Welcome to the Canadian Museum of Flight
Museum Gala: Into the Wild - Celebrating the Great Canadian Bushpilot
Take a Walk on the Wild Side - Eager Beaver Special! You can now buy your tickets online for our upcoming gala/auction, Into the Wild - Celebrating the Great Canadian Bushpilot, Saturday June 2nd at the Murrayville Hall.
"Inhale the aroma of towering cedar, sink your teeth into our Canadiana-themed menu, enjoy an 'Evergreen' or 'Cabin Fever' cocktail, and hear the spirit of the bushpilot in music and folklore, hosted by your favourite DJ, Scott Barratt. This year’s gala is a walk on the wild side...."
DJ, Scott Barratt
Max Ward in 1953 with his de Havilland Otter.
The new generation of bush pilots, illustrated by Max Ward:
Ward earned his wings in WWII, where he trained pilots for combat overseas. As the war was ending, Ward set his sights north to become a bush pilot. There, he introduced new, larger aircraft into the market. His competitors first scoffed at his audacity, then quickly copied him just to keep up. He fought with government regulators throughout his career to keep the industry open and honest, and to keep prices reasonable. He would go on to found Wardair, which would briefly become the third-largest airline in Canada before pressures from regulators and competitors forced Ward to sell in the late 1980s. Ward, 94, has returned to his camp at Red Rock Lake, north of Yellowknife, annually since leaving. He’s staying at home in Edmonton this summer, but often thinks back on his time flying in the Northern bush.
(Uphere magazine, 2016)
Museum member Bill Marr passes
A well-known Langley pioneer and pilot has died.
William Lloyd Marr, known to many as Bill, passed away on Feb. 23 at the age of 100 in his home at Langley Lodge.
The son of Langley’s first resident physician, Dr. Benjamin Marr, Bill was born on July 4, 1917. Mr. Marr’s birth certificate, however, lists his date of birth as July 5, 1917. Reportedly, Dr. Marr did not want to celebrate his son’s’ birthday each year on America’s Independence Day.
Mr. Marr was born in England, but the family returned to Fort Langley after the First World War.
When Hitler invaded Poland on Sept. 1, 1939, Bill left his studies at UBC and enlisted two days later — a week before Canada was officially at war.
He trained with the RCAF before earning his wings and becoming a flight instructor in Moncton, NB and Trenton, Ont. It was in Moncton that he met his wife, Henrietta (Etta). In 1942 he was posted overseas.
At the end of the war he returned to Canada and worked as a pilot with Trans-Canada Airlines (which eventually became Air Canada).
For much of that time, he lived in Toronto and flew trans-Atlantic flights to Europe, in jet aircraft after 1962. He accumulated a total of 28,500 flying hours. He also flew out of Vancouver to London on the polar route.
He retired from the airline in 1977 at age 60.
Returning to Langley, Mr. Marr continued to fly, in a Cessna 185, until he gave up his pilot’s licence in 1983.
He was an active member of the Langley Heritage Society, Langley Rotary Club, the VALTAC transportation group and served as president of the Abbotsford Air Show.
Etta passed away in 2015 after 74 years of marriage. Together, the couple had a son and a daughter, eight grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren.
A service will be held on Friday, March 9 at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church, 20955 Old Yale Rd., beginning at 11 a.m.
– files from Frank Bucholtz, Langley Times
Family Day at the Canadian Museum of Flight
Why was this cup on the wing of the Snowbird Tutor jet?
See more at:
www.canadianflight.org/content/press
Biplane in Vancouver
What is one of the Museum's biplanes doing in the heart of downtown Vancouver? Check it out on the Press page;
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.
Hank (left) with pilot, Bill Findlay, as they left on a short tour of the airport.
Bill and Hank shown with the Canuck.
Read more in the Press section.
The Pups and SE5 return to Langley
The Museum's overseas contingent is now back at Langley Regional Airport.
The Pup taxies up to the Museum at Langley.
(Photo credit: D. Cardy)
Read more on the Press page;
Update from Vimy
The years of preparation for the commemoration at Vimy have paid off with Museum participation in a flypast to echo the flypast when the Vimy Memorial was unveiled. King Edward VIII unveiled the monument on 26 July 1936 in the presence of French President Albert Lebrun and a crowd of over 50,000 people.
The Museum's SE5A flies near the Vimy Memorial.
For more pictures see the Museum Press page;
Victory at Vimy Ridge
On Sunday, April 9 the Museum held a Vimy commemoration featuring the unveiling of
"Victory at Vimy Ridge" by Doby Dobrostanski.
"Victory at Vimy Ridge" by Doby Dobrostanski.
See more at:
Check out our Aviation History section for an updated coverage of Group Captain Joseph Fall;
During the runup to the commemoration at the Vimy Monument there was lots of action by the Museum team and Vimy Flight. Check out this Facebook site;
Around the Museum
Why is this helicopter smiling?
For more on the story, see our Press page;
Do you have aircraft maintenance or other technical skills? We would love to hear from you. See;
The Canadian Museum of Flight is one of the few places in the world to see a reconstruction of a WW2 Handley Page Hampden light bomber. One of these rare aircraft is being restored at the Royal Air Force Museum at Cosford, UK. See a link on our website at;
Have you checked out our Aviation History section? There are details of the people and the aircraft that made history in BC. See;
This WW2 photo shows Langley personality, Art Seller, with his Hawker Typhoon.
The Canadian Museum of Flight is open Monday to Saturday, from 10am to 4pm
Closed Sunday during the winter.
Partial funding of displays at the Museum provided by the Township of Langley through their Community Grants program.
Coming to visit us? Here's some suggestions;