix the engine once or twice since I’ve had it, but essentially the airplane has never been restored so to say, it’s only been maintained as we go and it’s been flown every year that it’s been around.”
In Kendall’s eyes, it’s an opportunity to get even closer to his father’s own experience.
Gordon passed away in 2006, but with his legacy forever tied to the Harvard Mk4 and the flight is one Kendall said he will treasure for a lifetime.
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