Standing near the runway at the Gatineau Executive Airport, I could just see three yellow North American Harvards parked wingtip to wingtip.

Within minutes, I would be lucky enough to climb into one. A waiver, a safety briefing, a person pointing out where the D-ring on my parachute is, just in case. And then an awkward step on to the wing and into the cockpit.

In front of me in the double-seater is Ulrich Bollinger, a former RCAF pilot who spent most of his time in C-104 Starfighters. He's shy to appear on camera, but when talking to the tower he's all confidence.

"Roger, understand and we will wait in sequence," he says, before turning to me and explaining we're in a lineup and third to take off.

A push for publicity

Of course, wet-behind-the-ears journalists get a tour in the air for more than the scenery.

It's also to generate publicity for Vintage Wings of Canada, a five-year-old organization founded by Ottawa serial entrepreneur Michael Potter.

"We really had to change the business model because in order to grow and to purchase more aircraft, and restore more aircraft, and to expand, you need to tell the public and to garner interest," says Mary Lee, a spokesperson for Vintage Wings.

"That also means garnering interest from potential corporate sponsors, it means garnering interest to increase revenue through membership, through the sponsored-ride program and even signing up for a ground school ....

"To be a viable public charity we had to come out from underneath the financial footprint of our founder, Michael Potter, to become self-sustaining."

Event on Saturday stars an astronaut and aerobatics

The annual Wings Over Gatineau show will take place on Saturday, and its star this year literally has been closer to space than most: Chris Hadfield, the Canadian astronaut and two-time shuttle flier who was just named International Space Station commander for Expedition 3 in 2012.

This year, the show will commemorate Canada's Victoria Cross Recipients in the First World War and Second World War. Highlights include a Battle of Britain memorial flight and aerobatics from the Canadian Harvard Aerobatics Team and other high-performance aircraft like the Pitts Special.

As for the Harvard I'm about to climb into, volunteer Sean Martin carefully shows me around the aircraft, pointing out the length of its wingspan, the dials in the cockpit, and a small Avro Arrow symbol on the port tail side of the aircraft.

The mark comes from an incident that happened at CFB Borden two years ago. The person piloting a model aircraft of the Arrow lost control and the mini-airplane punched a hole in the side of the Harvard.

"We have a little decal here to show it's the only confirmed kill of an Arrow fighter," Martin jokes, referring to the famous fighter aircraft's cancellation by the Diefenbaker government in the 1950s before it ever saw action.

High flight

I'm already feeling warm inside the enclosed cockpit as the Harvard opens up its R-1340 Pratt & Whitney engine. It makes its trademark roar as the rotor tips spin to supersonic speeds.

We taxi out on to the runway, and within only a few dozen feet we're off the ground, climbing steep and fast to cruise a couple of thousand feet above Gatineau's Executive Airport.

Bollinger does three circuits of the field, banking at nearly 45 degrees for a few turns -- appearing to spin around the barns and houses below. Twice we also do a steep pull up, sun at our back, open blue sky up ahead.

"How are you doing back there? Do you like it?" Bollinger asks near the end of our flight.

"Yes, I do," I said. At that point, as we aim for a smooth landing, my only wish is to head out there again, under a bubble canopy with nothing but clear air around me.