It's finally happened! You are learning how to fly planes that are very close to actual combat aircraft! Flying these planes makes you feel like an actual fighter pilot. However, more powerful, higher performance planes require better pilot skills. When something goes wrong you only have a second or two to fix it before your plane goes out of control. You need a very careful touch on the controls because these planes are not very forgiving. They fly fast and react quickly to a pilot's actions. You learn how to have the right "touch" on the controls and how to sense when you have over-corrected. You also learn about basic navigation skills because fighter planes don't have room for a navigator.

You have been assigned to Number 6 SFTS, Dunnville, Ontario. You will go through a seven week program flying Harvards or Yales. These are low-wing aircraft with retractable landing gear, higher performance engines, and less flight stability. In other words their characteristics are much more like those of operational fighter aircraft such as Spitfires and Hurricanes. Your instructors will be men who have seen operational duty and who have been sent back to Canada to pass their experiences on to you.

Here's a short video about Harvards flying in a recent airshow:

Harvard Trainers in Formation 3:35