George Kirbyson looked very much at home in the cockpit of the CF-104 Starfighter at the Canadian Museum of Flight at the Langley Airport.

On Monday, April 1, the museum celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force, and Kirbyson, a White Rock resident, was among several veterans who attended.

害羞草研究所淚 could fly it again,害羞草研究所� Kirbyson smiled as he sat in the pilot害羞草研究所檚 seat..

害羞草研究所淚f I get the engines started, I害羞草研究所檓 sure I could fly it.害羞草研究所�

Kirbyson explained the jet on display at the museum was a 害羞草研究所渄ual,害羞草研究所� a two-seater model for training, not quite identical to the single-seat supersonic fighter he spent 1200 hours flying in Europe during the Cold War era.

害羞草研究所淚t was a dream to fly and the job that we were doing with it was even more fantastic,害羞草研究所� Kirbyson recalled.

害羞草研究所淚t was all low level, doing photo reconnaissance. We flew all over Europe.害羞草研究所�

100 years ago, to the day, the RCAF was born.

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The museum marked the anniversary with a display of historic aircraft, cockpit tours, a salute by local air cadets to veterans, and a special reception for former military pilots.

One of those veterans was featured speaker George Miller, who managed the Langley Airport for 21 years.

Miller said he grew up in the RCAF, joining as soon as he turned 18.

害羞草研究所漈hey were like my mom and dad,害羞草研究所� Miller said.

Miller started out flying the F-86 Sabre, calling it 害羞草研究所渁 bulwark aircraft of the Cold War.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚 had three tours on the F-86 Sabre and then went on to fly the Starfighter which took its place, [and it flew] twice the speed of sound. The F-86 was was supersonic as well, but the Starfighter was [often called] a missile with a man in it.害羞草研究所�

Fellow RCAF fighter pilot Al French, a director of the museum, joined the RCAF in 1965 when he was 17.

害羞草研究所淚 had to get my parent害羞草研究所檚 permission.害羞草研究所�

He went on to pilot training and was selected to be a fighter pilot, spending six years flying Starfighters in Germany and Cold Lake, Alberta.

害羞草研究所淪till one of the fastest airplanes in the world,害羞草研究所� French noted, 害羞草研究所渋ideal for the mission that we had in Germany, which was low level strike bombing.害羞草研究所�

French and Miller have known each other about 60 years, going back to when Miller had a tower built in the Mediterranean to teach RCAF pilots how to survive parachuting into the water.

害羞草研究所淭hey would drag us behind the speed boat as if we landed in the ocean in the high wind and we had to extricate ourselves,害羞草研究所� French recalled.

At least, the water was warm, French said, preferable to where they run the school today, 害羞草研究所渋n the icy waters of Georgia Strait.害羞草研究所�

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