Established | 1980; Grand Opening: 1992 |
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Location | Edmonton, Alberta |
Coordinates | 53°33′57″N113°31′2″W / 53.56583°N 113.51722°W |
Type | Aviation museum |
Visitors | 20,000 |
Executive director | Jean Lauzon |
Website | Alberta Aviation Museum |
The Alberta Aviation Museum is an aviation museum located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The museum is located on-site at the former Edmonton City Centre (Blatchford Field) Airport on the southwest corner of the field (11410 Kingsway NW). [1] [2]
The museum operates daily except for Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day. [3]
The Alberta Aviation Museum is housed in the historic Hangar 14, one of the last two remaining examples of a 'double-double' Second World War British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) hangar. These hangars, built for the BCATP across Canada, were made of pre-cut wooden timbers of British Columbia fir. They could be built as single units, double units, and the 'double-double' which is four units. [4] [5]
Hangars were built on the site from 1939 to 1942, including 3 double hangars for RCAF Station Edmonton, with one of the hangars originally opened 5 October 1940 as No. 2 Air Observers School (AOS) under the command of Wop May. Hangar 14 was completed in 1943 on a rectangular plan with an area of 6,689 square metres (72,000 sq ft) with a clear span of 34 metres (112 ft), and subdivided evenly by a firewall which acts as a support truss. [6] After the United States entered the Second World War the airport was used to service United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) aircraft heading to Alaska until the new USAAF base that was to become CFB Namao (now CFB Edmonton) opened outside of Edmonton and absorbed some of the traffic. Following the war in 1946, Hangar 14 was used by No. 418 (City of Edmonton) Reserve Squadron, Pacific Western Airlines and for Distant Early Warning Line (DEW Line) construction before becoming a car dealership in the late 1960s. [4] [5]
Known in Edmonton as "The Hangar on Kingsway", it has been designated 'M' Hangar, Hangar #6 and later Building #14 by the Edmonton City Airport. Hangar 14 was designated a Provincial Historic Resource under the Historical Resources Act on July 4, 2000, and a Municipal Historic Resource by the City of Edmonton on August 31, 2004. [4] [5]
The building has been designated as a municipal and provincial historic resource. Despite its historic resource status, a recent motion put forward by City administration has revealed that the hangar is in need of structural upgrades, and requires a minimum of forty-one million dollars for repairs by 2027. It was initially motioned by administration that the building be de-accessioned from the city's heritage properties, which could result in the museum having to move (despite renewing a 25-year lease in 2018). Councilor Anne Stevenson countered this with a motion to propose a two-year timeline to determine creative solutions for the building with the end goal of the museum remaining where it is. The Alberta Aviation Museum is currently working with the City to determine a plan forward. [7]
A grassroots Facebook Group titled "Save Edmonton's Hangar 14" has been started for anyone interested in supporting the campaign and keeping the city accountable to their word to find solutions to have the museum remain at the site.
The museum hosts several groups including the 504 Blatchford Field Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Cadets, [8] the 180 (20th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA) Royal Canadian Army Cadets, [9] 700 (City of Edmonton) Wing, Royal Canadian Air Force Association, [10] and 418 (City of Edmonton) Squadron Association, [11] and CASARA.
Type | Identity |
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Avro Anson II | 11567 |
Avro Canada CF-100 Canuck | 100476 |
Barkley-Grow T8P-1 | CF-BLV |
Beechcraft Model 18 | C-FRSX |
Canadair Sabre | 19101 |
Canadair CT-133 Silver Star | 21146 as "21533" |
Canadair CT-133 Silver Star (Composite) | 21506 |
Cranwell CLA.4 | |
Curtiss JN-4 | C-GDCX / 3793 |
Curtiss "Stinson Special" (replica) | |
de Havilland Mosquito | VP189 |
de Havilland DH.60 Moth (on loan) | G-CYYG |
de Havilland Tiger Moth | C-GDWI (241) |
Fairchild 71 | CF-ATZ |
Fleet Canuck | C-FMHW |
Ford Trimotor (float only) | CF-BEP |
Fokker D.VIII (replica) | |
Fokker Universal | G-CAHE |
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter | D-5805 (Netherlands) |
McDonnell CF-101 Voodoo 100060 | |
McDonnell CF-101 Voodoo 100032 (restored as 17425) | |
Noorduyn Norseman | CF-EIH |
Noorduyn Norseman | CF-HPY |
North American B-25 Mitchell | 5273 as FW251 |
Piper PA-18 Super Cub | C-FPGD |
Stinson Reliant | C-FOAY |
Vickers Viking (7/8-scale replica) | G-CAEB (Replica) |
Waco UIC | CF-AAW |
Westland Lysander (2/3-scale replica) (loaned out) |
Type | Identity |
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Bell 47 | |
Bell 206 | C-FQZB restored as C-GDXC |
The museum is affiliated with:Alberta Museums Association, Canadian Aeronautical Preservation Association, Canadian Museums Association, Canadian Heritage Information Network, Edmonton Heritage Council and Virtual Museum of Canada.
The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), often referred to as simply "The Plan", was a large-scale multinational military aircrew training program created by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand during the Second World War. The BCATP remains one of the single largest aviation training programs in history and was responsible for training nearly half the pilots, navigators, bomb aimers, air gunners, wireless operators and flight engineers who served with the Royal Air Force (RAF), Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm (FAA), Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) during the war.
Canadian Forces Base Borden, formerly RCAF Station Camp Borden, is a large Canadian Forces base located in Ontario. The historic birthplace of the Royal Canadian Air Force, CFB Borden is home to the largest training wing in the Canadian Armed Forces. The base is run by Canadian Forces Support Training Group (CFSTG) and reports to the Canadian Defence Academy (CDA) in Kingston.
The Reynolds-Alberta Museum is an agricultural, industrial, and transportation museum in Wetaskiwin, Alberta, Canada. The museum is situated on an 89-hectare (220-acre) property containing the main museum building, an aviation display hangar, and its storage facility.
Fort Edmonton Park is an attraction in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Named for the first enduring European post in the area of modern-day Edmonton, the park is the largest living history museum in Canada by area. It includes both original and rebuilt historical structures representing the history of Edmonton, and is staffed during the summer by costumed historical interpreters.
Canadian Forces Base Greenwood, or CFB Greenwood, is a Canadian Forces Base located 1.5 nautical miles east of Greenwood, Nova Scotia. It is primarily operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force and is one of two bases in the country using the CP-140 Aurora and CP-140A Arcturus anti-submarine/maritime patrol and surveillance aircraft. Its primary RCAF lodger unit is 14 Wing, commonly referred to as 14 Wing Greenwood.
Canadian Forces Base Trenton, formerly RCAF Station Trenton, is a Canadian Forces base located within the city of Quinte West, Ontario. It is operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and is the hub for air transport operations in Canada and abroad. Its primary RCAF lodger unit is 8 Wing, commonly referred to as 8 Wing Trenton. CFB Trenton is Canada's largest Air Force base and most southerly air base.
RCAF Station Vulcan, also referred to as RCAF Aerodrome Vulcan, was a Second World War flying training station located southwest of the town of Vulcan, Alberta, Canada. It was one of many stations that were established in Canada under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan.
Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake, abbreviated as CFB Cold Lake, is a Canadian Forces Base in the City of Cold Lake, Alberta.
Edmonton City Centre Airport (ECCA), also called Blatchford Field as well as Edmonton Municipal Airport, was an airport within the city of Edmonton, in Alberta, Canada.
Mewata Armoury is a Canadian Forces reserve armoury in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Mewata ( is derived from the Cree word ᒥᔭᐋᐧᑕᒼ, meaning "Oh, be joyful".
3rd Canadian Division Support Base Edmonton, formerly known as and commonly referred to as CFB Edmonton is a Canadian Forces base located in Sturgeon County adjacent to the City of Edmonton in Alberta, Canada. It is also known as Edmonton Garrison or "Steele Barracks".
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Royal Canadian Air Force Station Dunnville was a Second World War British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) station located near Dunnville, Ontario. The station was home to No. 6 Service Flying Training School and is usually known by that name. Service Flying Training schools trained pilots, either single engine or multi-engine, and 6 SFTS was a single engine school. After graduation the new pilots were assigned various duties, which might be overseas in the Royal Air Force or an RCAF squadron; or in Canada as instructors or staff pilots in the BCATP, or for duty in RCAF Home Defence squadrons.
RCAF Station Penhold was a Second World War British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) station located near Penhold, Alberta, Canada.
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