You never know what may transpire when a person comes to the door for a Kijiji pick-up at our house. Recently, we were selling a small collection of retro office items and I casually asked the buyer “do you collect vintage office items?” He said “no this is for the Avro Museum.” I thought WHAT? Though I knew a bit about the history of the iconic Avro jet, I didn’t know Calgary has an Avro museum.

Indeed it does! An avid group of Avro plane enthusiasts in Calgary not only have a small museum at the Springbank Airport, but are attempting to build a 60% scale, piloted replica of the AVRO Arrow jet. With the museum is only open the second Sunday afternoon, we knew we were going the next second Sunday of the month.

AVRO History (From Canadian Encyclopedia)

The Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow (the Arrow) was a supersonic interceptor jet aircraft designed and built in the 1950s by A.V. Roe Canada (hence, Avro). The Arrow was one of the most advanced aircraft of its era, helping establish Canada as a world leader in scientific research and development. (Yes, I also get confused by the use of both Avro and Arrow in reference to the plane.)

Though the Arrow was widely praised for its power and beauty, the program was cancelled in February 1959 by the government of Prime Minister John Diefenbaker. This resulted in the loss of at least 25,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Many believe the Arrow’s cancellation was a betrayal of Canada’s aerospace industry. Others assert that the jet was extravagant and had little chance of competing with impending innovations. At best, Avro and the Arrow were historic examples of Canadian ingenuity and intriguing case studies of unrealized potential. (Some things never change).

Learn more: https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/avro-arrow

Avro Museum

The Springbank Airport is located just off of the Trans-Canada Highway on the way to Banff – just 26 km west of the Calgary’s city centre. It is home to dozens of hangars with small planes and helicopters. Excellent signage lead us directly to a small hangar, appropriately located at #20 - 229 Avro Lane NW.

FYI: Who knew the airport is home to 70+ businesses, 50+ hangars and 400+ aircraft.

Once inside, we were immediately confronted by the skeleton of a plane and the buzz of a bunch of people milling about. It was like walking into a huge garage / workshop - tools and tables were everywhere; the walls lined with blueprints, photos and notes. Turns out the volunteers are in the middle of creating a 60% scale replica of the CF-105 Avro Arrow plane. The photos document the progress to date. This is no pristine, dust-free, stuffy museum, but an animated working museum.

We were immediately greeted by a volunteer who welcomed us and offered to give us a tour. Our tour guide was an engineering student who proved not only to be very knowledgeable but also very personable. We were entertained by fascinating stories of how the various pieces of the plane were obtained, restored, integrated into the replica (or stored waiting to be installed). And how the Arrow program impacted the evolution of Canada’s aero-space industry.

Did You Know?

When the Arrow program was shut down, some of Avro’s aviation off spring survived, albeit with different names. SPAR Aerospace was formed in 1967 through the amalgamation of de Havilland Canada’s Special Products unit and Avro’s Applied Research division. SPAR’s incredible achievements (including the Shuttle and Space Station’s Canadarms) were recognized worldwide. SPAR is now part of MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates.

Orenda Aerospace was acquired by Magellan Aerospace Corporation in 1997 and renamed Magellan Repair, Overhaul and Industrial. They are a supply and maintenance centre for gas turbines for industrial, aviation and military products around the world.

LearJet Acquisition

It was very interesting to learn how the Avro Museum’s acquisition of decommissioned LearJet was instrumental to construction of the replica jet. Turns out they have dismantled an entire LearJet, using the engines for the replica Avro, and then stripped out all of the interior, instruments, emergency braking drag chute, hydraulic system, oxygen system, fire system, wiring, access panels, horizontal stabilizer, rudder, wings with main gear still attached. All of the instruments were then catalogued and are to be sold mostly on-line or through word of mouth.

Seeing an actual flight simulator was exciting, although unfortunately due to COVID the public can’t sit in it. But we were able to stand next to it while a volunteer demonstrated how it works.

Want to know more? The website has great photos and videos that document the incredible journey of the Avro Museum. The online newsletters, are full of fun stories and great photos are a great read. If you live in the Calgary area or are visiting and happen to be in the city the second Sunday of the month, take a trip out to the airport. (Admission is by donation).

Bonus

There is a viewing area at the Springbank Airport where you can sit in your car or stand at a fence and watch the planes take off. With the airport having several flight schools, if you time it right, you can even watch the same plane(s) take off, circle back, land and take off again.

FYI: The Springbank Airport is Alberta’s second busiest airport in terms of aircraft movements. It is owned and operated by The Calgary Airport Authority.

Last Word

If you visit, don’t forget to check out the small gift shop, with its very cool pins, hats, shirts and reproductions of Avro documents. And yes, we did spot our Kijiji items on an antique desk in the loft overlooking the museum (aka workshop) below.

Calgary Hidden Gems: Avro Museum At Springbank Airport