I'll explane my North American Trip

After a boring Friday night in Nanton and a night in a dodgy motel I drove to the Truckstop and had a big feed of bacon and eggs. Nanton also has some grain elevators and a few Antique Shops...that are closed for Winter...seeing a pattern yet?

I was first in line at 10:00am (ok there was no line but I was first) for this -


Bomber Command Museum of Canada

Bomber Command Museum of Canada – Honouring those who served with Bomber Command.

About one hour South of Calgary, in the small town of Nanton, Rental Car.

This Museum is only about Canadian Bomber Command. There is a Memorial Wall with all the 11000 names of Canadians Killed in the War.

The main attraction is a restored Lancaster Bomber, FM159, this one can taxi and all engines run. Painted as local hero’s Ian Bazalgette’s VC. DFC. ND811 old plane. There are lots of other planes as well, mainly Canadian ones, the RCAF WW2 history, a large nose art collection, there is also a library, archive and restoration workshop. One of their current projects is rescuing and restoring Halifax 57 from a Swedish swamp and restoring a Mosquito.

I met the curator, a guy I knew via another Facebook page and got a VIP tour. Stayed until about 2pm, then drove back to Calgary about one hour North and saw this -

The Military Museums

The Military Museums - The Military Museums

In Calgary, if you are driving up to Calgary Airport from Nanton, this is on your way.

A Tri Service Museum, the museum has 8 separate bits, the Army, Navy and Air Force Museum of Alberta, the Air Force Cold War Museum and 4 Canadian Specific parts of Lord Strathcona Horse, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, Kings Own Calgary Regiment and the Calgary Highlanders.

I was short on time so concentrated on the Air Force part, they have a decent collection of Canadian and American Planes, basically one large hangar…it also narrates the history of flight and war from Canada’s perspective. Outside were a few more planes in the carpark area. They were some Tanks outside as well.

The other bits were well done too but I really just did a walk through of the other bits as the museum was closing soon and I got kicked out.

Googled the nearest hotel and drove there for the night.

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Memorial Wall

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Wall

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Bloody Aussies!

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Running Bristol Hercules - engine of the Halifax - you can tell a "working" plane from a static exhibit as the running ones always leak oil and usually have a kitty litter tray under the engines.

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Cutaway Rolls Royce Merlin - engine of Lancasters and Spitfires and many other planes.

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Lancaster

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A few other planes and things.

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This morning I drove to my next hotel which was closer to the airport and dropped my bag off, the plan was to go into downtown Calgary but the weather was drizzly and 1 degree with snow forecast, so after dropping my bag I returned the car and sat in the airport and booked a flight out and looked for something else to do. So I decided to go here -

The Hangar Flight Museum

Welcome | The Hangar Flight Museum (thehangarmuseum.ca)

Basically at the south end of Calgary International Airport, Bus 57 stops nearby.

A smallish museum with mainly smaller training type aircraft. It has a large engine collection on the mezzanine. It does have a static display Lancaster FM136 painted as Ronnie Jenkins’ KB895 plane housed in what they call the tent with a few other planes.

This is a pre fab tent type structure opposite the other main hangar. Unfortunately strong winds had torn the tent recently and the tent part was off limits so I couldn’t see it…I did get 20% off admission though.

It took 3 buses, the 300 from the airport, then the 38 and finally transferred to the 57. After seeing the museum, and being disappointed the best bit in the Lancaster was off limits, I reversed the buses and ended up back at the airport. I then got on the hotels Shuttle and went to the nearby hotel, it was a new one in an airport industrial type area but there was nothing nearby so had dinner there and an early night.

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Them Aussies again...

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Main Hangar

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The damaged Tent bit with the Lancaster and other planes inside.
 
Woke up to a few cm of snow on the ground so leaving was the right call.
Got the early shuttle to the airport and went over to the dark side and checked in at Air Canada...the One World Alliance is weak up here.
Eventually got on the plane and trudged down to row 30 somewhere behind the wing in an aisle seat...so saw nothing, no food, no IFE but luckily no screaming baby. Otherwise a normal flight.

Arrived Toronto about lunchtime, caught the UP Express into Union Station and the took a regular subway closer to my hotel, dropped bag and went out for a look around, have been here before so nothing super interesting to note. Very similar to Vancouver with inner city living and homeless.

Back to the hotel and check in, booked a tour tomorrow with the Concierge.
 
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Woke up and the weather was very nice just as the weatherman said, which was why I booked a bus Day Trip to Niagara Falls, have been before but weather was not the best then...this time it was perfect so I thought I'd take another look.

Most of you have probably been there or seen it so no in depth review...its a waterfall.
Trip took all day and got back on dark.

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From the Skylon Tower

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Horseshoe (Canadain) Falls

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Skylon Tower

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Bridal Veil and American Falls

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Canadian Touristy Side

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The Whirlpool

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Cablecar
 
This morning I went via Via Rail to Hamilton Bus Interchange and then got Bus 20 to -

The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum

Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum - Canadian Aviation History | Wartime Vintage Aircraft

One hour South of Toronto, or closer to two hours on public transport, bus 20 stops nearby. It is on the side of John C Munro Airport, Hamilton.

If you have a fat wallet this is the place where you can FLY in a real Lancaster Bomber, for C$4000, a B25 Mitchell, a C47 Dakota and several smaller planes. BUT 2024 Lancaster flights are already sold out after going on sale a few days ago….so start planning for 2025when they go on sale in Nov 2024.

FM213 is fully restored and airworthy, one of only two flying Lancaster in the world, (the other is in England), it is painted up as KB726, and it honours Andrew Mynarski VC.

On the original site and hangars of Number 10 Elementary Flying Training School are full of history and mostly running and many flying planes. They only fly in the summer months in good weather naturally. There are large educational displays and there were several groups of schoolkids there.

Trained back through pretty much continuous suburbia and got back to Toronto, had a wander around and walked back to the hotel.

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Consolidated Flying Boat

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B25 Mitchell

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This morning I went via Via Rail to Hamilton Bus Interchange and then got Bus 20 to -

The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum

Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum - Canadian Aviation History | Wartime Vintage Aircraft

One hour South of Toronto, or closer to two hours on public transport, bus 20 stops nearby. It is on the side of John C Munro Airport, Hamilton.

If you have a fat wallet this is the place where you can FLY in a real Lancaster Bomber, for C$4000, a B25 Mitchell, a C47 Dakota and several smaller planes. BUT 2024 Lancaster flights are already sold out after going on sale a few days ago….so start planning for 2025when they go on sale in Nov 2024.

FM213 is fully restored and airworthy, one of only two flying Lancaster in the world, (the other is in England), it is painted up as KB726, and it honours Andrew Mynarski VC.

On the original site and hangars of Number 10 Elementary Flying Training School are full of history and mostly running and many flying planes. They only fly in the summer months in good weather naturally. There are large educational displays and there were several groups of schoolkids there.

Trained back through pretty much continuous suburbia and got back to Toronto, had a wander around and walked back to the hotel.

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Consolidated Flying Boat

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B25 Mitchell

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Were you tempted to part with C4k @jastel ?
 
I got an early Via Rail Train the next morning to -

Canadian Aviation Museum

Canadian Aviation Museum

I did this from Toronto…not a good idea as it is 5 hours South by train to Windsor and then a local bus or two…then the same home again! It is beside Windsor International Airport and bus 8 will drop you pretty close by. It would be easier to do it from Detroit USA (excluding border difficulties) as that is just over the lake. Or to stay somewhere closer in Canada.

There is a Lancaster here as well…in pieces so far…but that is interesting in itself as it is mid restore, you can see how the insides work. This aircraft is FM212, the sister plane before 213 above. It was on a pole in a park for many years so a lot of restoration is needed. Don and the guys are doing a good job but the drama now is they cant assemble it until the council decides where to display it. If they assemble it where it is it cant go outside the building…so arguments continue.

Located in the original Number 7 Elementary Flying Training School hangars with big wooden beams still visible the Lancaster and its restoration take up a large chunk of space, they are also restoring a Mosquito. They have the usual assortment of smaller training aircraft as well as posters and displays and other WW2 aviation smalls. Much less “Fancy” than the others but more worklike.

Reversed the transport and got back to Toronto about 21:30 at night...a looong day.

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Before

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Back Section

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Wings and coughpit

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Need to hook up all these to control flaps.

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A bit of a sleep in today, checked out with my bag and got a 10:00am train to -


National Air Force Museum of Canada

National Air Force Museum of Canada – www.airforcemuseum.ca

At Canadian Forces Base, Trenton, about 2 hours from Toronto and ¾ of the way to Kingston. I got the train to Belleville and had a friend pick me up. It is about 20 minutes drive from the train.

They are currently fixing up a Lancaster…not on display yet.

But they have the worlds second restored Halifax NA337, fully restored and not a composite like Elvingtons, it is all correct. Rescued from its watery grave in the 1990’s it has pride of place in the museum, you can see it from all angles and there are only another dozen or so smaller planes in the building. There are a few dozen more in a memorial section outside.

Not a large museum but modern, and the Halifax is the one I wanted to see. We got some lunch, Tim Horton's, friend drove me around the area a bit and then back to his house near Kingston.

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The next day was spent catching up on news etc with my friend and some more driving around Kingston area, it was another nice but cold day, the bad weather was supposed to catch me tomorrow...which it did.

Kingston in summer is a popular spot for boating, being on the St Lawrence River and the popular 1000 Islands Cruises. As it was winter they were shut. It was still a pretty area, my last visit a decade ago it was all foggy and miserable so didnt see much that visit.

Went out for dinner and a few beers.

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Kingston from Fort Henry

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Fort Henry

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Fall Colours

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Tower

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Lake Ontario

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Other way - St Lawrence River

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Some Islands from the ferry

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Small Ferry, 3 cars only
 
Today was cold and gloomy with a few snow flurries, exactly what the weatherman said. So I got a train out and went to Ottawa. My friend dropped me at the station around lunchtime, got in to the not in the city Via Rail Ottawa station, but a few metres away was the Metro and found the train system accepted the same Pismo Travel Card as Toronto used that I already had, so I put a few more dollars on it and trained into the CBD...stayed near the Rideau Centre for those who know it.

Checked into the hotel just as it rained a bit so had a nap. Went out later, was cold but dry and found it was quite a lively area with a shopping centre and a restaurant strip nearby for dinner.

In the morning got the bus in the light snow to -


Canada Aviation and Space Museum

Home | Canada Aviation and Space Museum (ingeniumcanada.org)

In Rockcliffe Park a short distance from Ottawa’s CBD, bus 12 gets you to a nearby intersection but its still a miles walk along the highway to the museum itself. The HOHO bus goes there in summer. I got bus 7 back from a residential street after a shortcut though a forest…slightly shorter walk.

A Smithsonian Level museum with many planes tracing the history of flight WWI and II, jets, helicopters and rockets. It has a static Lancaster KB944, an AVRO Arrow nose, the original Canadarm for the Space Shuttle and many other planes. There is also a restoration hangar next door that costs extra to tour and is not well advertised, this is crammed full of rare planes as well but must be toured with a guide on a separate tour.

Very Good Museum, spent all day there.

It was still light for a while so had a quick explore of the area near the hotel in daylight, apart from the shops and restaurant there was Parliament House, the Rideau Canal, The War Memorial and the main CBD section all nearby. Got some dinner on dark and then back to hotel.

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Dusting of snow I had to walk through

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Main Building

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Restoration Hangar - this area was an old airport

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Lancaster

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"Winnie"

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Expecting a good story about a dogfight for the "bullet hole" through the perspex, I asked the guide bloke..."Someone dropped a hammer on it"...bit of a letdown.

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Liberator and many other planes in the Restoration Shed...crowded hangar

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AVRO Arrow Nose section...they also have few other bits in the Restoration Hangar but no complete aircraft remains.

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F18 with aerial refuelling probe out

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Spitfire in Front and Lancaster behind...the two planes that won WW2



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Tilt Rotor helicpoters

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McDonnell Voodoo

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CL84 Canadian designed tilt rotor plane/helicopter...the idea barely worked in the 60's and still barely works today with the Ospreys.

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A little bit of Space Stuff.
 
The next day was supposed to be reasonable weather and it started out nice so I went sightseeing on the HOHO bus as I'd not been here before. Still a bit nippy on the upper floor of the bus though.

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War Memorial with guards etc

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Rideau Falls into Ottawa River

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Used to be waterwheels, mills etc here

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Memorial for Commonwealth Forces who died in Canada/USA training accidents and have no known grave.

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John McRae - a Canadian - wrote "In Flanders Field's" about WW1.

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This is Jame's Cameron's Submarine he went to the Marians Trench, the deepest part of the Pacific Ocean in. It was in an art gallery place next to the waterfall and globe. It drops vertically, the R side of the photo is the bottom of the thing...the green thing is the sub, the blue bits are just a cradle. It was built in Sydney. The brown bits in the centre are mostly batteries for his lights and motors...and cameras.

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James Cameron sits in this little (but strong) ball, about the size of a gunners turret.

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Vaccuuming up the Leaves...nothing to see here.
 
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Forgot to add last night was Halloween, though it is celebrated the vibe is much less when it is 1 degrees outside, saw a few kids with buckets but the costumes were pretty scarce. Some people had long trench coats on and would flash others their costumes under the coats. Much different to previous Halloweens I have seen in Las Vegas and Hawaii where it is much warmer weather to play dress ups in.

This morning was cold and grey again so trained out to -

Canadian War Museum

Home | Canadian War Museum

About 3 kms from downtown Ottawa. if you want to walk but the 1 Red train going to Pimisi from the Rideau Centre in the CBD is easier. Then a short downhill walk to the Riverbank where the Museum is…you can see it easy from the train station. Also across the road is a Holocaust Memorial, and there is a riverbank walk behind it as well, you can go on the roof for views in the summer.

This is a Tri Service Museum of Canada’s War History but doesn’t have very many planes at all, they are out at the CASM above. It explains all the wars up to 9/11 and Afghanistan even, obviously from Canada’s side and is quite interesting…even if somewhat repetitive to me by now. It has Hitlers car, Forceful III the famous Tank, an AVRO Arrow Nose Cone and the entire basement is full of tanks and artillery.

The best thing in this museum for me was in the walkway from the tank level to upstairs there was a lot of original Halifax nose art hanging on the wall. Some guy had seen them waiting to be disassembled in the UK and cut out the panels and bought them here.

The museum has a pointy wing like roof, that points directly at the Peace Tower on Parliament House, the windows in this bit spell “Lest We Forget” in English and French Morse Code.

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The Museum from the Holocaust Memorial

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Morse Code Windows

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Hitlers car

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Tough Beaver

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WW2 Section

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Forceful the Sherman Tank

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This guy served at the Atomic Tests, the letters were burnt in by the blast.

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AVRO Arrow Nosecone

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Halifax Nose Art Panels
 
The next morning Winter was coming...so I was outta there.

Got a train to the Via Rail Station and got my Via Rail train to Montreal. After arriving the weather was reasonable so walked about 1.5km to my hotel down near Chinatown area. I was allowed early check in so did that and tried to find something to do for the afternoon.

No HOHO bus, no other tours running, there were day tours but they left in the mornings,,,so I went for a walk again.
I found the Underground City, which is just a maze of shops like an underground mall, I found the Stargate but couldn't make it work, down to the riverfront and the Convention Centre. It looked like a reasonable city, except for the French speaking part.

Got some dinner and back to the hotel.

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Stargate

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Convention Centre

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Bank of England

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Notre Dame Basillica

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Poodle Lady

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Pug Man

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Many nice old buildings



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In the room...party poopers
 

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