Alberta Aviation Museum
 | |
 | |
| Established | 1980; Grand Opening: 1992 |
|---|---|
| Location | Edmonton, Alberta |
| Coordinates | 53°33′57″N 113°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]
History
[edit]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]
A Boeing 737 owned by the museum was broken into and had parts stolen from it in August 2014.[7]
Current
[edit]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.[8] In July 2022, the city began a two year effort to sell the hangar.[9] Following the destruction of Hangar 11 in a fire in April 2024, the museum again requested that ownership of Hangar 14 be transferred to them.[10]
The museum hosts several groups including the 504 Blatchford Field Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Cadets,[11] the 180 (20th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA) Royal Canadian Army Cadets,[12] 700 (City of Edmonton) Wing, Royal Canadian Air Force Association,[13] and 418 (City of Edmonton) Squadron Association,[14] and CASARA.
Collection
[edit]Aircraft
[edit]| Type | Identity |
|---|---|
| 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) |
Helicopters
[edit]| Type | Identity |
|---|---|
| Bell 47 | |
| Bell 206 | C-FQZB restored as C-GDXC |
Gallery
[edit]
Affiliations
[edit]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
[edit]- ^ Alberta Aviation Museum
- ^ "Location". albertaaviationmuseum.com. Alberta Aviation Museum. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
- ^ "Admission and Hours". Archived from the original on 2013-12-03. Retrieved 2013-12-02.
- ^ a b c "Hangar #14 (Provincial Designation)". historicplaces.ca. Canadian Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
- ^ a b c "Hangar #14 (Municipal Designation)". historicplaces.ca. Canadian Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
- ^ "Hangar #6, Building #14". Heritage Resources Management Information System. Government of Alberta. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- ^ "Stolen parts delay museum expansion". St. Albert Gazette. 27 August 2014. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
- ^ Lauzon, Jean (1 September 2022). "Update on Hangar 14 – September 1, 2022". Alberta Aviation Museum. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
- ^ Boothby, Lauren (8 July 2022). "'Death of the museum': Edmonton's Alberta Aviation Museum fears closure as Hangar 14 heads for sale". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
- ^ Carmichael, Jackie (22 May 2024). "Aviation museum pleads for Hangar 14 ownership in wake of arson fire". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
- ^ 504 Blatchford Field Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Cadets
- ^ Alberta Army Cadet League Locations
- ^ 700 (City of Edmonton) Wing, Royal Canadian Air Force Association
- ^ 418 Squadron Association
External links
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