50 Years Ago Today - June 4, 1972
1971 - Friends Dennis Bradley and Alan Ness, both pilots who flew out of Toronto Island Airport, discussed their mutual desire to own and fly a World War II fighter, like a P-51 Mustang.
Their search ended up locating a Fairey Firefly in Wadley, Georgia. They enlisted the financial support of John Weir and Peter Matthews and in short order, had purchased the aircraft, had it ferried to Toronto, and completed the restoration over the winter.
The four partners realized that flying a vintage warbird exposed them to some frightening liabilities. To protect themselves and their families, they decided to operate the Firefly through a non-profit corporation and called themselves "Canadian Warplane Heritage."
On June 4, 1972, the first aircraft of the brand-new Canadian Warplane Heritage first took to the skies! |