Five Facts About the Bushplane Museum

The History of the CBHC

The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre is in the historical hangar on the St. Marys River in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. In 1924, the hangar was established by the Ontario Provincial Air Service when pilots returned home from the First World War. Originally, it was created as an air service to map areas in Canada and to survey forested locations. This was very significant because it was here that the idea to fight bushfires using a bushplane was created.

A larger section of the hangar was built in 1947 and is now the site of the CBHC and many exhibits. Although the original hangar still exists, it is not accessible to the general public and is not part of the museum’s exhibit.

In 1987, a group of volunteers looking to preserve this important part of Canadian history agreed with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. This agreement allowed the volunteers to use part of the hangar for storage and displays until the Fire and Aviation Division relocated operations to the Sault Ste. Marie Airport. The CBHC worked very hard to expand this attraction and preserve its rich history over the many years in operation. Today, the CBHC is a proud piece of history in the community of Sault Ste. Marie.

1. The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre Hangar is the only non-military air hangar to have a test cell.

Although this exhibit is only available during special events, it is a marvel nonetheless! The purpose of the test cell is to run and test the planes’ engines to ensure that they are running to the manufacturers’ specifications. The plane engines are run for 7 hrs straight to ensure efficiency and strength. The test cell can be viewed inside the cell itself or from the fully functional control room. When a demonstration is in progress, patrons can watch the action from a live LCD monitor to ensure safety.

2. One of the plane exhibits is a movie star!

The Fokker F.VIIb-3m Trimotor “Friendship” is the same replica plane that can be seen in the 2009 movie “Amelia” starring Hilary Swank, Richard Gere and Virginia Madison. The original aircraft was built by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker in 1927/1928. This plane has a great history behind it and is the plane that Amelia Earhart flew over the Atlantic as a passenger on June 17^th, 1928. Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. This replica was built for the film and was later donated to the CBHC and can now be viewed as part of the exhibit.

3. You can fight forest fires in 3D!

One of the exhibits offered at the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre Hangar is the 3D film Wildfires! presentation that puts you both on the ground and in the air to show what it is like to battle a forest fire. Filled with special effects, experience how the Ministry of Natural Resources Aviation crew works to control wildfires.

4. There are currently 24 classic aircraft on display.

Over several years, CBHC has been able to obtain 24 classic aircraft to display in the museum. Some of these are open to the public to climb aboard and explore inside the plane, cockpit and cargo hold. Many of the aircraft have even been restored to fully operational status. A list of aircraft on display can be viewed here.

5. The museum is 100% interactive.

The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre offers many educational opportunities and a unique experience. The museum is 100% interactive with a strong focus on the science of flight. Some of the available activities include:

• Sending Morse code messages from a 1940s Ranger Office
• Climb a real fire tower and radio to the Rangers’ office below
• Flight Simulators
• Sit in the cockpit of a real vintage bushplane

The bushplane is considered an iconic piece of Canadian History. Today, one of the most prominent uses of the bushplane is to bring passengers and cargo to remote fly-in-only locations. Many of these locations can be found in the Algoma region.

For more information and upcoming events, visit The Canadian, Bushplane Heritage Centre website by clicking here.