Battle of Britain Fly-In Breakfast

Story and photos by Wes Krause.
Chapter President,
CAHS Medicine Hat
October 2025
Medicine Hat’s CAHS Chapter joined forces with Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA) Flight 171, and Gas City Aviators, on 13 September 2025 for a special Battle of Britain Fly-In Breakfast at Medicine Hat Municipal Airport.

Planning for this event began several months ago with an idea we suggested to the COPA Flight. The group sponsors a Fly-In breakfast once a month at Medicine Hat Airport YXH. These are generally well attended with several aircraft arriving from across southern Alberta. COPA members serve as cooks for each event, and they make an amazing breakfast for a very reasonable $10 a plate.
COPA Fly-In Breakfast attendees.
For the Battle of Britain Fly-In Breakfast, our chapter decided to add some historical displays, a feature length movie (The Battle of Britain, 1969), and brief historical discussion about the Battle.
Two Second World War era uniforms Royal Air Force (RAF) on the left with a variety of Commonwealth shoulder flashes of the era, Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) on the right with RFC, RAF and RCAF wings variants.
This image features a 1940 dated Irvin Jacket that is wired for Communication sets, the left helmet is a late war RCAF issued piece with original period goggles and Oxygen mask.  The right helmet is a 1942 period RAF helmet with early pattern RCAF goggles and early pattern Oxygen mask.
Medicine Hat Chapter President, Wes Krause, welcomed all who attended and introduced the historical displays that were assembled. He then turned over the floor to Chapter Vice President Matt Klimaszewski, who gave a very interesting talk about events leading up to and the conclusion of the Battle. Since this was an Aerial Battle, it seemed to strike a note with those attending, who were for the most part either pilots, aircraft owners, automobile enthusiasts, or historical enthusiasts. President Wes then concluded by pointing out the current Medicine Hat Airport site was the home of No. 34 Service Flight Training School (SFTS) of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, along with a very brief discussion about the airmen who served and died (48 Airmen from all points of the Commonwealth) while training here. Finally, a note of thanks was extended to COPA Flight 171 for allowing us to hold this event, as well as to the couple (from Rolling Hills) who brought their North American Harvard Mk IV, manufactured by Canadian Car and Foundry for the RCAF. They honoured us and our event with two fly pasts while trailing smoke and climbing to the sky…much to the enjoyment of all attending.
This is a carefully restored 1952 Canadian Car & Foundry Mk IV Harvard that served in training RCAF airmen. It was flown in from Rolling Hills specifically for the event.
Overall, the morning was thoroughly entertaining and a rousing success for the COPA Flight with well over 75 people attending. Several very young fellows sat watching the movie with wide eyed amazement and cheering every time the RAF scored a victory!!!
 
We may just make this an annual event with COPA Flight 171 and our Chapter.