Welcome to the Canadian Museum of Flight

Around the Hangar

Museum AGM

The Museum held its Annual General Meeting on May 4th. The Meeting was held in the Museum Hangar with good attendance. The annual Volunteer of the Year award was presented to the Bruce and Judy Scott team who do excellent work greeting our visitors at the front desk.

The Board of Directors are now Tania Ryan - President, Al French - Vice President,
Bruce Friesen - Secretary, Phil Lipscombe - Treasurer, Rebecca Darnell, Matt Offer, 
Bruce Webster, Peter Graham,  and Jim Sloat.

Museum Event

 

Keep Father's Day, Sunday, June 16th free on your calendar for a special Museum event. Plans are being developed for Pops, Props and Hops on Father's Day. Wouldn't it be a great surprise to bring Dad (and the rest of the family, too) to see some action among the Flying Collection at the Museum. Yes, our Museum actually flies some of their precious collection, unlike a great many other museums.

What will we see in the air? Will it be the 1937 Waco Cabin biplane? Will it be a 1940 Fleet Finch biplane, or a Sopwith Pup biplane replica? Don't be surprised to see a replica of a WW1 SE5a fighter, or a much more modern Fleet Canuck post-WW2 trainer.
Plans are afoot for refreshments and tours of the Museum's collection.

Father's Day Fun for the Whole Family Featuring....
- Museum tours and vintage airplane flyovers
- Pierre Carkid design-a-tie for dad craft table
- Mini Golf Putting Contest - The winner wins a ride in one of our vintage airplanes
- Beer Garden for Dad
- Lots of hot dogs and "Pop"corn....and much more!
Dads get in free with one paid admission

 

 

The Museum's Waco AQC-6 over the Fraser Valley mountains.
(Photo credit: M. Luedey)

 

The Museum's Stearman biplane takes to the air

On March 27 the Stearman biplane, donated by the Seller family in 2016, took to the air again. It will be remembered at an upcoming event at Abbotsford for Conair, who are celebrating their 50th anniversary. This company's roots go back to the 1950s at Langley with the Skyway Air Service fleet of aircraft.

This is a quick note to let you know about an accident with our Stearman. As the aircraft was landing at Abbotsford Airport, it suffered a ground loop. A ground loop is described as an uncontrolled horizontal rotation of an aircraft while landing, taking off, or taxiing.

Both pilots were unhurt, but the Stearman suffered significant damage. Someone on social media reported that the plane caught fire - this is NOT true. Plans are underway to repair the aircraft.

The Boeing 747 is 50 years old.

Trainee Aircraft Mechanics

Around the Hangar

Remembrance Day

The Museum was active on Remembrance Day. Flyovers of Murrayville, Langley, White Rock and Delta were undertaken with two of the Museum's active fleet. The Fleet Finch biplane and the WWI replica Sopwith Pup, also a biplane, took to the air just before 11 am for this flying event. As well, the Museum's Sopwith Camel was on display at the Murrayville Cemetary commemoration of the ending of WWI.

 

The Harvard is 80

The aircraft we recognize as the Harvard was a development of North American Aviation’s entry into the training aircraft field. There were several iterations that were fixed-gear training aircraft. Some of these were operated by the RCAF under the designation NA-64 Yale.

The first flight of what we know today as the Harvard bore the designation NA-49 and first flew on Sept. 28, 1938. That is just over 80 years ago. That it is still flying today in large numbers is remarkable.

The designation Harvard by the British was in recognition of the US university. The US armed forces usually gave model numbers, in this case AT-6.  Later, the name ‘Texan’ was used in recognition of the location of the factory.

The Museum’s Harvard II was built in Montreal by Noorduyn in 1941 and served with the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Royal Canadian Navy.

Boundary Bay Airport

Two of the Museum's aircraft flew to Boundary Bay airport on Sunday, 16 September for flyovers at the annual Air Cadets parade to remember the Battle of Britain. While the Cadets stood on parade the Sopwith Pup and the SE5a did a commemorative flypast. Although the day dawned with heavy clouds and showers, the weather cleared for a few hours with enough time for the two fragile biplanes to make an appearance. They were in good company with a Harvard 4, Sea King helicopter and Aurora patrol aicraft waiting in the holding pattern for their displays.

2018 Runway Party

This year's event - styled 'Into the Wild' - a tribute to pioneer bush pilots, was held on 15 September at the Museum's hangar in Langley. 

(Photo credit: Tania Ryan)

This auction is an important part of the Museum’s annual fund-raising effort. Without such events the Museum would wither and, perhaps, die. We are indebted to all who support our event. Tell your friends and neighbours how important it is for them to come and join us at our events.  

 Chilliwack Flight Fest

This year the usually balmy weather in the eastern Fraser Valley was in revolt. After weeks of hot weather, smoky skies and scorching temperatures a weather disturbance caused low clouds, drizzle and cool temperatures. The three aircraft in the Museum's flying display stayed safely in the hangar in Langley. However, the sales team gathered at Chilliwack, erected the sales booth and the Camel display aircraft and put on a brave face in the adverse conditions. Sales were satisfactory, but lower than expectations, of course.

 Abbotsford Airshow

 Boundary Bay Airshow

 

 Pops and Props 2018

Fly-in at Pitt Meadows Airport

Family Day at the Canadian Museum of Flight

www.canadianflight.org/content/press

Biplane in Vancouver

 

 More on the Fleet Canuck story

 This week the Canuck was re-united with its donor - Hank Koehler. Hank bought the aircraft in poor condition and donated it to the Museum. It has been a long-time restoration effort by Museum volunteers. As recorded earlier, the Canuck is flying again. Now the donor and aircraft have been re-united. As more flight time is accumulated, Museum members will be able to fly in the Canuck and hopefully Hank will be one of the first.

 

The Pups and SE5 return to Langley

The Museum's overseas contingent is now back at Langley Regional Airport.

Update from Vimy

Victory at Vimy Ridge