The Smart Marty Sky Dispatch
How Prince Albert’s airport became a wartime flight school for pilots from across the globe
In the aviation industry of Saskatchewan, the legacy of Floyd Glass looms large. Swept up in the war effort as a flight trainer, he piloted the airfield that now bears his name from a military training post into a vital hub for the northern economy over the course of decades.
Prince Albert’s Glass Field Airport traces its wartime origins to the site originally established as a civil airfield in 1929, before being repurposed for military training on July 22, 1940 as Number 6 Elementary Flying Training School. Floyd Glass, a local flight trainer, is recognized for leading the airfield through this transformation and into a significant wartime training hub.
During the war, pilots from across the British Commonwealth trained at the field, with many arriving as licensed Canadian pilots who were turned into instructors to prepare recruits for overseas service. Training focused on the de Havilland Tiger Moth biplane, a relatively inexpensive and fast aircraft used to develop basic and advanced flying skills before pilots moved to fighters or bombers.
The training environment brought recruits from various regions, including Canada and other parts of the Commonwealth, to learn the fundamentals of flight and combat readiness at the airfield that would become an important northern service point after the conflict. Training ran amid wartime pressure, with a push to complete courses quickly in sometimes challenging weather and aircraft conditions.
The Tiger Moth fleet at the airfield was maintained locally by mechanics who kept planes airworthy, with some components produced at Canadian facilities such as the PA foundry. The aircraft were described as affordable and easy to repair, though some limitations arose from wind sensitivity and tail-dragger design affecting landings and takeoffs in Saskatchewan conditions.
Post-war, the airfield expanded its role beyond military training, establishing a seaplane operation and positioning itself to support northern industry, mining, fisheries, and exploration efforts. The wartime momentum is cited as the key driver that helped Prince Albert’s airfield transition into a pivotal regional aviation hub serving northern economic needs.