Tony Hamblin explores Lancaster as part of his birthday gift/Drew Hamblin
Shot of Leaside from aircraft on Saturday/Drew Hamblin
Drew Hamblin during flight
Lancaster bomber/archives
Guests and crew pose with the big ship at Mount Hope
Leaside businessman Drew Hamblin is a member of the board of the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in Mount Hope. On Saturday, Mr. Hamblin arranged to take his father, Tony Hamblin, on a flight aboard an Avro Lancaster bomber built during WWII to mark his 80th birthday. The flight flew to Toronto where it made a pass over Leaside. Such flights are available to the public in the Lancaster and other historic aircraft. As Mr. Hamblin notes, the cost of upkeep and the simple cost of fuel makes each trip fairly expensive. But he says it was “truly an amazing experience. We are the only place in the world where you can fly in a rare Fairey Firefly, Westland Lysander or the famous Avro Lancaster. Thrill of a lifetime!”
