Tom HWe have C-47 12927 on loan being displayed in our collection.
Apparently flew in the 16th wave with the RAF
TH
Tom HMorning all
Sorry bout the rant last night….I was more than a little frustrated.
I know the Canadians are well remembered in Britain and Europe, likely better remembered than at home. Which is why I was upset.
Working in an Aviation Museum I find myself constantly defending Canadian contributions to aviation in an atmosphere dominated by American and British media productions. So I often feel that I am tilting at windmills…which I will continue to do until I get the message across. (You could say I am somewhat stubborn).
That said I appreciate the kind words to Canadians and the words of support.
To that end I have appointments with several MP’s and I am writing the British Embassy.
I have not yet begun to fight!
Tom H
Tom HNow I am seriously pi$$ed
I just attempted to sign the petition on the link included.
I guess Canadians don’t get to sign.
The reason this upsets me is both my father, a Canadian, my father in law, a Canadian were good enough to serve with the RAF in Bomber Command along with many thousands of other Canadians, but I’m not good enough to sign the petition.
My mother, Northern Irish, was also a member of the RAF during the war.
I don’t know if there is a way for Canadians to participate in this effort, but if there is please let me know, Canadians that served with the RAF are just as deserving.
Not meaning to berate any of my British friends, just the system.
Tom H
Tom HYou will definitely need more than 5 days!!!!!!!!
Just for Alberta…
Again off the cuff:
BC
-Comox Aviation Museum, Comox
-BC Aviation Museum, Sidney (Victoria)
-Canadian Museum of Flight, Langley (near Vancouver)
I think I have forgotten someone in BC?
Alberta
-Cold Lake
-Alberta Aviation Museum, Edmonton
-Reynolds Alberta Museum,Wetaskwin
-Harvard Museum (Penhold), Red Deer
-Aerospace Museum of Calgary, Calgary
-Museum of the Military, Calgary
-Nanton Lancaster Museum, Nanton (1hr south of Calgary)
Saskatchewan
-Western Development Museum, Moose Jaw (6-8 aircraft, great exhibits)
-15 Wing Museum, Moose Jaw
(Main training base, small museum, home of the Snow Birds!!!)
Manitoba
-BCATP Museum, Brandon (great museum on original site in some of the original buildings)
-Western Canadian Aviation Museum, Winnipeg (Amazing collection!)
Ontario (I know I will miss someone so I apologize in advance)
– Canadian Bushplane Heritage Museum, Sault Ste Marie (neat museum dedicated to the Bushplane)
– Canadian Warplane Heritage, Hamilton (Most fly, great collection have flying Lancaster and others)
– Canadian National Aviation Museum, Ottawa (gotta see)
– RCAF Museum, Trenton (home of the Halifax!!! and much more)
– Toronto Aerospace Museum, Toronto (Full Scale Arrow replica and great museum)
– Great War Flying Museum
Quebec
– Vintage Wings Canada, Gatineau
(Great Collection!!! Hurricane, Spitfire and more. Mr Henniger will fill in gaps I am sure)
– Canadian Fighter Museum, Baggottville (spelling???) CFB Bagotville (spelling???)
Maritimes
– Shearwater Museum, Shearwater
– CFB Greenwood Museum
Both great museums
And I know I have missed some and haven’t given full descriptions but I am fitting this post in between other tasks so I apologize…but you get the picture.
This short note covers 5000km+ and likely many hundreds of aircraft, museums big and small but all worth seeing. Most are non profit groups and run by volunteers.
You could do a summer tour and never see it all.
Canada has a huge aviation heritage, come on over we like to share.
Maybe one of your travel groups should think about a coast to coast 100th anniversary tour for 2009???
Hope that helps a little
Tom H
Tom HJagx204
2009 will be a great year to come
We celebrate the 100th anniversary of flight in Canada with events coast to coast, the 85th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force!!!! and more.
Couldn’t think of a better time to visit for the aviation enthusiast.
Tom H
Tom HWhile you are at it figure out a price for two…
The Siskin is noted high on our acqusition list.
Tom H
Tom HI can’t think of a thing to add to what Rapode Meteor has said…
In to preserve history and keep people interested we must give them a reason to be involved and care.
As long as the central core of a museum is maintained adding features and atractions to keep them coming is a fact of life.
Tom H
Tom HHear Hear
Rapode Meteor is absolutly right
In the last 18 months the Museum I work for instituted the programming I mentioned as well as some of the things others have identified.
Before the changes
We were a nice community museum with poor attendance or public recognition. Wonderful craftsman, dedicated volunteers, great restorations and a relatively large (35+ aircraft plus artefacts) collection.
After the changes…
Attendance up 35%
Education programs up 27%
Gift shop sales up 30+%
Rental revenues up 100%
Great media attention
Regional and National recognition
Visits from Executive Directors out of the Capital
Now recognized as the 3rd largest collection in Canada and one of the most active aviation museums.
And the changes were all done on a shoe string with common sense and great volunteers and staff.
And we are still true to our collections policy…
Tom H
Tom HPlanemike makes an excellent point…
I too have been to museums (not aviation so far) that have lost the point.
We are very careful (and have a membership that reminds us) to keep aviation history as the focus. Our AV displays all relate to the history and the sims all relate to the aircraft in the collection.
The key I think is a very defined collections policy and that it is followed.
Keeps us on track and focused on our part of the history.
Remoroh
I have not yet had the chance to visit Evergreen, but I am glad to here your experience was so wonderful and am moving them up my list of museums to visit.
I need to steal some new ideas.
Tom H
Tom HRapode Meteor/JDK
Your comments are all very relevant in my mind.
With regard to this thread, JDK points out correctly that the words profit and museum don’t really go together (like military intelligence/honest politician).
Our museum is, at the moment, having a very good run…but we constantly look ahead to plan for the long term sustainability of the total facility.
When we have a surplus it goes straight back into the collection and building.
(Our building is a historic site).
While we are not for profit I think it is important not to make profit a bad word.
We keep our admissions as low as possible (about the same as going to a movie), have several no admission days a year (so everyone interested can attend regardless of financial ability). But still need to generate the funds to sustain and grow…that means profit.
Our gift shop prices are considerably lower than typical retail outlets…but we still maintain a profit that is applied to our library and other projects.
Profit…is a good thing, but with a museum JDK is right…it must go back into the operations and fixed assets.
Too many museums have fallen in the trap of having a successful stretch, adding staff, adding massive marketing programs and other pet projects only to fail when the market shifts or the economy turns down.
Long term sustainability needs to be carefully planned for.
Tom H
Tom HHello again Beurling
We beat you to it…
All our simulators are etheir in a real cockpit (DC-6) and use the original switches and yokes or in simulated cockpits using as many real components of the aircraft it represents as possible.
When our B-25 is ready to go on display the B-25 simulator will be with it, under the wing, and used the extra yokes pedals and panels from the restoration.
We are trying to bring it alive…
Tom
Tom HKev35
I think your vocabulary is just fine…so are your points.
I think a key factor here is the fact not for profit museums that are not government funded have a first priority that goes beyond the standard museum definition.
First you must survive!!!
If you do not survive it does not matter how good a museum you were…
All of the points you bring up are accurate and sound, not only that a good museum that wishes to survive will address them all.
The interactivity you express is important in making history relevant and entertaining.
We sometimes forget that MOST aircraft are not that fragile, being able to walk up and run your hand down the side of our Mossie is not going to damage the artefact…just means we will need to paint it a little sooner (and make corrections from the original resto) but it means children and veterans will get to touch a piece of history that is truly important to them.
As I said earlier…entertain them, when they are not expecting it…educate them.
another 2 bits
Tom H
Tom HBeurling
You are absolutely right!!!!!!!
The displays and exhibits need refreshed on a regular basis or there is no reason for a second visit.
Events are also important….we try to have an event of some kind 1 per month.
Tom H
Tom HGuess I’m likely qualifyied to offer some input…
1) Open, welcoming facility
The day of people coming to a dank drab dark facility and walking around
quietly is pretty much gone. It needs to be friendly, bright and welcoming.
2) Staff
It has already been said but you need friendly co operative staff
3) Displays
Easy to understand (but not dumbed down) displays and information.
Our collection is arranged cronologically oldest to newest civil, oldest to
newest military. We try to make signs/story boards easy to read and have
started to make use of audio/visual as much as possible.
The closer you allow folks to get to the aircraft the more popular you will
be. At our museum you can get right up to most of our aircraft including
our Mossie.
We are using more and more interactives. We have a computer education
centre, flight simulators and (1) aircraft we allow people to get on and run
a video in it. With more features on the way.
4) Cirriculm based education programming
Really important!!!!!!!! We offer a grade six based program that has around
4000 kids a year attending. Just added new programs to cover adult
interest through pre school.
5) Good gift shop!!!!
Again really important and not filled with stuff folks can get just anywhere.
6) Food services
Something we have not been able to implement yet, but it is important.
7) Intelligent hours
Remember you are catering to the visitor, the visitor does not cater to
you.
8) Allow visitors to take pictures
It costs you nothing and allows them to feel good about coming
9) Excellent working relationship with the media
10)Good location
We have one, most museums have no choice.
There are somequick thoughts…hope the input helps.
Oh yes…the biggie…the right attitude.
The general public have alot of choices today and you are competing for their dollar (Pound or Euro). Give them a reason to come, and make them feel good about being there. Entertain them, create excitement….when they are not looking educate them. It works
Just my two bits
Tom H
Tom HThanks for posting the link Peter
By the Time I find my pics it would have rotted away!
Shes as I remember…parts and damage
Tom H
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