ELDER VALLEY: REFLECTIONS FROM AN OLDER RESIDENT
These days, few folks know that, at the end of the Second World War, Canada had the fourth-largest air force in the world. Canadians were highly regarded internationally for their expertise in aviation research and development.
When the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was formed in 1949, the federal government decided to acquire Sabre jets for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Sabres were built by North American Aviation in California, who licensed Montreal-based Canadair to build a Canadian version.
During this exciting time for aviation, a young man from Victoria named Glen Willett managed to capitalize on an RCAF recruiting deal that offered a 17-year-old who’d completed Grade 11 the opportunity to fly world-class fighter jets. It was 1952.
In short order, Glen completed basic training and a four-month pilot training program in a Canadian-made plane, the North American Harvard Mk. IV, before being sent to the No.1 Fighter Operational Training Unit (1 OTU) in Chatham, New Brunswick.
Picture this: students attended some ground school sessions, flew five hours with an instructor pilot in a two-seat Lockheed T-33 Silver Star jet, and then got to fly a one-seater Sabre fighter jet by themselves!
In the early 1950s, Canada operated four air bases in Europe: two each in France and Germany. These were home to 12 squadrons, each with 25 jets, which meant Canada had 300 jets in theatre—a significant contribution to NATO.
“learning to ski, French food and wine, and comradeship second to none. For Glen, it was ‘the best job ever!'”
Upon graduation from 1 OTU, Glen was assigned to No. 416 Squadron at 2 Wing Grostenquin, France, where he flew Sabre jets from 1953 to 1956. He had his share of mishaps during his time there.
He experienced explosive decompression at 45,000 feet on a ferry route, which required him to perform pressure breathing for a long period of time. He also lost his engine on a mission in the United Kingdom—but managed to dead-stick (glide) the aircraft into Heathrow Airport, much to the chagrin of many commercial pilots waiting to depart.
Having said this, there were good times too: learning to ski, French food and wine, and comradeship second to none. For Glen, it was “the best job ever!”
After returning to Canada, Glen continued to fly for the remainder of his career. His flying time in the Air Force totalled over 10,000 hours, and he completed 29 years in RCAF uniform. During this time, he flew many types of aircraft in locations that included Winnipeg, Moose Jaw, and Cold Lake.
He was an instructor and Search and Rescue (SAR) pilot, and he also transported equipment and personnel. He completed several ground assignments including Wing Ops in Marville, France; the RAF College of Air Warfare in the UK, and the RCAF Staff College in Toronto.
Post service, Glen went on to work as a check pilot for Transport Canada out of Calgary. He was a member of the Sabre Pilots Association of the Air Division Squadrons (SPAADS), which held its final reunion in September 2022.
Glen moved to Salt Spring Island in 1988, after his retirement, then relocated to the Comox Valley in 2011. He continued to downhill ski at Mount Washington until the age of 89. These days, he can often be found playing snooker at d’Esterre Seniors Centre in Comox.
Glen was fortunate to take to the skies during the golden age of Canadian aviation—which afforded him an impressive, even legendary, career as a pilot.
