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Vimy memorial flight “extremely emotional” for Island pilot

One hundred years after the Battle of Vimy in France, Dale Erhart returned to the site to visit the memorial.
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Dale Erhart describes the Vimy flight prior to leaving for France in March

One hundred years after the Battle of Vimy in France, Dale Erhart returned to the site to visit the memorial.

Unlike many on the ground, he took took to the air - along with a handful of other pilots from Canada - to commemorate the significant anniversary.

Earhart, the flight safety officer and lead pilot involved in an eight year project to fly a formation of replica biplanes over the Vimy memorial on April 9, called the experience “extremely emotional.”

(It was) so emotional that as soon as we got onto French soil (I knew) this would be a challenge for us. So we had all the pilots go up individually and see for themselves from the airspace with the land below all the cemeteries in that region just to absorb the importance of that moment.”

Earlier this year, with the assistance of the Royal Canadian Air Force, two Sopwith Pups, four Nieuport 11s and one SE5 were transported to Lille, France on behalf of the Vimy Flight Association.

“We had almost 40 members over at France for the commemoration,” Erhart explained. “When we landed, our lives literally changed. We couldn’t understand initially why (the French) were so grateful, so generous, so friendly, so hospitable. We just thought they were great folk. Then we started to visit their cemeteries and saw the impact of their relatives that were buried there and the tremendous tragedy that went on with being an occupied country.”

He noted the French fought so hard, and lost so many loved ones – having young soldiers from New Zealand, Australia and Canada come over and sacrifice their lives for France’s freedom is something “they teach to their children. It’s in their culture and it was all they could do to help support us in what we wanted to do.”

Following the celebration in France, the team returned to Canada for a cross-country aerial tour. The team flew over Ottawa as part of the Canada Day 150 celebrations, and are now wrapping up the mission this weekend in Comox.

“We are ready to close the journey,” said Erhart.

On Saturday evening at 7 p.m. at Comox United Church, there will be a live Vimy flight presentation. On Sunday at the Air Cadet Training Centre (beside 888 Wing), there will be a meet and greet and static plane display at 2 p.m. The aircrafts will then be on display at the BC Aviation Museum Oct. 15 and 16.

For more information, visit vimyflight.ca

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Erin Haluschak

About the Author: Erin Haluschak

Erin Haluschak is a journalist with the Comox Valley Record since 2008. She is also the editor of Trio Magazine...
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