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McKinnon, John (Leading Aircraftman)

Killed in Flying Accident 1942-10-01

Age: 25

Son of William D. McKinnon and Annie McKinnon, of Toronto; husband of Eileen McKinnon, of Toronto.

Husband of Eileen McKinnon, of Toronto.

Home: Toronto, Ontario

Service
RCAF
Unit
14 SFTS- Service Flying Training School
Base
Aylmer, Ontario, Canada
Rank
Leading Aircraftman
Marshal
Air Chief MarshalA/C/M
Air MarshalA/M
Air Vice MarshalA/V/M
Air CommodoreA/C
Group CaptainG/C
Wing CommanderW/C
Squadron LeaderS/L
Flight LieutenantF/L
Flying OfficerF/O
Pilot OfficerP/O
Warrant Officer 1st ClassWO1
Warrant Officer 2nd ClassWO2
Flight SergeantFS
SergeantSGT
CorporalCPL
Senior AircraftmanSAC
Leading AircraftmanLAC
Aircraftman 1st ClassAC1
Aircraftman 2nd ClassAC2
Position
Pilot
Service Numbers
R/133670
LAC McKinnon and P/O David Smith were engaged in flying sequences 6,7,8, and 9 and were both killed when Yale aircraft 3429 crashed in the low-flying area five miles south-east of Aylmer.

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Commonwealth War Graves Commission Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Canada Primary Source Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)

Crew on Yale 3429

North American Yale

Source: CWHM

The North American NA-64 (NA-64 P-2 or NAA-64 P-2 in French service, Yale in Canadian service) is a low-wing single piston engine monoplane advanced trainer aircraft that was built for the French Air Force and French Navy, served with the Royal Canadian Air Force, and with the Luftwaffe as a captured aircraft during World War II.

Ordered as a follow-on to the NA-57 as a two-seat advanced trainer, the NA-64 P-2/NAA-64 P-2 represented a major structural improvement, with a longer all-metal fuselage replacing the fabric covered fuselage of the NA-57. As well as metal skin replacing the fabric on the fuselage, the fin was changed from having a corrugated skin to being a smooth stressed skin structure and was moved slightly aft, lengthening the rear fuselage while the engine was moved forward to maintain the center of gravity. The rudder was also changed from the rounded shape used previously to one with a roughly triangular shape with the broadest part being at the bottom to improve handling at high angles of attack. In one respect however, it was a step backwards from its immediate predecessor, the BT-14, with which it is often confused, in that the earlier straight wings were used with the result that in RCAF service, when compared to the later and more powerful Harvard II it was flown alongside, it had different handling characteristics and lower performance.

The British Purchasing Commission bought the 119 aircraft that had not yet been delivered to France in 1940, and transferred them to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) for the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan between August and September 1940, and all were operational by November. The type was named the Yale Mk.I following British naming practice of naming trainers after education institutions and US-supplied aircraft after American locations, in this case, Yale University, and were used initially as intermediate pilot trainers taking pilots from the de Havilland Tiger Moth and Fleet Finch to the much faster and more complex North American Harvard, until this category was dispensed with as being unnecessary. They were then relegated for use as airborne wireless radio trainers, along with the contemporary Fleet Fort intermediate trainer in 1943. Prior to service entry, the throttle and engine mixture controls were modified from the system used by the French whereby the throttle was pulled back to increase power, and the mixture control pulled back to lean out the mixture, to the system used on the Harvard. Wikipedia

Wkikpedia Wikipedia North American Yale

YouTube YouTube North American Yale

General Harold A Skaarup Web Page

CASPIR Aircraft Groups:
RCAF On Strength (119), Canadian Aircraft Losses (21)
last update: 2021-11-01 19:58:00

Yale 3429

First served with No. 2 Service Flying Training School at Uplands, Ontario. With No. 14 Service flying Training School when it suffered Category A damage on 1 October 1942. Spun in near Calton, Ontario, 5 miles east of Aylmer, Ontario. Pilot Officer D. Smith and LAC J. McKinnon killed.
1940-09-17 Taken on Strength 2019-08-20
1941-August-23 Accident: Conversion Training Squadron Loc: Aerodrome Names: Greenwood | Woodley
1942-October-01 Accident: 14 Service Flying Training School Loc: Aylmer Names: Mckinnon | Smith
1942-11-24 Struck off Strength 2019-08-20

14 SFTS- Service Flying Training School (14 Service Flying Training School)

Graduates of the EFTS "learn-to-fly" program went on a Service Flying Training School (SFTS) for 16 weeks. For the first 8 weeks the trainee was part of an intermediate training squadron; for the next 6 weeks an advanced training squadron and for the final 2 weeks training was conducted at a Bombing & Gunnery School. The Service schools were military establishments run by the RCAF or the RAF.

There were two different types of Service Flying Training Schools. Trainees in the fighter pilot stream went to an SFTS like No. 14 Aylmer, where they trained in the North American Harvard or North American Yale. Trainees in the bomber, coastal or transport pilot stream went to an SFTS like No. 5 Brantford where they learned multi-engine technique in an Airspeed Oxford, Avro Anson or Cessna Crane.

SFTS14 Aylmer ON

For More Information on RCAF Station Aylmer see here

  • RCAF Roundel RCAF.info - RCAF Aylmer ON

  • RCAF Roundel RCAF.info - Relief Landing Field St Thomas ON

  • RCAF Roundel RCAF.info - Relief Landing Field Tilsonburg ON

  • General 14 SFTS Aylmer ON History

  • Museum Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum - 14 SFTS Aylmer ON

  • SFTS 14 Moved from Aylmer ON to Kingston ON 14 August 1944

    For More Information on RCAF Station Kingston see here

  • RCAF Roundel RCAF.info - RCAF Station Kingston ON

  • RCAF Roundel RCAF.info - Relief Landing Field Ganaoque ON

  • RCAF Roundel RCAF.info - Relief Landing Field Sandhurst ON

  • 1941-07-03 Primary Location Aylmer On Canada Abandoned now Ontario Police College.
    1941-07-03 Relief Field Tillsonburg ON Canada Current location of Tillsonburg Airport CYTB
    1941-07-03 Relief Field St Thomas ON Canada Current location of St Thomas Airport CYQS
    1944-08-15 Primary Location Kingston ON Canada Current site of Kingston Airport CYGK
    1944-08-16 Relief Field Ganaoque ON Canada Current site of Ganaoque Private Airport
    1944-08-17 Relief Field Sandhurst ON Canada Current site of Lennox Power Generation Station

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