Alberta Aviation Museum

The Alberta Aviation Museum is a museum in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It is located on-site at the former Edmonton City Centre (Blatchford Field) Airport on the southwest corner of the field (11410 Kingsway Avenue).[1][2]

Alberta Aviation Museum
Established1993
LocationEdmonton, Alberta
FounderBill Cottrell
WebsiteAlberta Aviation Museum

The museum operates daily except for Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day.[3]

History

The Alberta Aviation Museum hangar is the last remaining example 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]

Built in 1940 after 3 double hangars for RCAF Station Edmonton, it was originally opened 5 October 1940 as No. 2 Air Observers School (AOS) under the command of Wop May. After the USA 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. Postwar the museum hangar 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. It is now a designated municipal and provincial historic site.[4][5]

Current

With the closure of the city centre airport the fate of the museum was, for a time, uncertain. However, since that time the building has been designated as a municipal and provincial historic resource. The Alberta Aviation Museum, now recognized by the Alberta Museums Association, will remain in its current location and act as a community fixture for the new residential neighbourhood, Blatchford.[6][7][8]

The museum hosts several groups including the 504 Blatchford Field Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Cadets,[9] the 180 (20th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA) Royal Canadian Army Cadets,[10] #700 (Edmonton) Wing - Air Force Association of Canada[11] and 418 (City of Edmonton) Squadron Association.[12]

Collection

Airplanes
Plane Serial
Avro Anson 886
Avro Canada CF-100 Canuck 100476
Barkley-Grow T8P-1
Beechcraft Model 18
Canadair Sabre 19101
Canadair CT-133 Silver Star
Cranwell CLA.4
Curtiss JN-4 (replica)
Curtiss "Stinson Special" (replica)
de Havilland Mosquito VP189
de Havilland DH.60 Moth (on loan)
de Havilland Tiger Moth
Fairchild 71
Fleet Canuck
Ford Trimotor
Fokker D.VIII (replica)
Fokker Universal
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter D-5805
Noorduyn Norseman
North American B-25 Mitchell 44-30791
Piper PA-18 Super Cub
Stinson Reliant
Vickers Viking (7/8-scale replica)
Waco UIC
Westland Lysander (2/3-scale replica) (loaned out)

Helicopters
Plane Serial
Bell 47

Affiliations

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.

References
  1. Alberta Aviation Museum
  2. Location
  3. "Admission and Hours". Archived from the original on 2013-12-03. Retrieved 2013-12-02.
  4. British Commonwealth Training Air Training Plan Hangar
  5. Hangar #14
  6. "Blatchford". Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2016-02-27.
  7. Future of Alberta Aviation Museum up in the air as City Centre Airport closure date nears
  8. Redesign of Edmonton's Alberta Aviation Museum taking off
  9. 504 Blatchford Field Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Cadets
  10. Alberta Army Cadet League Locations
  11. #700 (Edmonton) Wing - Air Force Association of Canada
  12. The Edmonton Aviation Heritage Society Centre at Blatchfort Field
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