Canadian Forces Museum of Aerospace Defence
33 Manston Cr. P0H 1P0 North Bay, ON, Canada

It's National Aviation Day in Canada! On February 23rd, 1909, the Silver Dart in Baddeck, Nova Scotia, made the first powered flight in Canada, and began a long and proud story of aviation! To celebrate this, here are a few beautiful photos of air defence jets in Canada, all courtesy of the National Defence Image Library.

Hello, Operator? Communication is critical for air defence, and switchboards like this one (from CFS Mont Apica) helped different sections and units stay in touch! It also has a typed list attached to it with some of the more popular external phone numbers, including North Bay and other operational locations, but also the Legion and the curling club! Anyone remember using one of these from their time on the Pinetree Line?

From us here at CFMAD to all of our fans, followers and supporters, we wish you all a Happy Valentine's Day!

A classic radar console set-up, that we're sure will bring back lots of memories to our RCAF member or veteran followers. This particular image is a scan from a slide presentation, taken in Falconbridge in 1983. Anybody here remember using these things at Falconbridge, or any other of the Pinetree Line stations?

The bandwagon, we're on it.

It’s Museum Selfie Day! Since we are still closed, we can’t invite you in to take fun selfies in the gallery but we’d love to see any that you might have fun your visits, however long ago! This is the noisy end of a CF-18 Hornet! We’re cheating a bit on this pic, because we don’t actually have a CF-18, but one did visit in 2019 for an event that we were at, and we got to gush over it all night. They wouldn’t let us keep it, though.

Some Christmas Eve cheer for you! Enjoy this adaptation of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas', about what it would be like to see Santa on your radar screen! This is from 'The Shield', the military newspaper in North Bay, from the early 1980s. T’was the night before Christmas and all through the SAGE,... Not a person was moving, deep in the cage. Me in my uniform, the SD in his cap, Had just settled down for a Christmas Eve nap. When all of a sudden on my scope did appear Eight tiny blips, that looked like reindeer. It wasn’t a special, a bee or a yoke, Now I knew, that this was some kind of a joke. Grabbing my lightgun, I blasted with glee, But no action was taken, that’s when I called ID. Hey boys, I exclaimed, what’s ya got over Prawn? I think, he said, it looks like a fawn! Hanging up the phone, I ran in a hurry, To find the SD, in one heck of a fury, What’s that! He said with a pause, Sir, I think it’s Santa Claus! Santa Claus! I want the ASO! We’ve got to find out, I’ve got to know! Scramble the planes! Make a visual ID! Santa, ha! This I’ve got to see. So when the fighters had intercepted this blip in the sky, They were sitting their laughing, wondering why The SD would panic and not even pause To send them up after Ol’ Santa Claus. So, it was the night before Christmas and all through the hole, Everyone was trying, the SD to console, So to the SD, I saw with a pause, Sir, there really is a Santa Claus Don't forget to check NORAD Tracks Santa today to find out where Santa is on his journey around the world!

It’s happening! NORAD Tracks Santa is live and giving timely updates as to where Santa is in the world! Keep an eye on the page today to see where he is!

It’s almost time for NORAD Tracks Santa to start! Be sure to follow him at www.noradsanta.org on December 24th, but be sure to check out this great interview with RCAF members on The Fighter Pilot Podcast! Get it right from the experts how they find Santa on their radars, and what it’s like to escort him in a CF-18! Available to listen at the YouTube link here, or wherever you get your podcasts. https://youtu.be/ZgFgsYaC8VU

The 22nd NORAD Region in North Bay (as we were named, back in the day), directed CF-101 Voodoos to escort Santa through Canadian airspace to keep him safe - although Santa has to slow down even for today's supersonic jets so they can keep up with him! Follow the modern version of this annual event at NORAD Tracks Santa ! Image from "The Shield", 1973, part of the CFMAD Collection.

All the best to all of our supporters! Free Realistic Snow Overlay by Kosmos Motion Graphics http://youtu.be/vEhD5WwCo44

We're going way back to the early days of RCAF Station North Bay for today's post! "The Jet" was the newspaper for RCAF Station North Bay before "The Shield" took over in 1966. This issue, from August 1952, shows the first CF-100 to arrive in North Bay! While still so new that any comments on its handling or abilities were restricted, it does say that they believe "the aircraft will become a popular addition to the powerfully expanding RCAF". Photo: CFMAD Collection

The North Bay Santa Trackers have been announced! Watch this roll call for the trackers, techs and pilots, ready to go for NORAD Tracks Santa on December 24th!

We will remember them.

You may have heard that the AWACS aircrew badge has been converted from the upswept 'specialty badge', to the more appropriate 'out-stretched full wing' Aircrew Flying Badge, and there's lots of excitement over this upgrade! Our museum shop currently has stock of some NON-ISSUE versions of the new metal and padded fabric DEU wings. They are extremely similar to the versions that members will now be wearing on their uniforms, but these are readily available to everyone, and are great as souvenirs or for shadow-boxes. They are $7.99 each and are available on our online gift shop at www.aerospacedefence.ca/shop. Read the RCAF article about the change here: http://www.rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca//article-template-standar

We're getting a facelift! Our 1950s building, one of the originals on the Wing, is getting new windows and doors and some beautiful siding - we've seen the drawings, we're very excited! We'll post progress pictures as they go, so stay tuned for updates!

The Canadian Forces Museum of Aerospace Defence (CFMAD) at 22 Wing will follow direction from the 22 Wing Commander that all facilities will remain closed to the general public until further notice, and will temporarily only be able to welcome guests that are part of the 22 Wing Defence Team. This is a precautionary measure to avoid any illness or additional exposure that may affect 22 Wing’s military and civilian personnel. Adopting best practices to mitigate the spread of C...OVID-19 is a matter of obligation for readiness, as 22 Wing must be able to continue current operations, conduct the NORAD mission, and be ready for future operations. For local Defence Team members and their families wishing to visit the museum, please reach out to us for visitation details. We thank all of our supporters for their continued online support during these closures, and we intend to continue providing valuable virtual content and experiences.

In this very different kind of year for Remembrance Day, since most of us will be unable to attend a ceremony, we encourage everyone to remember in their own way. Canada Remembers has wonderful resources on their website, including a listing of memorials and cemeteries around the world. Learn about the stories of those who served in this remembrance season.

Straight from Colorado Springs, our NORAD items are back in stock! Now available on our web store at www.aerospacedefence.ca/shop, take a look at these great NORAD coins and lanyards! The coins are $14.99 and the lanyards are $7.99.

*Some Assembly Required* Here are some great photos, courtesy our friends at the Secrets of Radar Museum in London, Ontario, of a radome being installed!

In the Second World War, as radar stations were not yet ready around Canada's coastal areas to watch for intruder enemy aircraft, the civilian Aircraft Detection Corps (ADC) was watching the skies. Formed in 1940 and armed with binoculars and telephones, these volunteers watched the skies. Since there were not swarms of enemy aircraft flying into Canada, the ADC did not earn much glory, but they were helpful in locating lost aircraft and aiding in rescue missions. Here, an ADC volunteer keeps binoculars around her neck, while also tending to her chickens (DND Photo: PL-17189), and two copies of their publication, "The Observer", on display in our museum.

A perfect post for #FighterFriday, we have a new oral history now available on our YouTube channel! John Stacey was a pilot on the CF-101 and CF-18 (among others) and has some great stories that he shared with us, and we're excited to share them with you! Check out this quick little trailer, and then head over to our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/AeroDefMuseum to see more!

"Air Security - National Security" This bright and colourful recruitment poster from the Cold War highlights the growing need for continental air defence personnel. It's also available as a magnet in our gift shop, at www.aerospacedefence.ca/shop! Poster part of CFMAD Collection

Today, we remember the crew of Yukla 27, an E-3A AWACS aircraft flying out of Elmendorf in Alaska, that crashed shortly after takeoff, and all 24 souls were lost. Today, we remember 22 Americans and 2 Canadians that lost their lives in an air defence mission. Respects were paid with a moment of silence at 22 Wing/CFB North Bay. Inscribed on the monument here at 22 Wing/CFB North Bay are the names of those lost.... LtCol Richard G. Leary (USAF) Maj Richard P. Stewart II (USAF) Maj Marion R. Thomas (USAF) Maj Steven A. Tuttle (USAF) Capt Robert J. Long (USAF) Capt Bradley W. Paakola (USAF) Capt Glenn "Skip" Rogers Jr. (USAF) 1st Lt Carlos A. Arriaga (USAF) MSgt Stephen C. O'Connell (USAF) Sgt David L. Pitcher (CF) TSgt Mark A. Bramer (USAF) TSgt Mark A. Collins (USAF) TSgt Bart L. Holmes Sr. (USAF) TSgt Ernest R. Parrish (USAF) TSgt Charles D. Sweet Jr. (USAF) TSgt Timothy B. Thomas (USAF) TSgt Brian K. Van Leer (USAF) MCpl/cplc Jean-Pierre J. Legault (CF) SSgt Scott A. Bresson (USAF) SSgt Raymond O. Spencer Jr. (USAF) SrA Lawrence E. DeFrancesco (USAF) SrA Joshua N. Weter (USAF) Amn Jeshua C. Smith (USAF) Amn Darien F. Watson (USAF) See more

Watch the Battle of Britain 80th anniversary ceremony from Ottawa here. Smaller this year because of COVID-19, but still an important milestone. #BattleOfBritain80

Since this Sunday is Battle of Britain Sunday in Canada, our #FighterFriday this week features some artistic shots of two of the most important aircraft during the event, the Spitfire and the Hurricane. Used throughout the war, these fighter aircraft proved to be formidable opponents against the Luftwaffe. Canadians flew both of these aircraft in both RCAF and RAF squadrons. #BattleOfBritain80... DND Photo, PL-21725 (Huriricane) and PL-15083 (Spitfire)

#BattleOfBritain80 The official end of the Battle of Britain was October 31, 1940, but this was not the end of aerial combat. The Blitz was already underway nightly bombing raids by the Luftwaffe on London and other British cities and it would continue until May 1941. But the Battle of Britain had dealt the Luftwaffe a powerful blow, from which it would never fully recover. The nightly raids weren’t designed as an advance to an invasion, and Operation Sealion had been can...celled. The Battle of Britain had not won the war, but it certainly prevented a German victory in 1940, and ultimately shaped the rest of the war to come. Image: Imperial War Museum Art, IWM PST 14972 Thanks to the Imperial War Museum London for having such an incredible collection of photos online to be able to be shared by other institutions like us.

#BattleOfBritain80 The Battle of Britain is a critical part of air defence history, and 22 Wing/CFB North Bay continues that legacy as part of the North American Aerospace Defence Command. Some of the streets around the Wing are named after RAF Fighter Group airfields, including Northolt, Duxford, and Manston, the street our museum is on! This photo was taken at RAF Manston in February 1941, and shows Spitfires from 92 Squadron of the RAF.... Photo: Imperial War Museum, CH 2537

#BattleOfBritain80 Aircraft identification was important to understanding the aerial battlespace. In Britain, an Observer Corps of 30,000 volunteered their time to phone in aircraft sightings over land. With 1,000 observation posts around the country, the Observers would phone in the direction, height, and number of aircraft, and type of aircraft if they knew. Manuals such as this one in our collection (dated after the Battle of Britain in 1941) were key materials in being familiar with wartime aircraft.

#BattleOfBritain80 Time was always of the essence during the Battle of Britain. Being a fighter pilot was a divided life between being comfortable on the ground waiting for instructions, and being suddenly called into combat. Even in between combat, the ground crews were busy maintaining the aircraft. A skilled Spitfire ground crew could turn around an aircraft (refuel, rearm, minor repairs) in just 26 minutes. Photo: A Hurricane being re-armed, May 1940, Imperial War Museum, CH 194

#BattleOfBritain80 Chain Home was the name given to the radar stations scattered around Britain, a new technology that alerted the RAF to incoming German attacks, allowing a more timely and accurate defence against them. Chain Home could see aircraft at altitude at a range of 190 km/120 miles, and the similar system of Chain Home Low could see low-flying aircraft at a range of 80 km/50 miles. If you want to learn more about radar, check out the The Secrets of Radar Museum in London, Ontario! Photo: Imperial War Museum, CH 15183

#BattleOfBritain80 The two main aircraft used by the Royal Air Force (and its Canadian supporters) were the Spitfire and the Hurricane. Although the technologically superior Spitfire became the icon of the Battle of Britain and had a higher percentage of destroyed aircraft, there were far more Hurricanes in use, including by the only Royal Canadian Air Force Squadron to participate in the Battle of Britain, No. 1 Squadron. Pictured is Ernest McNab No. 1 Squadron with a Hurricane, courtesy of the Library and Archives Canada.

#BattleOfBritain80 The exact number of Canadians to fly in the Battle of Britain is difficult to determine, but the number is only somewhere slightly above 100, and most sources agree that 23 Canadians were killed during the Battle. Hundreds more served as ground crew for various squadrons. Canadians were largely a part of No. 1 Fighter Squadron (RCAF) and 242 (Canadian) Squadron of the Royal Air Force. CFMAD is fortunate to have in its collection the battledress of Ernest McNab, the Commanding Officer of No. 1 Squadron during the Battle of Britain.

#BattleOfBritain80 In 1940, Nazi Germany planned an invasion of Britain, called Operation Sealion. Since Britain is an island, and had a powerful Navy in the waters around it, before this invasion could happen, the Royal Air Force would need to be knocked out of the sky. The resulting aerial combat that occurred 80 years ago is what we call the Battle of Britain. Stay tuned today for eight posts for the 80th anniversary of this incredible historical event. September 15th is c...onsidered the Battle of Britain Day as that was the day that the German Luftwaffe launched their largest and most concentrated attack on London. They had hoped that it would be the decisive attack that would ultimately destroy the Royal Air Force and allow the German forces to invade Britain. Instead, it’s regarded as the climax of action in the Battle of Britain and a major and overwhelming defeat of the Luftwaffe. Battle of Britain Sunday in Canada is commemorated on the third Sunday in September. You can watch the ceremony at Beechwood National Military Cemetery on the Royal Canadian Air Force Facebook page on Sunday September 20th, at 10:30 a.m.

A bit of a different post for #FighterFriday - we normally focus on our favourite fighter jets, but before those came along, fighter aircraft were made of wood and cloth! This Sopwith Camel from the First World War was a single-seat aircraft with twin guns on the upper section. It could be a pain to fly, at times stubborn and unstable, but became possibly the best fighter aircraft in the First World War, and an amazing part of the earliest air defence. Photo from the Imperial War Museum London, Q 57659

Summer is the time for the Annual Posting Season around the country (and beyond!) and as military families settle into their new homes and routines, we thought we's share this great 'Welcome' packet from CFS Parent in Quebec, known for its beautiful scenery and, apparently, its fishing!

Good news! The Canadian Forces Museum of Aerospace Defence now has an online gift shop! Visit it at www.aerospacedefence.ca/shop. "The Pinetree Shop" online version offers a selection of items from our physical store that are either best sellers, or unique to North Bay. We can't accept online payments, but the checkout process will send us the order, and we'll phone you to process the transaction that way. As we learn this new venture for CFMAD, we hope to put up more unique items, so check back regularly to see what we've found!