Chilliwack resident John Brooks is pictured in a Harvard-branded plane he rode in during Flight Fest in Chilliwack this past weekend. (Image Credit: Contributed.)

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Sky's the limit

Chilliwack Flight Fest gives local resident brief glimpse of what his dad did in World War II

Aug 18, 2026 | 8:01 AM

CHILLIWACK – Flight Fest not only treated thousands of Chilliwack residents to an entertaining array of vintage planes and aerial acrobatics this past weekend, it gave one local resident a brief glimpse of what his dad did as a flight instructor during World War II.

Chilliwack retiree John Brooks got a chance to fly in a two-seat Harvard-branded plane over the weekend as part of Flight Fest, the exact kind of plane his father Gilman Brooks flew as a flying lieutenant for the Royal Canadian Air Force.

“My dad became a pilot in the Air Force,” Brooks told Fraser Valley Today over the phone Monday morning (Aug. 17). “They needed more instructors. One class went through, and he ended up being an instructor teaching new pilots. He flew other planes, but the Harvard plane was the one he talked about. Dad would have been sitting in the back instructing the pilots up front. He would often talk about being up there and being able to take over the flight controls if he had to.”

The plane Brooks flew in during pre-Flight Fest activities on Saturday is approximately 80 years old, but he says he had no misgivings about taking to the skies.

John Brooks. (Image Credit: Contributed.)

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“No fear, even though they have you sign your life away,” said Brooks, referring to the pre-flight waiver he signed. “My nephew works on these types of planes and they keep them in tip top shape. It seemed to be a heavy plane. This is one of the originals. I’ve been in a small plane, they tend to bounce around a lot. This was a smooth ride. I’m sure they built a lot of these. I guess they had a good design.”

Brooks admits he’s a bit worrisome around heights and standing on high-rise balconies, but Saturday’s airplane ride over Chilliwack was just the opposite.

“I couldn’t believe how smooth it was. With roller coasters, you don’t always see what’s coming up,” said Brooks, a retired finance professional who recently moved to Chilliwack to be closer to his kids and grandkids. “This was very smooth. Even though you’re up a couple thousand feet in the air, as a matter of fact, we’d be banking around the turn and you’d see Highway 1. It’s kind of a factual thing. It was interesting to experience it. I don’t like tall buildings, I won’t go near the edge of a building. I don’t like heights, but this didn’t bother me at all.”

Best of all, his son, daughter-in-law and grandkids were there on Saturday to watch him take to the skies for a memorable adventure.

“Rob (my son) and the family came out to watch,” Brooks said. “They took lots of pictures. I felt very safe in it, even though it was 80 yrs old. I felt very confident in it.”

by Mike Vanden Bosch

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Chilliwack Flight Fest gives local resident brief glimpse of what his dad did in World War II

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