Mike Potter Collection to be wound down

[martin_sam_2000]

Just announced over on facebook that Mike Potter will wind down his collection over the next year. No word on what the ultimate fate of the aircraft will be (sold vs donated) but it will not be the same in the skies around Ottawa when they are gone.

Sean

[FuryFB11]

From the press release:

While the announcement signals the closing of this chapter of Mike's life, it does not sound the end of Vintage Wings of Canada. We remain a strong, viable charitable foundation operated entirely by volunteers and independent from our founder Mike and his private collection.

Vintage Wings of Canada, through generous donations and bequests, is backed up by an autonomous and secure financial endowment. Since 2018, the charitable foundation has been actively acquiring and operating its own growing fleet of historic civil and military aircraft.

[martin_sam_2000]

From the press release:

While the announcement signals the closing of this chapter of Mike's life, it does not sound the end of Vintage Wings of Canada. We remain a strong, viable charitable foundation operated entirely by volunteers and independent from our founder Mike and his private collection.

Vintage Wings of Canada, through generous donations and bequests, is backed up by an autonomous and secure financial endowment. Since 2018, the charitable foundation has been actively acquiring and operating its own growing fleet of historic civil and military aircraft.

Yes, but what few understand is VWC Owns the Finch, Cornell, 2 chipmunks, L-19 and Tiger Moth.

Spitfire, Mustang, Hurricane, harvard, Beaver, Fury etc. are all part of the Mike Potter Collection and NOT part of the current VWC organisation. This happened just before the pandemic and seems to have flown (no pun intended) under the radar. No word on what is happening with the fighters, but VWC does not have the resources, financial and physical, to purchase nor operate any of these aircraft.

[Dave Hadfield]

Yes, most people don't understand that the two outfits are totally separate.

Mike hasn't been involved with VWoC for many years other than generously allowing hangar space from time to time for events.

VWoC has been a completely independent charity for a long time, with its own fleet, its own hangar (in Arnprior), its own Board of Directors, and its own funding.

Its totally stable, and will carry on pretty much unchanged.

Dave

[JohnB]

Good to see the organization will carry on, but they are certainly losing their "star" warbirds.

Wasn't that the museum featured in a Hallmark film a couple of years back?

[Thomas_Mac]

Glad I got to see the victory flight of the Mustang, Hurricane and Spitfire this past summer in Trenton. Major kudos to Mr. Potter for his efforts in the Canadian warbird scene over the past 25 years.

[Dave Hadfield]

Yes, it took two years to get that formation approved, and nothing like it has ever happened in Canada before.

Single-ships, yes. I did that in 2012. But not a Hornet with a civilian fighter formation team. We had to pass a ride.

Anyway, it all worked. Too bad it ended so soon, but that's the way these things go sometimes.

https://youtu.be/hb2NQPoh-ew?si=VCAxx5e_MMgxzHQF

[youtube]https://youtu.be/hb2NQPoh-ew?si=VCAxx5e_MMgxzHQF[/youtube]

[mazdaP5]