Alberta's Aviation Heritage

Civilian flying was curtailed during World War One by an order in council of the federal government

Of the few non-military flights allowed were aerial displays at the summer fairs like those in Edmonton and Calgary.

According to historian Pat Myers, one of the most popular pilots at the time was the young woman named Katherine Stinson.

Katherine Stinson was an American Flyer, she came from a family of flyers. During World War One, they ran a flying school down in Texas, and several Canadians had gone down there to train. So people in Canada were familiar with the Stinson name.

Katherine was famous for her daring stunt flying. But she also use her reputation and skills to promote the war effort.

She flew for the Red Cross, she did fundraising for the Red Cross, she had a huge red cross on the tail of her plane…

The summer exhibitions usually included a military component.

As historian Pat Myers writes in her book, Sky Riders, there were often trophy displays, examples of work done by convalescing solders and Red Cross tag days.

During her visits to Alberta in 1916, 17, and 18, Katherine Stinson took the opportunity to give her audience a taste of aerial warfare.

This was World War One, so at many of these exhibitions there were model trenches set up so the public could get a look at what a trench was supposed to look like. She would do examples of wartime flying, such as flying low over the trenches, dropping paper bags of flour or something in a bombing show, so that people could get a sense of what wartime flying might be like.

Sanitized as it was, the significance of the performance was not lost on Katherine’s audience.

Enlistment from the west was high. Some young Alberta men were now flying against the enemy in Europe.

On the Heritage Trail
I’m Cheryl Croucher.



	Katherine Stinson Demonstrates World War 1 flying techniques Civilian flying was curtailed during World War One by an order in council of the federal government Of the few non-military flights allowed were aerial displays at the summer fairs like those in Edmonton and Calgary. According to historian Pat Myers, one of the most popular pilots at the time was the young woman named Katherine Stinson. Katherine Stinson was an American Flyer, she came from a family of flyers. During World War One, they ran a flying school down in Texas, and several Canadians had gone down there to train. So people in Canada were familiar with the Stinson name. Katherine was famous for her daring stunt flying. But she also use her reputation and skills to promote the war effort. She flew for the Red Cross, she did fundraising for the Red Cross, she had a huge red cross on the tail of her plane… The summer exhibitions usually included a military component. As historian Pat Myers writes in her book, Sky Riders, there were often trophy displays, examples of work done by convalescing solders and Red Cross tag days. During her visits to Alberta in 1916, 17, and 18, Katherine Stinson took the opportunity to give her audience a taste of aerial warfare. This was World War One, so at many of these exhibitions there were model trenches set up so the public could get a look at what a trench was supposed to look like. She would do examples of wartime flying, such as flying low over the trenches, dropping paper bags of flour or something in a bombing show, so that people could get a sense of what wartime flying might be like. Sanitized as it was, the significance of the performance was not lost on Katherine’s audience. Enlistment from the west was high. Some young Alberta men were now flying against the enemy in Europe. On the Heritage Trail I’m Cheryl Croucher.