Browse both maintained vintage aircraft and state-of-the-art technology at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum. Experience Canada’s aeronautical heritage in a flight simulator, a guided tour of the hangar or a helicopter flight over Ottawa.
Opened in 1960, the Canada Aviation and Space Museum started out by featuring vintage “bushplanes” and early flying machines. Over its half-century history, the museum has developed a collection of more than 130 planes and plane parts.
Climb inside one of the many open planes, including the four-seater Cessna 150, in the main hangar. Try your hand at flying in the Redbird FMX flight simulator, which is used to train pilots. Feel the plane moving beneath you via a motion simulator and admire the 200-degree view of virtual skies. Previously, Canadian Air Force pilots were trained in the Snowbird’s Canadair Tutor CT-114, which is also on display in the museum.
Planes have long played an important role in Canada. The machines have enabled people to traverse the country’s immense size and reach inaccessible frontiers. Study the floatplanes and amphibious aircraft that have opened previously unreachable areas. Watch the development of Canada’s planes in the Walkway of Time, where early 20th-century flying machines evolve into the glossy aircraft of today.
Check out the Canadarm, a monstrous electronic arm that served the space shuttle program. Canada’s Space Agency is best known in the history of space exploration for its contributions to robotics, and the Canadarm is one of the agency’s crowning achievements.
Guided tours and behind-the-scenes visits are available for those interested. Book a flight in a helicopter or a vintage aircraft to tour the Ottawa airspace. A boutique shop features excellent gifts for aviation experts, and seasonal concerts will attract music lovers.
Reach the Canada Aviation and Space Museum by car or public transportation. You can even book a flight to the museum via the Rockcliffe Flying Club. There is a fee for admission to the museum, and opening hours vary by season, so check the museum’s website before your visit.
