Built as a testament to the many aeronautics pioneers that paved the way for today's aircraft successes, the
Aero Space Museum of Calgary is a must see, especially if you are a fan of anything that flies. Open year round, seven days a week, you can indulge your inner child and dream about those planes and flights of yesteryear.
Situated near the Calgary Airport, the Aero Space Museum offers a close up look at past, present and future aircraft, a kind of visual celebration of aeronautics in Canadian history. You will see planes from both WWI and WWII. There are aircraft on display strictly for recreational use while others are civil aviation aircraft. A few helicopters are on-site as well as an interesting collection of engines.
You can take some time in the flight simulator and climb into a few aircraft exhibits. You can see how pilots once trained in a mock-up of a cockpit or check out the scaled down remote control model planes. And when the pilot history is known, you can read about some of the exploits too.
Browsing around on your own is acceptable but when possible, take a guided tour by one of the volunteers of the Aero Space Museum. With a guide, you will get a lot more history on the planes, the strategic battles they flew in and even stories about some of the pilots too. Be sure to stop by the gift shop before departing and buy some postcards or even a model of one of the planes as a memento of your visit.
