British Columbia Day - Monday, August 2
Coming soon to a location near you. The Provincial holiday is approaching and the Museum will be OPEN!
The Museum is a great place for remembering British Columbia's history - the part involving aviation history. Coastal flying, early airmail services between Vancouver and Seattle, the Provinces's participation in World War 2 training and much more.
The colossal courtyard provides ample space for distancing, while the huge hangar (well, it is fairly large :)) has lanes for spacing. The viewing area has tables for snacking while watching aircraft taking off and landing. (Don't forget the sunscreen...)
Want to read more of BC's aviation history? Go to the Vancouver Sun article:
The crazy man of the air makes Vancouver's first flight;
Covid Restrictions
1 July update:
Step 3 Re-Opening in British Columbia
The Canadian Museum of Flight is excited to move into Step 3 of the Plan for Re-Opening in British Columbia. We are looking forward to once again welcoming visitors from all corners of the Province and indeed from across Canada.
Capacity limits have been increased to levels at which we expect we will be able to accommodate all those who wish to visit. We are continuing to ask folks to pre-book their visits, by phone or online, but we have doubled the number of slots available – so, please include us on your plans for an outing, and please do not hesitate to call at the last minute.
The Museum remains mindful of our guests’ needs for comfort and safety, particularly until full vaccination is achieved. We have kept in place measures to that end including one-way circulation through the exhibit areas, regular sanitation of high-touch surfaces, and adequate staff on site. (Regretfully, as of now, we have also decided to not open up the aircraft for visitors. Sorry!)
So, please come. We will strive to make your visit enjoyable and inspiring, and also safe and comfortable.
We do continue to request the use of masks in our gift shop and reception area. That is an indoor space, frequently hosting groups of eager young shoppers, unvaccinated. We want them and their parents to feel comfortable. Your support will be appreciated.
To learn more about British Columbia’s Covid restrictions, see: www.gov.bc.ca/covidtravel
The Canadian Museum of Flight has changed its availability
We are open Wednesday to Sunday, by pre-booked time slots.
Phone 604-532-0035 to book your visit.
The Museum is now open on Sundays. The revised hours are:
- Wednesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Sunday from noon to 5:00 p.m.
Our facility is ideal for family outings during these challenging times, as we have ample space and large outdoor areas.
Adults: $10.00
Concession (seniors / youth*): $7.00
Family: $25.00 (2 adults and up to 5 students)
Children under 6: Free
The Museum is now open on Sundays. The revised hours are:
- Wednesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Sunday from noon to 5:00 p.m.
Concession (seniors / youth*): $7.00
Family: $25.00 (2 adults and up to 5 students)
Children under 6: Free
Remembering the life of Stan Walter
Long-time Museum volunteer, Stan Walter passed away on June 17, 2021.
Stan was a quiet, cheerful Member around the Museum - often with camera in hand.
For more see our Press section;
Around the hangar...
Don't forget to read the updated news of what is happening to the techie side of the Museum;
Stocky Edwards turns 100!
A top-scoring fighter pilot in the Second World War with the RCAF, James Francis ‘Stocky’ Edwards, was born on June 5, 1921, on a farm in Saskatchewan, and has turned 100. Living in Comox, British Columbia, Stocky holds many accolades from a lifetime of flight. Serving nearly 32 years with the air force, he was known for his leadership and skill as a pilot. He has been both knighted by the French government and is an Order of Canada recipient and an Inductee in Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame.
A display in the Museum features Mr. Edwards.
(Thanks to Canadian Aviation Historical Society. Find them at www.cahs.com)
(Thanks to Canadian Aviation Historical Society. Find them at www.cahs.com)
Donations of old photographs
The Museum welcomes the donation of artifacts of significance to the history of aviation in BC. On the list are photographs that document this history.
Visitors come by the office and drop off a box of books, photos, logbooks, tools etc. Some of the photos (prints and color slides) are of old aircraft that most people cannot identify. So the detective work starts. What is the aircraft, who owned it, what is the location?
Unfortunately, sometimes the person leaves before contact information is gathered and we have no way of tracing the story behind the photos.
Unfortunately, sometimes the person leaves before contact information is gathered and we have no way of tracing the story behind the photos.
For details see our Press section;
Centenarian at the Museum
Jack Logan of Tsawwassen, BC turned 100 on the 9th of June!
Jack was a long-time TCA/Air Canada pilot who rose to the position of Director of Flight Operations in the company.
Jack's son, Bob Logan, organized a gathering at the Canadian Museum of Flight at the Langley Regional Airport in Langley, BC on the 6th of June, the 77th anniversary of the D-Day landings.
Retired Air Canada pilot and Museum member, Al French, started the Museum's SE5a biplane up in front of the guests and flew a pass from east to west. Due to the current health restrictions the guests were limited to a small group invited by the family and Museum staff.
Jack Logan with Museum Director, Bruce Scott.
Museum pilot, Al French, taxies the SE5a out for a flypast.
(Photo credits: Brenda Radstaak)
Jack Logan was flying a Short Sunderland, similar to this, on D-Day, 6 June 1944.
Octogenarians at the Museum
Did you know that the Museum has three octogenarians in residence? No, no, not the volunteers, we mean some of the aircraft in the collection!
The de Havilland 82 Tiger Moth, the Harvard II and the Bolingbroke are all listed as having been built in Canada in 1941 - a cool 80 years ago. When they were built, world affairs were in a perilous state. Canada had the resources and expertise to build aircraft and all three were built under licence.
For more on these aircraft see;
Other aircraft in the Museum's collection from this vintage are the Douglas DC-3 (1940), Fleet Finch (1940), Stearman (1940), Lysander (1942) and the Hampden (1942). Other aircraft built about this time in Canada include the Hawker Hurricane fighter, the DH Mosquito bomber, the Canso flying boat and the Fairchild Cornell trainer.
Canadian Museum of Flight at Langley
The Museum celebrates 25 years at Langley Regional Airport this year. Originally the collection was assembled near Crescent Beach in Surrey, BC. Space was limited along the river and a small airstrip was formed. The City of Surrey wanted to make the area a foreshore park and so the Museum relocated to Langley. With its easy access to the Fraser Valley population and an airport that could handle all of the Museum's flying needs it has proved to be a winner. Come and see our collection!
The story of TCA Flight 810
A never-before look at what happened to TCA Flight 810 with its 62 passengers and crew that stormy night on December 9, 1956. It mysteriously vanished from radar while returning to Vancouver Airport after experiencing a fire warning for one of its four engines. This riveting account will command your interest as the author takes you through the seventy-one minute flight and the aftermath of this disaster.
For details - and a book review - see our Press section;
A never-before look at what happened to TCA Flight 810 with its 62 passengers and crew that stormy night on December 9, 1956. It mysteriously vanished from radar while returning to Vancouver Airport after experiencing a fire warning for one of its four engines. This riveting account will command your interest as the author takes you through the seventy-one minute flight and the aftermath of this disaster.
For details - and a book review - see our Press section;
Around the hangar
What happens to items donated to a museum? Whether it is a transport museum, like the Canadian Museum of Flight, or some other museum, then artifacts are carefully assessed and, if practical, restored for display.
What if something like this basket case was donated?
Stored remains of a de Havilland DH.60 Gipsy Moth.
For more on the restoration process, see our Press section;
Scrub the Cat?
What ever is this about? Who would treat a cat so cruelly? Well, the Museum crew did just that on a cool, rainy March day. BUT, it was the Museum's Firecat flying tanker that was the subject of the well-deserved scrubbing. We live in a rain forest, so can expect that fungi, moss and other pollutants will settle on our outdoor collection. This was the day to reverse the forces of nature. A well-dressed crew of 10 assembled at the Museum and received Airport approval to proceed to the aircraft on the edge of an aircraft taxiway.
Soon water tanks, pumps, hoses, scrub brushes and ladders were in use as the crew scrubbed from stem to stern - to use a nautical term. The light rain helped the process by preventing the scrub water from sticking to the aircraft. Within 2 hours the process was finished with the pristine Conair Firecat once again on display near Fraser Hiway. Next up? Not far away is the even larger Douglas DC-3. But let's wait until there is not as much help falling from the sky!
The Cat Crew go to great heights to get all the pollution removed.
Work completed, the Crew look forward to some warm and dry conditions.
The Conair Firecat looking factory new again.
Family Days At the Canadian Museum of Flight
It was so good to see so many people leaving the Canadian Museum of Flight over the weekend with big smiles on their faces! Overcoming the challenges of Covid and weather, we did it; we made of our little museum a valuable community amenity yet again.
So, to Office Manager, Brenda, our huge congratulations and thanks for your accomplishments - securing the grant from the BC government that makes free admission feasible, project managing the whole event, contriving ideas for things we could include that would - even in a Covid world - make the day special for our guests. Particularly the little ones. And, working tirelessly yourself to make it all happen.
But we all know it takes a team. Thank you so much to each and every one of you who invested time and energy in making this event a success. A success it was. A few quick facts:
We were fully booked both days. In fact, I understand over 20 groups missed out on booking slots. Here's hoping they were not too disappointed; here's hoping they choose to come along regardless. We had more than 210 visitors over the span of two days. Net it out however you prefer, definitely a financial as well as social success.
Elsie MacGill
Who is the person shown on this Canada postage stamp?
She is Elsie MacGill, a World War 2 legend in the aviation field. She was known as the
‘Queen of the Hurricanes.’ What actions gave her this dramatic title?
‘Queen of the Hurricanes.’ What actions gave her this dramatic title?
Read more in our Aviation History section;
Carla Deminchuk
It is with great sadness we advise of the passing of our long-time enthusiastic volunteer, Carla Deminchuk.
We all knew Carla as a lovely woman, deeply caring in all things, and a huge supporter and booster of our museum. She brought incredible energy and enthusiasm, and wonderful (sometimes zany) ideas to her work.
Carla contributed in so many ways. She was a professional event planner who assisted the Museum in organizing and running many events. Her brainstorming for events to promote the Museum was well known, and her cheerful and efficient manner of getting an event under way was an inspiration to all the volunteers. Her skills in the kitchen were legendary, with creations such as the special airplane-shaped treats for the children on Family Day. At an event in the hangar, she would be busy in the background ensuring the catering was kept in good order.
She was well known to all Museum members as the editor of the Glidepath newsletter. In this capacity she helped us share all the stories of Museum life and local events. When Facebook became mainstream, she embraced the task of updating the news with gusto, adding to the Museum’s profile significantly. For newsworthy events she often wrote the news release for the Museum, giving it a professional touch.
Filling so many huge holes in our organization will be a major challenge, a challenge that will again and again remind us how fortunate we were to have Carla working with us.
We all knew Carla as a lovely woman, deeply caring in all things, and a huge supporter and booster of our museum. She brought incredible energy and enthusiasm, and wonderful (sometimes zany) ideas to her work.
Carla contributed in so many ways. She was a professional event planner who assisted the Museum in organizing and running many events. Her brainstorming for events to promote the Museum was well known, and her cheerful and efficient manner of getting an event under way was an inspiration to all the volunteers. Her skills in the kitchen were legendary, with creations such as the special airplane-shaped treats for the children on Family Day. At an event in the hangar, she would be busy in the background ensuring the catering was kept in good order.
She was well known to all Museum members as the editor of the Glidepath newsletter. In this capacity she helped us share all the stories of Museum life and local events. When Facebook became mainstream, she embraced the task of updating the news with gusto, adding to the Museum’s profile significantly. For newsworthy events she often wrote the news release for the Museum, giving it a professional touch.
Filling so many huge holes in our organization will be a major challenge, a challenge that will again and again remind us how fortunate we were to have Carla working with us.
The SE5a is in the air again
The SE5a has passed its annual maintenance inspection and is in the air again. It flew on November 11 in commemoration of those brave fliers of World War 1.
The SE5a revving up during a maintenance check before completing its inspection.
Buzz number?
So, what is a 'buzz number'?
The Stearman is now on display
After an extensive rebuild, the Museum's Stearman A75 is now on display in the hangar.
Read more in our Press section;
Anniversary of first Trans-Canada flight
October 17 marked one hundred years to the day that the first trans-Canada flight took place. In a letter to the Victoria Times-Colonist, Colonel John L. Orr (Ret’d) points out that a British-built Airco DH.9A biplane took off from Shearwater, Nova Scotia (Newfoundland was not yet part of Canada) and touched down in Richmond, British Columbia’s Minoru Park at 11:25 on October 17, 1920.
Read more in our Press section;
Retirements and Restorations
What happens to airliners that reach the end of their useful career? Why, they get retired just like the flight crews and the mechanics who looked after them for many years. Sometimes they get taken up by other companies and keep flying, with either passengers or freight. Read what happenend to part of Air Canada's fleet recently.
Read more in our Press section;
And what happens to much older aircraft that have finished their working career but have a great deal of historical and emotional life left?
Read more in our Press section;
New display at the Museum
There is a tail to be told in the hangar. How many aircraft tails can you spot?
A new aircraft is now on display - a model of an RCMP de Havilland Beaver aircraft just as it flew the coast in the 1970s.
Read more in our Press section:
The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP)
During World War 2, Canada was a major contributor in training aircrew for the battles around the world. The plan was known as the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP). This year, 2020, is the 80th anniversary of the Plan being put into action.
To remember and honour this massive war effort, the Canadian Museum of Flight has a special display in the hangar. Come and visit the Museum.
One of the aircraft used to train fighter pilots was the Hawker Hurricane, shown in this RCAF photo;
The Museum closure is a thing of the past!
To assist in an orderly flow of visitors, appropriate aviation directional signage has been installed;
Watch out for the 'Hold Short' signs. No, you won't conflict with an aircraft taking off, but you may come in closer-than-desired distance of our other visitors. Thanks for your cooperation!
The hangar has been re-organized. Our visitors will be able to get a better view of all the aircraft when the one-way circle tour is in place. As part of this process, several volunteers moved the aircraft in the hangar to give better access to the collection. This is a time-consuming process with the length and wingspan of each type taken into consideration. Will the upper wing of the SE5a conflict with the aileron of the Waco AQC? Will the propeller of the Waco INF protrude into the walkway? Will the engineers be able to take the Sopwith Pup out for engine runs when maintenance is finished? So many questions!
The Waco AQC cabin biplane looks out longingly and wonders when it will be up in the blue again.
The SE5a tries on roller skates so that it can be moved with precision within the hangar.
Coming to visit us? Here's some suggestions;