Archive for the 'Museums' category
Museum Of Aviation Receives A Bronco
March 25, 2008 12:52 pmVintage Wings Of Canada gets a Sabre
September 25, 2007 5:20 amBy Mike Henniger
Vintage Wings of Canada (VWC) has acquired a Sabre! Canadair Sabre Mk V with RCAF s/n 23314, c/n 1104 and c/r N8687D arrived at the Gatineau Executive Airport on the 19 September 2007, at 11:19 AM. Ferry pilot Ron Iberg was at the controls.
(File Photo from Warbirdregistry.org)
With the 100th anniversary of powered flight in Canada on the horizon (23 February 2009) VWC has been looking for a unique way to contribute to celebrations commemorating this event, beyond what it already does every day. Another significant piece of Canadian aviation history is the Golden Hawks display team, which was formed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of powered flight in Canada. VWC founder Michael Potter comments, “A wonderful way to recognize the 100th anniversary is to bring back a Golden Hawk Sabre. The Sabre has so many memories as a front line fighter of the Korean war era, and also the with Golden Hawks formation team that captured the hearts and minds of people all across Canada.”
TAHS Lease Extension
September 23, 2007 5:07 amWWI Replica plane down
July 18, 2007 3:36 pm
A WWI replica plane built and operated by the by the Great War Flying Museum in Ontario, Canada crashed Friday, July 13, on the eve of the 2007 Geneseo Air Show.
Witnesses said the aircraft clipped some trees and spun into the field on the opposite side. The secluded nature of the prevented rescuers from reaching the scene immediately but other aircraft reported that the pilot was out of the wreck and walking around. The lucky pilot was found to be uninjured and did not have to seek medical treatment.
Sources reported the pilot to be Mike Smith, a 47-year-old resident of Ontario, Canada. The flight was to be a practice run in preparation for the air show.
Photo Source: Timothy Cox Photography
The Geneseo airshow represents a unique opportunity for the dedicated warbird fan since the entire event takes place on grass. With even a little imagination you can go back in time and watch a P-51 or a Spitfire take off from a grass strip in England heading towards France. The smell and sounds and proximity of these aircraft make this show a never miss for the staff at Warbirds-Online.
The volunteers at Historic Aircraft Group (HAG) are a big reason why this airshow is so entertaining. They are some of the nicest and helpful people you’ll ever run across and if you get a chance, give them a big thank you for making this wonderful event possible.
See you there!
Museum adds the world’s first stealthy air dominance fighter to collection
July 6, 2007 4:06 pmby Rob Bardua
National Museum of the U.S. Air Force
4/30/2007 - DAYTON, Ohio — The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force announced the addition of the world’s first stealthy air dominance fighter to its collection today.
The F-22A Raptor combines stealth, maneuverability, and the ability to fly long distances at supersonic speeds into an aircraft capable of performing both air superiority and air-to-ground missions.
The museum’s Raptor was one of nine built for engineering, manufacture and development testing in 1999. After completing its test program, the aircraft came to the museum and will go on display after restoration is finalized later this year.
USAF PhotoMuseum visitors can view the F-22A Raptor by registering for a “Behind the Scenes” tour of the Restoration Hangar. The tours take place each Friday at 12:15 p.m. For more information or to register for a tour call 937-255-3286, ext. 302.
The National Museum of the United States Air Force is located on Springfield Pike, six miles northeast of downtown Dayton. It is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week (closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day). Admission and parking are free.
Great Press Coverage of Temora Aviation Museum
May 29, 2007 12:00 pm
ABC in Australia did a fantastic story on the Temora Aviation Museum in their 7:30 Report today. The video is really top notch and gives a great view on this wonderful flying collection in Australia.
The report gives the uneducated viewer (namely me, being from North America) a great background to the collection and some touching stories about the impact it has had on the region. I know that coverage like this on a museum in the states is enviable, so this is a great coup for the warbird community in Australia.
See the transcript and video by clicking this link.
Discuss it at the Warbird Information Exchange.
Air Zoo Receives Grumman Mallard Donation
May 23, 2007 8:32 pm
Though it was slated to happen this past Sunday, we just caught the news…
From Kalamazoo Air Zoo Museum:
On Sunday, May 20, a 1947 Grumman Mallard is scheduled to land at its new home at the Air Zoo and become the newest addition to the museum’s collection, thanks to the donation of Roland LaFont.
The Mallard is a large, twin-engine amphibious aircraft that was built between 1946 and 1951 and was designed for regional airline operations such as harbor-based city-to-city flights. Of the 59 Mallards produced, the aircraft that will be donated to the Air Zoo was number 14. Today, approximately 32 Mallards remain registered in the United States.
The Mallard has been a “dream plane” of LaFont, who resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He acquired it in 1993. When he decided to donate the plane to an aviation museum, he turned to the Internet to research museums nation-wide to find the right resting place for his aircraft.
He typed “aviation museums” in a search engine and clicked on the first entry: Air Zoo. After looking through the Air Zoo’s website, LaFont decided not to look any further—he knew had found the perfect home for his beloved plane.
“The Mallard represents a unique period in aviation history and is unlike any other aircraft in the Air Zoo’s collection,” says Bob Ellis, executive director of the Air Zoo.
“The romance of flying boats and ability to fly to exotic ports is all but lost in the hectic and completely unromantic airline transportation of today.”
The Mallard will eventually be put on display on the Air Zoo’s Main Campus.
Editors Note: The SW Aviator Magazine covered this plane in a past issue, click here to see that article with photos (photo above from SW Aviator Magazine)
There has been some discussion on the donation of this, a flyable plane, to a static museum on the Warbird Information Exchange, click here to join the discussion.
Press Release Courtesy of Mike Henniger
Vintage Wings of Canada is pleased to announce the acquisition of another aircraft to the Gatineau based collection. A Westland Lysander has been obtained from Anna Whereatt of Assiniboia, Saskatchewan, Canada. This particular example is a Mark IIIa which was operated by the Royal Canadian Air Force during WWII as serial number 2365.
Anna along with her husband Harry, obtained the Lysander in 1977, one that had spent much time in open storage on a farm. It was one of two reasonably complete airframes in addition to four other Lysanders which were used as parts sources, all of which were obtained from various locations from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s. The Whereatt family progressed the restoration of 2365 over the years and it is now complete. Although 2365 has not been flown since the work was completed it is in very good condition. Michael Potter, founder of Vintage Wings, comments “It will undergo a deep airframe survey and we will have both the engine and propeller overhauled. Until we have the airplane on hand and develop a plan, we are unable to estimate the date of its first flight. Currently we believe that we can do that within 18 months. We will be transporting it to Gatineau over the next week and hope to have it on hand for visitors by the end of the month.”
The acquisition of the Lysander is an important one. The fighter and trainers are well represented in the Vintage Wings collection, but utility aircraft like the Lysander are not. Lysanders were often used in target towing roles in Canada and perhaps are most well known for clandestine operations into France during WWII in support of the Free French. The mission of Vintage Wings is to inspire and educate future generations about the historical significance of our aviation heritage and the Lysander will be a great aid in doing so. This means there are many potential paint schemes. Michael Potter comments, “We do not know how it will be painted. There are so many wonderful stories about this imposing but peculiar airplane and we will certainly want to do something to stimulate interest in this fascinating part of WWII history.” You can be assured the Vintage Wings historical team is looking for a colour scheme which will allow the Lysander crews to be commemorated and future generations to be inspired.
The Whereatt family is happy the Lysander is staying in Canada. They recently visited the Vintage Wings hangar and inspected an airframe formerly owned by Harry, a Hurricane Mk XII, s/n 5447. They were impressed with the hangar, but even more pleased with the crew and are confident the Lysander is going to a good home. Join the discussion on this topic at the Warbirds Information Exchange.
Minnesota Air Guard Museum Fights USAF, CIA Over Blackbird
January 9, 2007 11:57 amCovert Agency Wants Its A-12 Back
The Minnesota Air National Guard Museum has called upon its representatives in Congress to stop a plan by the US Air Force to commandeer the museum’s A-12 Blackbird spyplane, to display outside the Virginia headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency.
Full Story: AERO-NEWS.NET
Warbird Registry Link: Blackbird 60-6931
Story Link Posted by: ScottRose
