Hangar Flight Museum welcomes Vimy planes as part of national tour
The Hangar Flight Museum will host a three-day event this weekend showcasing the “Birth of a Nation Tour,” honouring the Vimy Flight crew.
Vimy Flight is a team of volunteer pilots flying four Nieuport 11 planes, replicas of the primary aircraft flown by the airmen during the Battle of Vimy Ridge. The team also performed a commemorative biplane flyover of the Vimy Ridge Memorial at Vimy, France, in April.
“I think the most important thing (people) will take away is recognition of the sacrifices of our military personnel, especially those in World War I and World War II and at Vimy Ridge,” said Anne LindsayMacleod, executive director of the Hangar Flight Museum.
“Vimy Ridge was basically called a nation-building battle. There were a lot of firsts involved with it, and it was really the first battle where Canadians came together to fight as a cohesive group.”
The museum will showcase the aircraft along with a temporary exhibit of First World War aviators and historic artifacts. Three of the aircraft will be flying high in the sky at 11:30 a.m. each day, weather permitting. Visitors to the museum will also have the chance to speak with the crew members and hear their flight stories.
The museum, formerly known as the Aero Space Museum, will host the exhibit Saturday, Sunday and Labour Day Monday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Birth of a Nation Tour spans Canada from coast to coast, and engages with communities to honour Canadian heroes of the past 100 years, while celebrating Canada’s 150th birthday. Calgary will be the only tour stop in Alberta.