Today's song is: Jefferson Airplane on American Bandstand .. Blast from the Past
It is a relatively short walk along the Aviation Parkway (about 3 kms) to the Aviation and Space Museum. It was a great day, sunny and 20 degrees so off we went on an adventure. The Aviation bicycle trail has to accommodate cyclists and pedestrians and job number 1, which was not easy, was teaching Jaidan to stay to the right of the yellow line to avoid the speeding cyclists. The speed limit is 20 km/hr and it is not hard to exceed that and many cyclists do. After a while, Jaidan determined it was important and stayed on his own side.
Once at the museum, we decided to purchase a family ticket and was surprised at the cost of $44 dollars on a weekday. I consider that pricey and I would think many families would think twice about entering. Once inside, it was photo time and Jaidan enjoyed seeing the many different types of airplanes. Rockcliff airport is beside the museum and the training flights often fly over us while we are out and walking and Jaidan now knows where they take off and land.
For me, the interesting part was seeing the Lancaster bomber that my Dad flew during the war and the Spitfire fighter plane my Mom's first husband flew during the Air Battle of Britain. Unfortunately her husband was killed in action after 1 month of marriage.
The other interesting part was seeing the front half of an Avro Arrow. It was the most advance aircraft of its time and turned out to be too good so the US lobbied the canadian government of the time and Canada obliged by destroying all models by cutting themin half. So, instead of having a booming aviation defense industry Mr. Diefenbaker leaft us with The Diefenbaker Bunkerout near Carp. Like many Canadian politicians, he was an idiot.
At the end of the WW2 Canada had the 3rd largest Navy in the world and was well respected in Military circles. Nowadays we are a laughing stock. Holland, a small country with few natural resources, and a country we liberated after the war, puts us to shame.
