Aviation Museums in Southeast Ontario?

[Steve Nelson]

Hi All,

My girlfreind and I are planning a vacation to the Great White North next in July (actually east of us here in Michigan.) We plan to visit Toronto and other sights, as well as some of the killer aviation museums. On my list are the CWH, the Toronto Aerospace Museum, the National Aviation Museum in Ottawa, and the RCAF Memorial Museum in Trenton.

I was just wondering if you WIXers had any advice of other things to see, or specifics about the museums. I'm curious about the National Aviation Museum..I'm a nut for B-24s, but I understand theirs is in storage, and you have to take a special tour to see it?


Thanks!

Steve

[Old SAR pilot]

Might take a look at this site:

http://www.aerialvisuals.ca/Locator.php

...Lists bunches of places on Ontario

[Steve T]

Steve--

SAR's right, Mike H's site is great for that info, for Ontario most of all (since Mike is an Ontarian)...

I can't improve on Mike's directional info, but a couple suggestions off the top of my head:

*If you're crossing at Windsor either way, try to track down the Lancaster project there. FM212 was the last Lanc to remain pylon-mounted anywhere, until removal not too long ago from her perch in Jackson Park rose garden. She is slated for static restoration at Windsor airport. Also being built up in Windsor is a static Mosquito airframe based around the recovered remains of a postwar Arctic survey Mossie, plus the pine test shell from Glyn Powell's Mossie fuselage mold in NZ. And in Jackson Park, where the Lanc used to sit, there are now plastic Hurricane and Spitfire replicas.

*If you're into Naval history as well as Warbirds, Hamilton harbour is home to celebrated Royal Canadian Navy destroyer HMCS Haida.

*CFB Borden, north of Toronto near Barrie (via Dunlop St/Hwy#90), has an impressive base museum collection including a number of airframes, some of which are in the museum Air Annex...which is housed in a 1916 Belfast hangar, one of several still standing from the base's early days as a Royal Flying Corps school in World War I.

*Not too far from Trenton, on a small side street in the town of Campbellford, is Harold Carlaw's Memorial Military Museum, an offbeat but very interesting private collection including one of the oldest extant CF-100s and a Canso hull.

*At Picton, up the hill from the centre of town (Church Street, iirc) is what is now named Loch Sloy Business Park. No aircraft here, but a slow drive through the premises is a haunting experience: it's the completely intact RCAF Station Picton, fundamentally untouched since the end of World War II and the wind-down of the BCATP. Other old BCATP fields still sport a hangar or three...butStation Picton is all there, down to the last H-hut on the ground side. If you like places where time stands still, this one will give you the shivers.

*In Ottawa, try to visit the new Canadian War Museum as well. Very impressive building. Unfortunately the one WWII aircraft on show there, a rare Spitfire IIb, has been crammed up into the rafters where it can scarcely be looked at, never mind photographed...

*CAvM (formerly NAM) does indeed have a B-24 in storage in their new second hangar. Ex Indian AF and RAF GR.VIII/B-24L, in WWII RCAF marks. The storage hangar tour is an extra $4 (iirc) but worth it; they usually do two or three of those a day. CAvM's website probably shows the times. Besides the Lib, there are examples of Canso, Bolingbroke, Beaufighter, Hispano 1112, Mustang, Fairey Battle, et cetera, in storage.

*And if you happen to be in the Ottawa area on the first Saturday of the month...don't, whatever you do, miss a sidetrip across the Ottawa River down Highway 50 to Gatineau (Quebec) Executive Airport for Vintage Wings' open-house event. Mr Michael Potter's collection, and facility, are spectacular and the fleet is ever-growing, with Spitfire, Mustang, Swordfish, Hurricanes (yep, plural...) present and Corsair and P-40 yet to arrive.

*And hey...if you happen to return via a route south of Lake Ontario, and are passing along the New York Thruway on the July 13 (?) weekend, hop off at Batavia NY and head south on Rte 63 to Geneseo...the best Canadian airshow in the whole USA! (That's facetious but not much...always a ton of Canuck participation at Gennie and a large proportion of the crowd is Canadian too.)

Also, if you might be passing through the Hamilton area in the week leading up to Geneseo, shoot me a PM: I've taken that week off work, might be able to meet up with you at CWH or TAM or somewhere...

Cheers

Steve T (from Airworthy Lanc Country)

[Edward Soye]

One small museum that I'd also add to the list is about 30 min North of Toronto. If you're into WWI at all the Great War Flying Museum (www.greatwarflyingmuseum.com) has 7 WWI replicas that regularly fly shows, as well as a collection of original artefacts. If you have time on a Tuesday/Thursday or the weekend you're welcome to visit, otherwise the best place to see the whole fleet in the air is at Geneseo. Always a fantastic time if you can make it to the show!

[Steve Nelson]

Thanks for the info, all..keep it coming!

My plan is to cross into the Great White North at Sarnia, in the last weekend of June, and make our way back through Windsor the following weekend, with Thunder Over Michigan our final stop.

Steve T: I definately want to check on the progress of FM212..is she currently on public view? I saw here on her "plinth" back in the '90s, and was very pleased to hear she'd be coming in from the weather. Thanks also for the info on on the Liberator..I'll definately take the special tour.

Looks like it may be a good idea to get one or two more 1GB cards for my camera...


SN

[JDK]

I'd agree with Steve, and Mike's advice is good.

*In Ottawa, try to visit the new Canadian War Museum as well. Very impressive building. Unfortunately the one WWII aircraft on show there, a rare Spitfire IIb, has been crammed up into the rafters where it can scarcely be looked at, never mind photographed...

As you can see here:



And a poor (IMHO) display of a very historic W.W.I relic; Barker's Snipe fuselage:

*CAvM (formerly NAM) does indeed have a B-24 in storage in their new second hangar. Ex Indian AF and RAF GR.VIII/B-24L, in WWII RCAF marks. The storage hangar tour is an extra $4 (iirc) but worth it; they usually do two or three of those a day. CAvM's website probably shows the times. Besides the Lib, there are examples of Canso, Bolingbroke, Beaufighter, Hispano 1112, Mustang, Fairey Battle, et cetera, in storage.

I'd confirm that, and yes, it was 4 dollars extra. If you ask the guide nicely, and it's not a big group (mine was 2 people - but it was mid Jan!) he (or she) may allow you to get a closer look. Basically, don't be afraid to ask. The storage facility, after being left on the stove a bit long.

[JDK]

*#^%#@#$!$^ PHPP! Grrrr. Double post.

Edited to add:

I covered similar ground to your proposed trip, and posted a summary from that January effort here. Don't be confused by the Florida stuff, it's great white north from Post 4 onward.

http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/p ... hp?t=11286

Happy to try and answer any questions, but you've got the most of it so far.

Cheers!

[JDK]

Here's the B-24 from the gantry.



Cheers,

[peter]

Steve
can you drop me an email and I will get you in touch with the head of the windsor group for a tour of the lanc if interested..

[Simcoe Warrior]

Hi All,

My girlfreind and I are planning a vacation to the Great White North next in July (actually east of us here in Michigan.) We plan to visit Toronto and other sights, as well as some of the killer aviation museums. On my list are the CWH, the Toronto Aerospace Museum, the National Aviation Museum in Ottawa, and the RCAF Memorial Museum in Trenton.

I'd recommend that you not miss the RCAF museum in Trenton, its the only place in North America that you'll see a Handley page Halifax. If youare going to Windosr there is a group there that is also restoring a Mosquito..

http://www.mossie.org/windsor/windsor.htm

[Steve Nelson]

Actually, seeing the Halifax is one of the main inspirations for the trip!

Nice pic of the Liberator, JDK..Looks like she's a bear to photogarph shoe-horned in like that, but at least she's indoors.

SN

[mrhenniger]

I think everyone covered the Ontario sites quite well. Steve, do visit...

http://www.aerialvisual.ca/Locator.php?Region=ON

...there are map links for each site which is extremely useful to someone like yourself on a road trip.

Mike