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On 12 February the advance party left for Debert, Nova Scotia, followed by the main party four days late. On arrival at Debert on 18 February (nine hours late due to a snowstorm) the Squadron was installed in the East Camp and settled down to await the air party.  It was a long wait. After being held up by bad weather for a week, the seven Lysanders (2) finally got away from Rockcliffe at 1430 on 24 February. The pilots were S/L Ross, P/Os J.B. Prendergast, W.K. Scharff, P.E.R. Vachon, J.W. Saville, W.W. Hays and H.R. Pinsent; the airmen were Sgts. E. Belford, A. Johnson and J.M. Scott, Cpl. J.W. Read, and L.A.C.s (Leading Air Craftsman – equivalent to a Lance Corporal in the Army) E.A. Rawlins, C.H. James and H.S. Paisley.

All went well until the formation had passed Montreal; then the clouds began to close in until the overcast became so thick that at New Megantic, Quebec, S/L Ross turned about and led his pilots back to No. 13 S.F.T.S. at St. Hubert, Quebec.  The seven airmen found accommodation there, but quarters were lacking for the pilots who had to take rooms at the Mount Royal Hotel. Three days passed, while low skies made further progress impossible. On the 28th, the meteorological reports were favourable and at noon the aircraft took off from St. Hubert.  This time the weather was too good, the unusual warmth of the day making the airfield at Megantic unserviceable.  Warned of this by radio, the pilots once again turned back and "Wearily checked in at the Mount Royal". By this time the officers were beginning to feel the financial strain and were very grateful to friends in Montreal who were most generous in showing them about the city and entertaining them to tea and dinner. An attempt to get away on 2 March was washed out before the Lizzies left the ground; Megantic was still unserviceable.

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To ease the pressing financial stringency S/L Ross went back to AFHQ where, after an initial request far $1000 was met with a threat of physical ejection, he settled for $300 as expense money for his party of fourteen. Thinking that his services were more valuable at Debert than reading weather reports in Montreal, Ross then traveled by train, to the Nova Scotian base and F/L L.C. Rankin: came back to take charge of the air party.  And still it snowed! On the 9th another financial advance was necessary, and the next morning the seven officers paid their bills and for the third time checked out of the hotel despite an amused and skeptical desk clerk who assured them they would be back. He was right.  While taxiing in a strong gusty wind, one Lysander damaged its wing, so delaying the others that they were unable to take off and sheepishly the pilots returned to their hotel,  P/O Scharff left his damaged aircraft behind and went on by rail.