North Luffenham

1 (F) Wing Aerobatic Team

Dick Wingate had been cooling his heels as a simulator instructor on the station and was rewarded with an offer to become the leader of the 1 (F) Wing team. It probably didn't take more than a nanosecond to accept that offer! He was joined by F/O's Mac Gillies (439 Squadron), Norm Ronaasen (441 Squadron) and Jeb Kerr (439 Squadron). Since all four already had experience with their respective squadron aerobatic teams, it didn't take them long to work up a fine show from the time they started practicing together on May 31st, 1954. Their first show was a two-day affair at the National Air Races at Badington aerodrome (near Coventry) on June 18th and 19th. They were accompanied by Dean Kelly and as usual the Canadians acquitted themselves very well, in spite of poor weather. Two additional shows were flown in June at St. Evans and North Luffenham. July and August were quiet moths for the team and just as they were about to gear up again in September, disaster struck- Mac Gillies was killed in a car accident. This was a great loss for the team and left them in a bind.

A quick tally of wing personnel revealed that the only pilot left with any team experience under his belt was F/O Garth Cinnamon of 410 Squadron who was preparing to depart on a posting to the OTU in Chatham. However, he readily agreed to help out the team and on September 13th four Sabres leapt into the sky again for the first of six practices over four days. On the 18th they performed two shows as scheduled at Horsham St. Faith and Castle Bromwich. This was Battle of Britain day and once again it was a maximum effort for the entire wing - 441 Squadron alone put up 10 solo displays at 10 RAF stations, generating almost 18 hours of flying time. The last show for the 1 Wing team took place over home plate in North Luffenham on September 24th - a special performance for the new Minister of National Defence, the Honourable RO Campney. This performance marked the end of the airshow era at North Luffenham. Within a few months the entire Wing would be packing up for a move to its new home in Marville, France, 439 being the last to leave on April 1st, 1955. The squadron would also bid a fond farewell to the Sabre 2 which had made them masters of the sky in Europe. But a much improved Sabre was coming off the Canadair assembly line, a more powerful beast with a new Orenda engine - the Sabre 5.

Reprinted from "A Tradition of Excellence - Canada's Airshow Team Heritage" courtesy Dan Dempsey. - Web Site -