UPCOMING EVENTS

Halloween Weekend Event - coming soon on October 26 & 27

Simulator Day - coming up next on November 8

Remembrance Day Ceremony - November 11, doors open at 9:30AM

HALLOWEEN WEEKEND - THE HAUNTED PUMPKIN HUNT

Save the date for our first Halloween weekend event, October 26 & 27 during our regular admission hours of 10am-4pm. The activities are designed for ages 3-10, but bring the whole family! We'll have: 

• scavenger hunt
• BINGO
• flying bat craft
• save $2 admission on children admission tickets (age 2-11) for children wearing a costume! 

Tickets will be available online and at the door, please purchase your tickets at the door in order to be eligible for the costume discount! 

SIMULATOR DAY - NOVEMBER 8

Take to the skies and experience first-hand what it's like to be a pilot! Join us at The Museum for our Simulator Day and show off your aviation skills. Visitors must be present at their booked times and once booked the time cannot be changed.
 

There is an age minimum for the event, only people age 10 and up can use our simulator.

ANNUAL REMEMBRANCE DAY SERVICE

Each year on Remembrance Day we gather to ensure we never forget. The helicopter landing area behind The Hangar Flight Museum was once a parade square during the Second World War as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. Our wonderful neighbours Eagle Copters and Alpine Helicopters have been kind enough to partner with us to host the service in this space for the past few years. Snow or shine we find a way to remember. Admission by cash donation. 

2024 service details:

CTV News Calgary will air the service live on TV and online at CTVNewsCalgary.ca beginning at 10:30AM. 

In person service is outdoors, please dress for the weather. Doors open at 9:30AM, and we request that everyone is seated by 10:15AM for a 10:30AM start time. The museum will be open for admissions by donation from noon-4PM. 

We are a drop-off location for donations to the Veterans Association Food Bank as well. 

HOMESCHOOL DAYS

We hosted two homeschool days in October! Our winter dates will be: Monday January 27 and Wednesday January 29, 2025. 

We are welcoming homeschool families with school age children to participate in the education programming sessions on October 7th and 8th. Here students will have the chance to learn about the transformative power of flight and amazing stories from Western Canadian aviation! During the sessions we will be giving students museum tours, open plane experiences, and craft activities. Each one of these items in the sessions has been made suitable for mixed age groups although the strongest links are with the grade 5 flight curriculum.

Our education programming will be available on your choice of 2 days and your choice of either a morning or an afternoon session. The craft and tour portions are based on our predeveloped education program called “Theory of Flight”, which teaches students the basics of the principles of flight. This tour is a great way for students to experience real-life application of abstract concepts and they are able to discover the secrets of flight using real aircraft. There is an associated cost of $16.75 per participating student, which covers the cost of the tour, craft, open plane, and museum admission. Parents will be designated as chaperones for their students and are not required to pay for admission while accompanying their child during the sessions. However, donations are always welcome!

Parents will have the ability to register in advance for the sessions this month by following the links included in the email. There, parents are able to see how the morning/afternoon sessions will be structured so they can plan their schedule accordingly.

ANNUAL EVENTS INCLUDE

48TH ANNIVERSARY

Did you know: the Aero Space Museum Association of Calgary was registered as a non-profit charitable organization on November 17, 1975? That makes 2023 our 48th anniversary! Tickets are now available online. 

This year our anniversary festivities are sponsored by Calgary Airport Authority. We thank them both for their support for this events, as well as their year-round support! 

WEEKEND CELEBRATIONS: NOVEMBER 18 & 19 

We're celebrating all weekend too with family fun! Save $4.80 off your admission price as we celebrate our 48th! 

Join us for dual-plane presentations at 10:30, 11:30, 12:30 and 2:30. 

We'll be testing our wind tunnel with crafts all day. 

Book ahead to participate in Avro Anson interior tours at 12:00PM, 1:30PM or 3:00PM. This experience must be prebooked. Purchase your tickets online! CLICK HERE.

FAMILY DAY - MONDAY FEBRUARY 19, 2024

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our February events!

Thank you to Rocky Mountain Aircraft for supporting this event for the second year in a row! Tickets on Family Day will be free - however, we expect to sell out so preregistration is required. We'll even be open for an extra hour, until 5pm, this year to welcome as many guests as we can. This is a great time to visit the museum as a family.

NATIONAL AVIATION DAY - FEBRUARY 23, 2024

Each year on the anniversary of the first powered flight in Canada, the Silver Dart on February 23, we celebrate the opportunities that aviation has provided to our society. Thanks to the support from Rocky Mountain Aircraft admission tickets were free on this day in 2023. Tickets must be reserved for this event as we have maximum occupancy. Thank you to our Gold Sponsor, Carbert Waite LLP and Silver Sponsor, Acera Benefits.

NATIONAL AVIATION WEEKEND - FEBRUARY 24 & 25, 2024

This event is aimed to entertain the entire family. We're continuing our National Aviation Day celebrations with a full weekend of fun. This year also celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force - so it's the perfect time to gain a deeper understanding of aviation history. 

This year's event will feature:

• Avro Anson interior guided tours (special event rate that includes your admission ticket), 11am, 1pm, 2:30pm
• F-86 Sabre interior guided tours (special event rate that includes your admission ticket),12:00pm, 3:00pm
• BOGO general admission tickets (without the tours) 
• 15 minute presentations: topics on the theme of the 100th anniversary of the RCAF 
• Wind tunnel testing

Thank you to our Gold Sponsor, Carbert Waite LLP and Silver Sponsor, Acera Benefits.

PANCAKES, PUPPETS, AND PLANES: MOTHER'S DAY AT THE HANGAR

In 2024 we celebrated Mother's Day on Sunday May 12! This year's event was called Pancakes, Puppets and Planes. It was a great opportunity for families to connect and make new longstanding memories together. 

Highlights from 2024:

• Mom gets in free when accompanying a paid admission
• Tickets available online and at the door
• Pancake breakfast served by the Calgary Stampede's Batter Boys from 10am-noon ($2/person) 
• WP Puppet Theatre presents: two puppet shows and workshops (one in the morning and one in the afternoon) Rabbit's Nose from 11am-noon; Walter the Water Droplet from 2pm-3pm. 
• 360 photo opportunity generously sponsored by Olive Booth

DAMBUSTERS RAID ANNIVERSARY - MAY 16

As we commemorate the 100^th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and the 81^st anniversary of the Operation Chastise, later called the Dambusters Raid, The Hangar Flight Museum presented talks and lecture by Roddy MacKenzie, the renowned author of Bomber Command: Churchill’s Greatest Triumph.

About the Author:

Roddy MacKenzie was born, raised and educated in Calgary.  After articles and admission to the Alberta Bar at Bennett Jones, Roddy moved to Vancouver and created a law firm which he restricted the practice of to municipal law. He served as National Chair of the Municipal Law Section of the Canadian Bar Association, and as an Adjacent Professor at his alma mater UBC's Faculty of Law.

In WWII, Roddy's Dad piloted a Lancaster Bomber. This aroused Roddy's interest in Bomber Command.  Discovering the Allies are unclear what it accomplished, Roddy turned to the Germans. The result is his book Bomber Command: Churchill’s Greatest Triumph.  It was published last year and is already in its Second Printing. Copies of this book will be available for purchase at The Hangar during this event, so you can have a signed copy.

Four Speeches 16 May 2024:

Rodd spoke four times about Bomber Command -- what it was and what it did.  One out of every four Canadians killed in World War Two died in Bomber Command. 

Roddy also spoke about Lancasters, and especially ours, and about the immortal Dambusters, several of whom were Albertans.

This is the Centenary of the Royal Canadian Air Force.  Bomber Command was its greatest achievement. Only Canada had a separate Bomber Group  It was Six Bomber Group. The RCAF's Six Bomber Group ultimately had the lowest casualty rate and highest bombing accuracy rate in Bomber Command. We were the best of the best.  Roddy will share with us how that happened.

Lancaster Interior Tours:

Tours inside The Hangar’s Avro Lancaster were available on May 16 between the talks. This aircraft is only open on select days of the year, as we work to preserve these artifacts of aviation heritage. 

ANNUAL FATHER'S DAY WEEKEND EVENT: WINGS AND WHEELS

Each year on Father's Day weekend we partner with local car clubs to bring in special "wheels" to join our wings. It's a ton of fun for the whole family and includes activities such as: flying crafts, vehicle show and shine, and helicopter city tours (for an additional fee of $95 per person, from LR Helicopters, weather dependant). In 2024 the event was brought to you by De Havilland Canada!

NOW BOARDING: OPEN AIRCRAFT DAYS 

One of the most highly requested experiences at The Hangar Flight Museum is the ability to sit in our aircraft. Our aircraft are historical artifacts so we do our best to protect them by performing preventative maintenance as well as requiring clean closed-toe shoes for this experience. This event was made possible thanks to support from RJC Engineers. 

2024 UPDATE: Now Boarding is now complete for 2024. Thank you to everyone who joined us. 

Choose to come based on your favourite plane, or the date you're available for a visit, or come see all 5 planes this summer! Our membership rates are great value for experiencing all that The Hangar has to offer this summer. The aircraft* open this summer are: 

• Avro Lancaster: Sunday June 30, Saturday July 13, Saturday August 3, Sunday August 11, Monday September 2. 
• F-86 Sabre: Sunday June 23, Sunday July 7, Saturday July 27, Saturday August 10, Sunday August 25. 
• Beechcraft 18: Saturday June 22, Saturday July 6, Sunday July 21, Sunday July 28, Saturday August 24. 
• DeHavilland Twin Otter: Monday July 1, Saturday July 20, Sunday August 4, Saturday August 17, Saturday August 31. 
• Douglas DC-3: Saturday June 29, Sunday July 14, Monday August 5, Sunday August 18, Sunday September 1. 

Closed-toe shoes must be worn for this experience. Gloves and bump-hats will be provided for entry into the Avro Lancaster. 

* if we are unable to open the scheduled aircraft for any reason, a different aircraft will be substituted.