The
Canadian Museum of
Flight
by Jerry
W. Bird
There she stands, the sleek,
silver-coated Avro CF-100, pride of the Royal Canadian
Air Force; sassy as ever, her metallic body gleaming in
the sunshine of another spring. At RCAF Base Trenton,
north of Toronto, where I first saw her 'dance the
skies,' this lady was Canada's debutante, a grand new
star in the theater of the air.
By her side sits a more humble, homelier craft, once
common as geese on Canada's wind-swept prairies (or so it
seemed); the rugged, reliable Harvard Mark IV. This black
and yellow 'bumble bee' was the backbone of Canada's
large training fleet, and the first solo experience for
many NATO pilots. Saluting these stalwarts of my air
force days, including the Beechcraft Expeditor perched
nearby, certainly stirred the emotions. But here at the
Canadian Museum of Flight my opening question was this.
"How did these aircraft, and over 70 other treasures of
the aviation world end up here at Langley, BC?
Looking
back: It's a true life adventure story; one of
dedication, recovery and restoration, plus the initiative
that created a force of several hundred volunteers. A
local action to prevent the export of historic aircraft,
grew into a crusade, ranking this BC attraction among
Canada's leading air museums. Each aircraft in this elite
group has its peculiar story to tell. Few arrived intact;
many are true reincarnations --fished from rivers, lakes,
swamps and fjords, painfully restored from piles of
debris, rescued from the jaws of 'cannibals' , junk
dealers and scavengers. You'll see craft from every
chapter of the aviation history book; early bush planes,
gliders and home-builts, amphibians, spy planes,
transports, fighters, bombers and several generations of
jets, plus the denizens of what they called "helicopter
hill" at the museum's first location near Surrey's
Crescent Beach.
Above photo by Ed
Anderson: SE 5 Replica, Canadian Museumof Flight,
Langley, BC
Who wouldn't be impressed by such
vintage warriors as the Sopwith Camel, Westland Lysander,
Republic Seabee, Lockheed Silverstar, Avro Arrow, and
names like Aeronca, Bell, Bellanca, Blackburn, Boeing,
Bristol, Curtis, deHavilland, Fairchild, Fleet Finch,
Frankfort, Handley-Page, Hawker, Piper, Pissecki,
Sikorsky, Stinson, and Waco. Each invokes its special
claim to the field of memories.
We first viewed the Museum of
Flight unescorted, with cameras in hand, letting our
imaginations soar, and capturing some priceless shots for
the family archives. The next time, however, I donned the
headphones for an "audio- dramatization"... a narrated
journey through these fascinating displays. The realistic
sounds and professional voices on the audio track
recreate history, providing detail, drama, life and
motion to the experience.
You'll witness first hand, the
cramped, fully exposed gun-turrets and better understand
the hazards faced by attack allied crews that hovered
anxiously over occupied Europe. Rare birds, unusual
relics and one-of-a-kind wonders abound; a Hampden
bomber, raised from the deep after 44 years; an airborne
banana; a flying anvil; a flying panhandle; a flying ice
cream cone ... and more. You'll hear their dramatic
stories through the medium of audio tape. Some units such
as the Westland Lysander, too fragile for outside display
await hanger space at a future date.
Wings, wheels-
and wonders!
The Canadian Museum of Flight
and Transportation is a grand show anytime. The gift shop
contains every kind of aviation curio, plus models,
flags, banners, posters, rare photos, cards, books and
souvenirs. There are more memories in the museum' s
Aviation Library , which has an extensive photo
collection. Admission: Adults $5, Seniors and
students $4, Under 6 free, Family $12.
Open daily year round: 10 am to 4
pm.
Hangar #3, Langley Airport, 5333 - 216th Street
(216th at Fraser Highway), Langley,
Tel. (604) 532-0035.
Air
Station a new Warplane Museum
at Arlington, Washington
Arlington Experimental
Aircraft Association (EAA) Fly-in. Display your wares to
the many aviation enthusiasts at this popular 5-day event
near Everett, Wa. Air Highways Magazine has covered the
Arlington eventand we're amazed at the display of
experimental and sports aircraft on display, not to
mention the unique museum pieces and awesome aerial
acrobatics. For details, contact Barbara Lawrence:
360.435.5857 (http://www.nweaa.org)
Oregon's
Tillamook Naval Air Station Museum
Home of the World War II
Blimps. The remaining of the two original hangars is the
largest free-span wooden structure in the world. The
museum covers the history of the Naval Air Station and
lighter-than-air technology, and features the Northwest's
biggest collection of World War II fighter planes. Gift
shop, restrooms, telephones and free parking are
available. Hours: May-Oct, 9 to 6 daily. Nov-Apr, 10 to 5
daily. Closed Christmas, and Thanksgiving. Admission $7
adults, seniors $6, youth (13 -17) $4, $2.50 kids 7-12
and under 7 is free. Located off Highway 101, south of
town. 4000 Blimp Blvd, Tillamook OR 97141, Voice Phone
503-842-1130
Railway
Museums -
Mining
Museums
See our Airway site for links to AIRPORTS.
