Welcome to the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association
Our Mission
The Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association (CHAA) is a non-profit registered charitable organization based in Tillsonburg, Ontario, Canada. Its mission is to acquire, preserve, restore, maintain, display and demonstrate the North American Harvard aircraft associated with the Royal Canadian Air Force and the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, as a legacy, and in honour of those who served.
Grassroots Beginnings
The Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association was created in 1985 by three aviation enthusiasts, general aviation pilots Norm Beckham and Len Fallowfield, and former Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) pilot Bob Hewitt. Together with a small group of aviation enthusiasts, they had a dream to preserve the Harvard aircraft as an honour and remembrance to the men and women who flew them and worked on them during the Second World War.
They began with three Harvard aircraft, and during the first few years, established a home base in a hangar at the Tillsonburg Regional Airport, and began to formalize their flight operations, maintenance crew and membership administration.
As the years passed, their fleet of Harvards grew, as did the organization’s membership and operations.
Today’s Organization
The Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association is celebrating its 40th Anniversary in 2025.
As a registered charitable organization, run 100% by volunteers, it is proud of its legacy and its offerings. It owns eight Harvard aircraft and one Yale, the largest fleet of Harvard aircraft in North America.
Throughout its primary flying season, May to November, the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association hosts a number of events at its home-base at the Tillsonburg Regional Airport. Monthly Open House & Fly Days are free of charge, while the annual Wings & Wheels in September asks for donations for entry.
It also provides remarkable flight experiences, allowing the public to purchase rides from 10-minutes to one hour.
CHAA’s Harvards also perform at air shows and conduct a number of fly-pasts throughout the year.
As a 100% volunteer-run organization with no government assistance, CHAA welcomes all levels of volunteerism and donations.
Why Keep the Harvard’s Legacy Alive
The Harvard’s role in military aviation history is strong and significant. They are “trainers” and during the Second World War, the Harvard trained tens of thousands of pilots — young men from Canada and Allied Forces who came to Canada to earn their wings. Before they could fly fighters and bombers, these new recruits trained on a variety of aircraft including the Harvard, the most advanced, single-engine trainer at the time.
Simply put, they learned how to fly in Canada before they went off to battle.
Today, these planes carry with them invaluable history, and their former pilots are most worthy of remembering. It is vitally important to retain that history, share their stories and honour their sacrifices.
British Commonwealth Air Training Plan
In 1939, Canada created the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (“The Plan”), a program that saw 151 military flying schools across Canada train more than 130,000 air crew from Canadian and Allied Forces to become pilots, gunners, navigators and more. This was one of Canada’s greatest contributions to Allied victory in the war.
To earn their wings, young men typically flew Tiger Moths, Fleet Finchs and Cornells. Those who were on a path to become fighter pilots and bombers, then progressed to the Harvard for their next stage of training.
Museum Status
While the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association is a destination at the Tillsonburg Regional Airport, where people can visit and go for a flight, CHAA is not considered a museum.
Our volunteers strive to keep regular hours from 9am – 4pm on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and during the summer are often there on other days.
We invite you to pop by and explore North America’s largest fleet of Harvard aircraft and what the organization is doing to keep the history and legacy of these World War II warbirds alive.
