Bit “O” history

Hello again Peter…

Possible, I was in Nanton about 1 year ago, my father in law (ex-RCAF tailgunner on Lancs, Evader, POW) and I took my daughter down to see the Lancaster…she had just turned 14 and it was time. We had both ends of the Lanc covered as my father had been a wartime Lancaster pilot (RCAF attached to RAF). She had heard many Lanc stories and even built models so it was time she saw the real thing.

The curator and a lady and gentleman (you?) treated us like gold and we went for pie after.

The Nanton museum is an absolute treasure and a real tribute to all those that served bomber command.

If you are ever in the area PLEASE visit the Nanton Lancaster..it is well worth the trip. And the folks there know the meaning of world class hospitality.

So Peter if you were one of those I thank you very much. If not, well thanks anyway and I look forward to some great conversations

Tom H

Climbing in…

While we get upset with folks jumping in aircraft at our museum most are open and accessible to the public to get right up and have a good look.

We have several that are open to get in…the down side is on this side of the Atlantic we do get an amount of damage and loss. That said we continue our policy encouraging people to get up close and have a good LOOK.

We plan on having a series of interactive simulators availabile to the public in the near future and have select days each year to make additional aircraft open with supervision.

Tom H

Wrecks in Canada..first post

Good afternoon Gentlemen…

Been following this thread for a bit and thought this was a good place to jump in.

I am the Executive Director of the Alberta Aviation Museum in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

couple things I wanted to bring up in this thread…

1) Canada has a very active Aviation Heritage community that goes literally
coast to coast. While our eastern associates seem to get all the press we
in Western Canada are just as active. The Alberta Aviation Museum is
home to one of the largest collections in Canada!

2) Most of the wreck sites mentioned have been throughly investigated,
many currently have recovery projects active on them. So don’t be in a
hurry to get our airplanes, we need them too.

3) There is a lot of ghost stories and misinformation on aircraft wreck sites in
the North. When we chase the tales down (as we do with all) the results
are usually disappointing.

A good example is the Lincoln mentioned…although ghost stories often
indentify it as a B-24. that particular aircraft operated out of the hangar
that is now our museum (all 84,000 square feet), when it was the post
war location of WE flight. This aircraft (using the term loosely) is not
complete enough to even effect a static restoration. It has been visited
many times throughly investigated. The Lancaster mentioned in Resolute is
another, this aircraft was crashed back in the 50’s/Salvaged for parts and
then bulldozed off the runway. Since then it has been picked to death for
various Lancaster restorations in Canada. The last person I personally
know that saw it described it as bits and chunks of aluminum.

That does not mean you should give up….just real careful. we are in the
process of starting a salvage operation on a ex-RCAF Canso that is
located above the Arctic Circle.

We consider this one close to us…5-6 days hard driving and a days flight
by air (not accessible by ground). Only accessible for salvage 3 months
per year. I am mentioning this to give you an example of the distances
and constraints involved.

4) Someone in this thread recommended putting the effort into existing
restorations. I agree whole heartedly. Again let me give an example…

One of the organizations associated with us is the Ventura Memorial Flight Association. This group has passionately been working on a 1943 RCAF Lockheed Ventura recovered from North of Yellowknife NWTfor the last 15 years. They have not only recovered the aircraft but combed the world to collect the parts, documented the entire history of the Ventura production with an archives so extensive that they have provided info to the US Naval museum and the Imperial War Museum. While they were at it they also have assisted in several recoveries (such as the Pelly Lake Mosquito). You would think that this dedicated group would be overwhelmed with assistance and funds. Not…this project has been rejected at every level of government funding, has recieved minimal corporate support and little private support.

Considering how many were in WW2 service (with all allied nations)and the thousands of persons that crewed on them it is a shame.

But that has not stopped them from continuing to work to put this one back in the air as the only flying Ventura in the world. All the parts are on hand right down to the radios, radar and 1943 survival equipment. This one will fly again, it is only a matter of money.

Thanks for tolerating my little rant, this seems like a great forum for exchanging information and ideas, I look forward to popping in now and again.

Meantime check out our website http://www.albertaaviationmuseum.com and enjoy, especially the links to other Canadian museums and please check back as our site has just been rebuilt and we have more links and features to add.

thanks again…great forum and wonderful thread

Tom H