Donald Stuart McClure

Born in Moncton, New Brunswick on January 5, 1923, Donald Stuart McClure's aviation career began in 1940, when he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Upon completion of elementary training at the Moncton Flying Club, he moved on to Camp Borden, where he earned his wings in November 1940 and returned to civilian life.

After barnstorming in Gypsy Moths at Moncton during the early days of World War II, McClure re-enlisted in the RCAF in 1942, moving to No. 10 Air Observer School in Chatham, New Brunswick, and later to Neepawa, Manitoba, as Staff Pilot under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP).

As his skills were urgently needed in the BCATP, his several requests for overseas and ferry duties were denied. After his discharge from the RCAF in March 1945, he immediately enlisted with the Fleet Air Arm, hoping it would lead to overseas duty, but the war ended before he reached an overseas theatre. He was finally discharged from the Armed Forces in September 1945.

From 1945 to 1953, McClure worked as a freelance commercial pilot. Among his many duties, he ferried aircraft all over North America and worked in sales. In 1953 McClure began instructing at the Moncton Flying Club (MFC), becoming Chief Flying Instructor and Manager there in 1959.

He turned an indebted, outdated club into one of the most successful flight training institutions in Canada. Recognizing that the local student pilot pool was too small, he was instrumental in broadening the club's reputation as a top flight training centre. Very early on, he recognized the value of recruiting international students to train in Canada. He began an advertising campaign that targeted potential students in such countries as the West Indies, the United Kingdom, Nigeria, Pakistan, India and Nepal, among others. He personally recruited students in many of these countries.

Despite a devastating fire in 1965, McClure had the Moncton Flying Club up and running again in two days. He lobbied for College status for the MFC, achieving this goal in 1997 with the introduction of a two-year diploma. It then became the Moncton Flight College. In 1999 McClure accepted the presidency of the Moncton Flight College.

The awards he received for his work exemplify McClure's success as Manager of the Moncton Flying Club. One of his greatest accomplishments was receiving the Yorath Trophy an unprecedented sixteen times between 1961 and 1982. Nine of those awards were presented consecutively. This award was presented annually to a flying club manager in recognition of excellence in the management of flight training programs. The trophy was donated by Dennis Yorath while he was president of the RCAFCA from 1947 to 1949. It was retied in 1982 and is presently housed at Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame.

In 1981 McClure received the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Award from the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA), as "the Canadian who had contributed most to general aviation" in that year. In 1984 he was awarded the Paul Tissandier Diploma by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale. He traveled to Prague, Czechoslovakia to receive this award for his contribution to aviation education in Canada and throughout the world.

The RCFCA presented McClure with the W.P. Paris Honorary Diploma in 1985. He was the first to win this award, given for his outstanding contribution to the flight training industry in Canada.

In 1986 McClure was awarded the Distinguished Service Award for his outstanding contributions to Canadian aviation by the Royal Canadian Air Force Association (RCAFA), the Association's highest honour. He was also honoured by Air Bras d'Or of Nova Scotia for his services to Canadian aviation.

His retirement in 1989 from the Moncton Flying Club coincided with his appointment as Vice-President of the Air Cadet League of Canada. McClure served for many years with the League and held many posts, including Chairman of the National Flying Committee, as well as National Director, Provincial Director and Vice-Chairman. His responsibilities ranged from policy development to aviation safety and training. In 1984 he was awarded the Air Cadet League Certificate of Honour in recognition of his outstanding service to the Air Cadet League.

In 1989 he was presented with the Award of Excellence by the National Transportation Association of Canada and made an Honorary Life Member of the Air Transport Association of Canada (ATAC).

In 1990 the City of Moncton named him an Honorary Citizen. From 1990 to 1993, he served as a member of the Civil Aviation Tribunal, on appointment by the Governor General of Canada. In 1993 he was awarded the Canadian Commemorative Medal in recognition of his contribution to Canadian aviation. He also served on the Greater Moncton Chamber of Commerce Transportation Committee.

McClure continued to promote Canada's aviation heritage. Some of his past activities include leading a formation of twenty-seven aircraft across Canada in 1970 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first cross-Canada flight, completed in October 1920 by the Canadian Air Force. This was a complex endeavour at the time. The trip took ten days, with just over 49 hours, 7 minutes flying time. Six different planes were used, with wheels and floats, and eight pilots flying various legs of the trip. (See stories of CAHF Members Basil Hobbs, Robert Leckie). He became President of the Canadian Aviation Historical Society, Turnbull Chapter, in 1999 after serving three years as Vice-President. He remained active in the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA) and was a founding member of the Atlantic Aviation Museum.

Donald Stuart McClure's aviation career spanned more than sixty years. Throughout his long and impressive career, McClure logged over 18,000 hours and flown over 55 different types of aircraft. He died on April 19, 2008 in Moncton, New Brunswick.

Donald Stuart McClure was inducted as a Member of Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame in 2002 at a ceremony held in Vancouver, B.C..