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Re: Favourite Canadian Aviation Museum ?

Posted by Mark Munzel on Fri Mar 28, 2003 08:09:19 PM

In reply top Favourite Canadian Aviation Museum ? posted by Brian on Fri Mar 28, 2003 01:29:24 PM

Can't ask a short-answer question, can you?

NAM/"Canada Aviation Museum" is the best, because nobody else in Canada can match their vast, diverse collection.

CWH is a close second, thanks to the bonus points for flying their aircraft. But as somebody else pointed out, once you get into the hangar there's a shortage of interpretive material.

The Reynolds Aviation Museum is #3. A great selection of classic civil and military training aircraft, kept indoors and well presented. Plus a few jets outside.

Runner-up: The Alberta Aviation Museum in Edmonton.

In general, I prefer museums with a good selection of aircraft, and which provide displays that put the aircraft in context. I like to see lots of space between planes, not just for photos but also because you get a clearer view of the aircraft and sense of its size/shape/appearance. (OTOH, I enjoyed trying to spot and identify unique aircraft crammed into the NAM's storage area.) And the museum also needs to maintain their building and displays, not just their aircraft.

FWIW, other Canadian museum I considered when assembling the above list included the Calgary Air & Space Museum, Naval Museum of Alberta, Nanton, Comox, Canadian Museum of Flight (Langley, B.C.), BCAM (Victoria), Shearwater, ACAM (Halifax), Trenton, and Harold Carlaw's collection in Campbellford.

-M.M.

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