The Avro Lancaster, one of the most famous bombers of World War 2 entered Saskatoon air space, went around with a low fly past at the airport and then circled around and above the city.

Thousands of Canadian aircrew served with the RCAF and the Lancaster Squadrons. Over 4 hundred Lancaster MK X's were built in Canada and shipped overseas or flying duty. Only two still fly today, one in England and one in Canada.

The bomber is one hundred and two feet long and just under 70 feet wide....can reach top speeds of 287 miles and hour and has four Rolls Royce Merlin Engines.

No. 419 Squadron formed at Mildenhall on 15 December 1941 as a Vickers Wellington squadron in No. 3 Group, Bomber Command. It started operations in January 1942, converting almost immediately to Wellington Mk IIIs with which it fought on, moving north to Leeming as part of the new No. 6 Group in August 1942. Here in November it re-equipped with Handley Page Halifax Mk IIs, which it flew for the next 18 months on the night offensive against Germany. After three quick moves it settled at Middleton St George in November and stayed there for the rest of its service in Bomber Command. In April 1944 the squadron began to convert to Avro Laneasters, using the Mk X which was produced in Canada and flown across the Atlantic. It was with one of these that Pilot Officer A. C. Mynarski won the squadron's VC in June 1944. The squadron remained continuously on the offensive until 25 April 1945, when it flew its last sortie. It flew back to Canada in June 1945 and was disbanded at Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, on 5 September 1945.