Where can I buy a ride in a cool warbird in Canada

[54H60]

Will be in Ontario, Canada during the first two weeks of September. Anybody know where can I buy a ride in a warbird?

Last edited by 54H60 on Tue Feb 08, 2011 7:57 pm, edited 4 times in total.

[K225]

Depends on where you're going to be, in the Toronto area probably the Canadian Warplane Heritage is an option. You have to be a member but would give you a chance to fly in the Lancaster.
If you're going to be in the Ottawa area Vintage Wings of Canada while in Quebec are only a short hop away. They offer flights in the Kittyhawk the only dual control fighter flying in Canada. The VWoC site has details of their rides and memberships here.

https://www.vintagewingsmembers.ca/flig ... 9DB13BE5BE

The Canadian Aviation Museum in Ottawa also offer rides but not warbirds, they have a Beaver, Waco Biplane, and Helicopter flights.

[Dave Cheeseman]

I believe also the Canadian Harvard association will offer backseat rides in their Harvards and Tigermoth.

http://www.harvards.com/

Cheers Dave C

[54H60]

Thanks. I found a bunch of stuff out today. I think I will participate in both. Looks like the Taperwing and Fox Moth at Vintage Wings are immediate must-rides as both probably will not be in the program next year. Both seem to have lots of great history with the Waco being owned and raced by famous air racer Jonathan Livingston, reputed to be Richard Bach’s muse for “Jonathan Livingston Seagull”. It also was in the movie Amelia. Their Fox Moth wasbuilt for and flewEdward VIII when he was Prince of Wales. After a brief period in the Congo, it operated the first scheduled airline service in New Zealand later crashing on the famous Franz Josef Glacier. I have been there. Their website has pictures of the recovery.

CWH has plenty of stuff as well. Seems like a good opportunity for two places with the National Aviation Museum in Ottawa, a big museum in Trenton on the way to Hamilton and Toronto's museum at Downsview along the way. There is even a WWI museum with flying aircraft in Brampton north of Toronto to visit as well. CHAA appears to be about an 90 minutes past Toronto.

[K225]

The Tiger Moth at Vintage Wings is a popular "Warbirds" choice since many of the vetrans did fly them in basic training.
This article describes one vetrans recent experience:
http://www.ottawasun.com/news/ottawa/20 ... 90171.html

[Fleet16b]

You can also get rides in Tigermoths, Fleet Finches or a Thruxton Jackeroo at the Tigerboys Airplane Works at Guelph Ontario about one hour from Toronto.

[rcaf_100]

I believe also the Canadian Harvard association will offer backseat rides in their Harvards and Tigermoth.

http://www.harvards.com/

Cheers Dave C

CHAA appears to be about an 90 minutes past Toronto.

Yep, we're around every Tuesday and Saturday, with flying pretty much every Saturday. And you're right about the distance from Toronto too.
Since you'll be here for the first two weeks in September you could stop in at our Flyday on the 11th if you're not too busy. There'll be lots of action that day.

Shane

[mrhenniger]

For things to see along the way...
Aerial Visuals Locator Search - Ontario

If you are planning on going from Toronto to Ottawa via Trenton, you may wish to leave a few minutes to to stop at the airport north of Gananoque. A WWII hangar contains a Canso which was retired in the late 60s and put directly into storage. It has been there since, and is a real time capsule. Also there is an air show at Vintage Wings on September 18th. You may wish to time your trip so you can attend.

Mike

[groundpounder]

Does anyone know if the museum in Langley BC still offers flights in their Harvard ?

[Dave Hadfield]

I'm one of the pilots at Vintage Wings of Canada, and you can share a flight in any airplane with 2 seats.

But you're not actually buying a ride. You're sharing a flight.

It's not just a semantic distinction. I haul people in an airliner for a living, and the warbird rides are really quite different. We really want to gain you as a supporter and enthusiast, and consider you a sponsor for the flight in the short term, and a potential sponsor for the airplane and the Foundation in the long term.

We want to bring alive what it was like, and share it with people. Share costs and share the experience. (It's sure not an enterprise designed for making a profit!) Share the History.

There is nothing, absolutely nothing, like flying in an actual combat veteran. Books and simulators don't even remotely compare.

This fellow was blown away -- could hardly speak at the end of the flight. Here he's flying the Kittyhawk, checking out the airplane's roll-rate. (I had told him, "This thing rolls faster than a Spitfire or a Mustang -- here, try it! You have control."

History coming alive.



It's the only dual-control fighter in Canada. Sharing a flight is expensive, but that's part of the message we need to get across too.

Dave