The National Air Force Museum of Canada invites the community to join them on Saturday, Sept. 28, at their annual Ad Astra Day.
From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., the museum’s CC-130 Hercules, CH-147 Chinook, and CC-129 Dakota will be open for public tours, giving visitors the unique opportunity to step inside these historic aircraft that have played an integral role in RCAF operations.
At 2 p.m., visitors are invited to take part in the 29th annual Ad Astra Ceremony – where the names of over 150 Canadian Air Force personnel will be dedicated in the RCAF Memorial Airpark, joining over 12,000 of their fellow service personnel whose legacy is preserved at the NAFMC.
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) turned 100 this year, and centennial celebrations have been taking place across the country to highlight the past, present, and future of Canada’s Air Force.
Though, this isn’t the only Air Force birthday worth celebrating locally. This year, the NAFMC celebrates its 40th anniversary – though not quite 100, it’s a significant milestone for a local museum that started out as a single room and now boasts over 75,000 square feet of exhibit space and a 16-acre airpark.
New exhibits have been added throughout 2024 to celebrate the storied history of Canada’s earliest air force to today’s RCAF operations.
Discover the earliest days of Canadian military aviation in 1924: Birth of an Air Force, uncover the harrowing stories of Canadian airmen in captured: Airmen in German Prisoner of War Camps, explore RCAF operations at the most northerly, permanently inhabited location in the world in Alert: Station at the Top of the World, and finally, don’t miss the NAFMC’s collection highlights in 100 Years in Objects.
Whether it’s your first visit ever or your first visit this year, there’s something new to see! The Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28. Aircraft tours are offered between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. only, no reservation required. Admission is by donation.
This press release was prepared and distributed by the National Air Force Museum of Canada.
