The Canadian Aviation and Space Museum is open to the public (not on Tuesdays) and houses a broad selection of aviation history from the early days of bush pilot exploits to some of the latest in jet propulsion wonders. The exhibits are placed on a time-line pathway to guide visitors through time but laid out with plenty of room to just wander. My brother was visiting us in Ottawa and my father likes to go back and see the WWII vintage planes including the Lancaster bombers that he worked on and flew in during the war years so off we went for another look at what had stayed the same and what exhibits had changed.
I had to stop a few times to look at the motorcycles on display. Interesting to see the design changes that have occurred in motorcycles over the years.
1912 Harley Davidson Motorcycle
1940 Indian Four Motorcycle
1925 Henderson Motorcycle
A number of different engine assemblies and components were on display at the museum and some of these were of interest to my father as he had worked on engine components at one time. Now 92 and with failing eyesight, his engine work is long a thing of the past.
Any visit to the museum with my father must include a stop by the Lancaster bomber display as it was a plane that he had flown in and worked on and it is also a plane where some of his close friends were in the dangerous position of being tail gunners.
Each time that I go to an aircraft museum, whether here in Ottawa or elsewhere, I always marvel at the fact that some of the planes on display were actually capable of flight. I understand the principles of flight, but it still amazes me.
Each time that I go through a museum, I always seem to see something that I didn’t see before, either because it is a new display or it is something that didn’t catch my attention on previous visits. This day, the surprise was seeing a wall of Air Force insignia and colours that I had never seen before. Certainly couldn’t photograph all of them but did have a good time photographing a number of them.
RCAF Squadron 437 “Husky” Transport Squadron Omnia Passim (Anything anywhere)
RCAF Squadron 432 “Cougar” (All Weather) Fighter Squadron Saeviter Ad Lucem (Ferociously towards the light)
RCAF Squadron 435 “Chinthe” Transport and Rescue Squadron Certi Provehendi (Determined on delivery) (More history of the squadron here)
RCAF Squadron 429 “Bison” Transport Squadron Fortunae Nihil (Nothing to chance)
RCAF Squadron 441 “Silver Fox” Tactical Fighter Squadron Stalk And Kill
RCAF Squadron 430 “Silver Falcon” Tactical Helicopter Squadron Celeriter Cerioque (Swiftly and Surely)
RCAF Squadron 428 “Ghost” (All Weather) Fighter Squadron Usque Ad Finem (To the very end)
RCAF Squadron 425 “Alouetté” Tactical Fighter Squadron Je Te Plumerai (I shall pluck you)
RCAF Squadron 426 “Thunderbird” Transport Training Squadron On Wings Of Fire
RCAF Squadron 422 “Tomahawk” Tactical Helicopter Squadron This Arm Shall Do It
RCAF Squadron 411 “Grizzly Bear” Tactical Helicopter Squadron Inimicus Inimico (Hostile to the enemy)
RCAF Squadron 408 “Goose” Tactical Helicopter Squadron For Freedom
RCAF Squadron 410 “Cougar” Tactical Fighter (Operational Training) Squadron Noctivaga (Wandering by night)
RCAF Station Trenton Comme Il Se Doit
RCAF Station Summerside Fundamenta In Futurum
RCAF Station Winnipeg Prospice
RCAF Maritime Operational Training Unit 2 Cum Scientia Vires
RCAF Association
RCAF Squadron V111 Determined to Defend
RCAF Squadron 407 “Demon” Maritime Patrol Squadron To Hold On High
RCAF AC &W Squadron Silens Exploro
RCAF Auxiliary Unit 2403 Sweep The Skies
