| Calgary Aerospace Museum |
Avg. visitor rating:  (249 visitors) |
Exhibits | Reviews | Links |
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Reviews / Comments by our visitors
| Andrew Hilton Sheffield, UK, |  I have put together a website on Avro Lancaster KB976, one of the survivors but with a complicated story. Lynn Garrison\'s involvement in Calgary aviation preservation is covered to some degree and well worth a read in http://www.timefadesaway.co.uk/strathallan/kb976/kb_976_2.html The main site starts at - http://www.timefadesaway.co.uk/strathallan/kb976/kb_976_intro.html Regards, Andrew Hilton 07/28/2013 @ 15:12 [ref: 55495] |
| bill , Alberta | me and my school had a fieldtrip there and we got to go and sit in the cock pit!It was the best thing to see in my life! 03/09/2010 @ 16:25 [ref: 9289] |
| hedr , Minnesota |  love simulator and missile 03/07/2010 @ 09:58 [ref: 9284] |
| Wally Mcnabb , Alberta |  Robert Morgan.... So THAT's what happened I lived in Calgary at that time and only heard rumours about nasty litigation. By the way, Lynn Garrison is a good aviation writer, you will some articles of his in Air Progress magazine, from the 60's and 70's 01/03/2010 @ 08:59 [ref: 9215] |
| Hercules Olivier Calgary, Alberta | When are you guys going to wake up and join the Military Museum Group so the displays can be taken care of properly - especially the outside ones? I'm sure you can work out a deal with them so you can still cling on to the funding you get to do the job... 10/03/2008 @ 05:55 [ref: 8443] |
| Robert Morgan Fort Lauderdale, Florida |  One must go back in time to understand today’s present fiasco in Calgary. The original museum concept was initiated by Lynn Garrison a young pilot with 403 City of Calgary Squadron, RCAF and college student. He saw the Lanacaster bombers going into melting pots and no one cared. At this point Lynn Garrison personally purchased Lancaster FM-136 and started the Lancaster Memorial Fund to see the aircraft as a memorial to those who trained under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan of World War Two. He assumed a base of public support that wasn’t there. Public donations amounted to $229.00. Not to be deterred he managed to prepare the aircraft for ferry flight to Calgary, with volunteer labor. He got his neighbor to donate the pedestal and a friend – Red Whittit – to donate the cranes needed to lift the Lanc onto the pedestal. He personally coordinated the painting of the aircraft and paid for most things from his college tuition. After this he collected about 40 aircraft including a Mustang, 2 Hurricanes, a Spitfire, Mosquito, Lancaster KB-976, Vought Kingfisher, Anson, Oxford, Vought Corsair, Cornell, Cessna Crane,Fairey Battle, Fairey Swordfish, Westland Lysander, Sikorsky S-51 helicopter, CF-100, T-33, F-86 Saber, Vampire and a B-24 Liberator, donated by the Indian government. He created the Calgary International Air Show to generate funds. This was held in 1963, 1964, 1965 and was scheduled for 1966 when Milt Harradence, Garrison’s best friend, wanted the F-86 as a personal aircraft. A mutilation agreement with the government prohibited this and Garrison refused the request. Harradence sued him and then tried to take over the air show to cripple the museum and force Garrison’s hand. Garrison moved the air show to Red Deer, Alberta for 1966 with the USAF Thunderbirds as guests. In what could be described as a Little Red Hen Scenario, several supporters, with absolutely to charisma or organizational capability, tried to take over the collection. Garrison went on to operate his Blue Max Aviation facility in Ireland, supporting such films as The Blue Max, Darling Lili, Zeppelin, You Can’t Win ‘Em All, Richthofen & Brown, Aces High…etc As a result, some displays were given away, or sold illegally by Peter D. Norma. The Spitfire somehow ended up in the collection of Microsoft’s co-founder. One of the Hurricanes ended up in England, the Lancaster in Kermit Weeks collection, the Kingfisher on the North Carolina Battleship Commission, the T-33 21001 in Edmonton and the rest of the aircraft were left in farmyards, never collected by Norman and his team. Many of these have been restored by others. The B-24 was never claimed and is now in Kermit Weeks collection. Charges of Theft by Conversion were contemplated against Peter D. Norman, but he disappeared. So you can see how we ended up in today’s sad situation. There is no leadership. The entire project was launched by one dynamic individual. Now the results have been frittered away by a bunch of idiots who cannot even keep what they have. Lynn Garrison never gave up Title to the aircraft, knowing what would happen. He left them on loan to he City of Calgary and reaffirmed this in litigation during 1994. the group is now talking about disposing of the Mosquito. What they should do is get rid of all the aircraft and buy a collection of high quality models. These could be viewed by the public. And, there is absolutely no mention of Lynn Garrison, or his contribution to the museum in Calgary. Even though most have been lost, there would not be a Cf-100, F-86, Vampire, Hurricane, Mosquito, Lancaster, S-51, Harvard and others without his original efforts in the sixties. At the time he was 21 years of age. Google Lynn Garrison – Haiti or Lynn Garrison aviation and you will see some facts. 07/02/2008 @ 03:50 [ref: 8152] |
| Tyler Linden, Alberta | Absolutely Awesume Really enjoyed engine display 02/18/2008 @ 20:38 [ref: 6819] |
| Ken ThreeHills, Alberta | I really enjoyed this museum. I had a visit with one of the employee's who had flown Spitfire's in the European Theatre. He was awesome and very interesting to visit with. I think a museum needs people that have fought in war's, it makes for a much more interesting visit to the museum. The museum is great and I really enjoyed it!!!! 02/18/2008 @ 11:59 [ref: 6818] |
| ft , District of Columbia | great 02/14/2008 @ 16:48 [ref: 6770] |
| ft , District of Columbia | 02/14/2008 @ 16:48 [ref: 6769] |
External pages about this museum
| http://www.lexicom.ab.ca/~aerospace/aerospace. |
| http://www.cadvision.com/Home-Pages/accounts/capi/33 |
Last updated: 02/14/00.
Send corrections/additions by e-mail to museum-info@brooklyn.cuny.edu