This year marks 100 years of the Royal Canadian Air Force.
George Miller had never been inside an airplane when he decided he wanted to be a pilot for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).
Born in Montreal and raised in an isolated fishing village in Newfoundland during the Great Depression, Miller had no money to spare for travelling on a plane.
A young Miller saw his first airplane in print while flipping through a comic book. On the back was information to send in to join the kids' Jimmie Allan Flying Club. He eagerly asked his dad if he could, to which he said yes. Interest grew further when he saw a float plane unexpectedly land for the first time.
"I was sitting on a fishing jetty and this float plane came down and landed on the water," Miller said. "The pilot got out and I was gob-smacked. He invited me to see inside. My passion for aviation was ignited."
When Miller was 17, his friend told him he was going to join the Air Force. This sparked the motivation for him to do the same, and on Nov. 23, 1953 an 18-year-old Miller walked into the recruiting office in Ottawa and was signed up that day.
The Soviet Union and its pact were looking to push into Europe, the threat that then became the Cold War. Canada, under the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), wanted to send 12 squadrons of F-86 Sabre jets to Europe. Miller was young, motivated, and ready to serve his country. He was exactly what the Air Force was looking for.
"The last question they asked me was, 'Do your mom and dad know?' And they didn't. When I told my mom she was shocked and really upset."
Miller was a child when many Newfoundlanders fought and died during the Second World War. The memories of that time were still too fresh to allow his parents to be excited about their son taking on a dangerous career in service. Despite the risks of the job and no previous flying experience, Miller began pilot training in January 1954.
After graduating from pilot training on the Harvard, he began jet training on the T-33 Silver Star jets in Manitoba. He then went on to Chatham, N.B. to operationally train on the F-86 fighter jet.
Almost every night Miller would go sit in the cockpit of the F-86 and study the control and weapon delivery systems.
"When you're a 19-year-old kid and they give you a multi-million-dollar supersonic airplane, it is what every kid would dream of," Miller said.
After training, he was posted to 434 Squadron in Zweibruecken, West Germany and became the youngest Canadian pilot to serve overseas during the Cold War years of the '50s and '60s.
On describing his first tour in West Germany, Miller said, "We were just a hairbreadth away from war at all times. You had to be ready."
Among the stressful moments there were happy times. Miller met his wife Christel, and they were married in 1956.
Christel came with Miller back to Canada when he returned as an air intercept controller with Air Defence Command, guarding against a possible Soviet nuclear bomb attack on North America from the north. He was trained in Pensicola, Fla.
In 1961 he got a call to audition to be an announcer for the RCAF Golden Hawks, a national aerobatic demonstration team. Though Miller was not interested in being an announcer, he wanted to fly on the team. Rules at the time prevented a pilot from trying out while on a ground job.
He competed for the announcer role in Ottawa and ended up second best. Despite not wanting the job or the role of the backup announcer, he secured a tryout for the team as a pilot through the experience.
Miller never did end up doing any announcing. He was the standby announcer for the '61 season, and flew the F-86 at 75 shows throughout Canada and the United States for the '62 season. To him, it worked out perfectly.
He returned to Germany again to fly the CF-104 Starfighter on 434 and 421 Squadron for several years. The aircraft was considered the perfect nuclear strike aircraft. Built like a missile, its top speed was over twice the speed of sound.
Miller's next posting was described by him as a "paradise location." He went to Sardinia, Italy as a weapons officer instructing on nuclear weapons delivery training. During that time he established the Tactical Sea Survival Training School.
"Typically the Canadian Air Force always went a step further," Miller said. "They always made Canadians reach for the stars. If you have shape standards, don't go for those, go for something higher. The Canadians made the standards higher."
In 1969, Miller attended the Canadian Land Forces Command and Staff College in Kingston, Ont. and was promoted to major. He was assigned to be executive assistant to the commander of the Canadian Army for two years.
After that he went for his third tour to Germany, this time with the 421 Squadron. He once again flew the CF-104 Starfighter.
In 1973, Miller was invited to return to Canada to lead the new air demonstration team, the Canadian Forces Snowbirds.
Following the 1974 season of Snowbird performances, Miller was promoted to lieutenant-colonel and appointed commandant of No. 2 Canadian Forces Flying Training School at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Moose Jaw, Sask. and was responsible for training military pilots.
In 1977 he returned to Staff College in Kingston on its directing staff. In 1980 he was appointed Dean of the College.
From 1981 to 1985 Miller got to serve in a position very few have the opportunity to do. As a colonel, he became the Canadian military attaché to Egypt and Sudan. He and his wife took Arabic language training, intelligence gathering and diplomatic preparations to report to Canada on regional military activities. Tension were high among Egypt, Libya, Sudan and Chad, and Miller's job was to not only fly the flag but to do counter intelligence.
A particularly harrowing moment came when Miller got word that the Egyptians had moved equipment into the demilitarized zone between Egypt and Israel in the Sinai Peninsula following the Camp David Accord.
Disguised as a tourist, he and his sergeant made their way through road blocks and the central Sinai Peninsula caves. Miller was able to confirm that Egypt had indeed moved equipment there. A dangerous, yet necessary, mission.
Miller has fond memories of living in Egypt, and he would love to visit again. However, the political tensions today are different than they were then, and he recognizes it would not be possible to safely visit the areas he served in.
When Miller returned to Canada, he became the base commander of CFB Moose Jaw. While there he modernized the area and made it a more desirable place. He put in a nine-hole golf course and an orchestra pit in the movie theatre for concerts.
"You're not doing it for reputation. You're doing it because you feel it is a great opportunity to do something that is great for people serving there, not just myself," Miller said.
In 1988, after 35 years in the RCAF, Miller retired at the rank of colonel.
Still actively involved in aviation, Miller coordinated the first National Capital Air Show in Ottawa.
In 1991, Miller moved his family to Langley so he could manage the Langley Regional Airport. In 1996, he formed and led a formation team called The Fraser Blues in his personal Second World War-era Navion L-17 aircraft. The team, composed mostly of military pilots who owned their own Navion aircraft, included Miller’s son, Guy.
From 1997 to 2009, George was a member of the British Columbia Aviation Council, serving as chairman for five years.
Before retiring from the Air Force, he was awarded the Order of Military Merit as an Officer of Military Merit in 1978.
In 2000, he was honoured by the British Columbia Aviation Council (BCAC) with the BCAC Airport Management Award for his work with Langley Airport.
In 2007 the BCAC presented George with its Lifetime Achievement Award in Aviation.
In 2010 he was given the Ed Batchelor Award from the Langley Aero Club in appreciation for his contributions to the Langley Airport. He was inducted as a member of Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame in 2015.
Two years ago, The Fraser Blues stopped flying. Miller got a call from the New Brunswick Aviation Museum asking if they could purchase the L-19 aircraft. Miller gave it to them for free.
"It sits there with the promise that it does not fly and be kept in perfect condition. It is really well looked after."
He and a friend flew low-level across the country, stopping at over 20 airports along the way to deliver it personally – the final flight for a veteran who gave his entire life to aviation.
Miller feels fortunate enough to have the opportunity to leave his legacy behind in the province he received combat training prior to heading overseas. The plane will sit there for many more decades to come, and Miller's contribution to Canada will be on display right along with it.
Today the 88-year-old lives in Abbotsford with his wife. They have travelled the world together. Their son, Guy, followed his dad into the Air Force and now manages the Pitt Meadows Airport. The Miller name still carries on.
A young boy who had a dream to see an aircraft in person is now recognized as one of the best pilots the RCAF has ever had.
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