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Canadian Aviation and Space Museum

Canadian Aviation and Space Museum

Located on the grounds of the former RCAF Station Rockliffe, the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum is Canada's premier aviation museum. A great deal of work has been done to make the displays interesting to the many school children who visit the museum during the school year, while at the same time keeping the exhibits from boring the many genuine aviation enthusiasts.

The main museum building has been very carefully thought out, and the displays are very professional. The evolution of flying machines is briefly but competently illustrated through a collection of graphics and models located beneath the Silver Dart replica which was built to commemorate the 50h anniversary of its 1909 first flight.. The original Silver Dart's engine flanks the display. 3 full-size early aviation machines complete the exhibit.

The displays move into the First World War, between the wars bush flying, sport flying, Second World War training and operational aircraft, jets and post war RCAF, helicopters and civil aviation. Tucked away in a corner near the entry, the Naval aviation display completes the majority of the aircraft on display.

Dispersed between and surrounding the aircraft on display are many different displays of uniforms, engines, models, cockpits, simulators and other artifacts which greatly enrich the museum experience.

One whole side of the museum has been adapted to showcase Canadian astronauts and space exploration. Canadarm 002 shares pride of place with Chris Hadfield's Sokol suit which he wore on his last flight to and from the ISS. The main portion of the space exhibit is a maze-like warren of corridors and rooms which is easy to miss. It's a pity it isn't more easily visible, because missing this portion of the museum would be a pity.

For a modest additional charge, guided tours through the Museum's overflow storage hangar are available. Photography is much more difficult due to the tightly-packed nature of this building, but the aircraft on this hangar are much more interesting. No other museum in the world can boast nose sections of the first two jetliner types to fly, for example.