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Strana 16

CANADA AVIATION AND SPACE MUSEUM
The Canada Aviation and Space Museum is
located in Ottawa at the former CFB Rockcliffe
base. An airfield was established there as
early as 1918, within the grounds of a military
training and shooting range. In 1920, by
decision of the Canadian Air Board, Rockcliffe
Air Station became one of the first five official
airfields in Canada. Given its location on the
banks of the Ottawa River, a seaplane base
was also established, allowing the airfield to
accommodate both land-based aircraft and
seaplanes. During the interwar period, the
airfield served, among other functions, as
a testing and research facility. Prior to the
Second World War, the airfield was modernized
with the construction of paved runways and
during the war, Rockcliffe Air Station served
as a major centre for the training of Allied
air personnel. It also functioned as a major
transport aviation base and continued to serve
as a testing and research center.
After World War II, the importance of the
base gradually declined. Test and research
activities ceased in 1957, in 1964 the Canadian
Air Force (RCAF) ceased operations from
there and the base continued to serve as an
administrative center and accommodations
facility. In 1994, the RCAF activity at the
Rockcliffe base was definitively terminated.
But already in 1964, the National Aeronautical
Collection established its headquarters there,
which was created by merging three existing
aviation collections: the National Aviation
Museum at the Uplands base, which had
exhibits from the beginnings of aviation and
flying in remote areas of Canada (bush flying),
the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, which
had exhibits from the period of both world
wars, including many rare war booty machines,
and the RCAF Museum, which specialized in
aircraft operated by the Canadian Air Force,
the RCAF.
In 1982, the National Aviation Collection was
renamed the National Aviation Museum, and
in 1988 the exhibits were moved from the old
wartime wooden hangars to a new building
with a triangular floor plan. A new hangar
was opened in 2006 to serve as a depository.
Between 2008 and 2010, the museum was
expanded to include additional space and the
museum was renamed the Canada Air and
Space Museum.
The museum is open year round. In its
possession, you will find a number of truly
unique exhibits, often the only surviving
pieces of these aircraft. In addition to the
main museum building, the depository is also
accessible, where you can find a number of
other gems. The depository is accessible for
an additional fee with a guide, in our case it
was a lady guide, very knowledgeable and
familiar with the history of the exhibits, which
extended our visit to the depository by at least
an hour. You can view images from our visit
to the museum and depository in the gallery
below.
Canada Aviation
and Space Museum
Vladimír Šulc
Part one
INFO Eduard16
November 2026

CANADA AVIATION AND SPACE MUSEUM

Canada Aviation and Space Museum

Part one

Vladimír Šulc

The Canada Aviation and Space Museum is located in Ottawa at the former CFB Rockcliffe base. An airfield was established there as early as 1918, within the grounds of a military training and shooting range. In 1920, by decision of the Canadian Air Board, Rockcliffe Air Station became one of the first five official airfields in Canada. Given its location on the banks of the Ottawa River, a seaplane base was also established, allowing the airfield to accommodate both land-based aircraft and seaplanes. During the interwar period, the airfield served, among other functions, as a testing and research facility. Prior to the Second World War, the airfield was modernized with the construction of paved runways and during the war, Rockcliffe Air Station served as a major centre for the training of Allied air personnel. It also functioned as a major transport aviation base and continued to serve as a testing and research center.

After World War II, the importance of the base gradually declined. Test and research activities ceased in 1957, in 1964 the Canadian

Air Force (RCAF) ceased operations from there and the base continued to serve as an administrative center and accommodations facility. In 1994, the RCAF activity at the Rockcliffe base was definitively terminated. But already in 1964, the National Aeronautical Collection established its headquarters there, which was created by merging three existing aviation collections: the National Aviation Museum at the Uplands base, which had exhibits from the beginnings of aviation and flying in remote areas of Canada (bush flying), the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, which had exhibits from the period of both world wars, including many rare war booty machines, and the RCAF Museum, which specialized in aircraft operated by the Canadian Air Force, the RCAF.

In 1982, the National Aviation Collection was renamed the National Aviation Museum, and in 1988 the exhibits were moved from the old wartime wooden hangars to a new building with a triangular floor plan. A new hangar was opened in 2006 to serve as a depository.

Between 2008 and 2010, the museum was expanded to include additional space and the museum was renamed the Canada Air and Space Museum.

The museum is open year round. In its possession, you will find a number of truly unique exhibits, often the only surviving pieces of these aircraft. In addition to the main museum building, the depository is also accessible, where you can find a number of other gems. The depository is accessible for an additional fee with a guide, in our case it was a lady guide, very knowledgeable and familiar with the history of the exhibits, which extended our visit to the depository by at least an hour. You can view images from our visit to the museum and depository in the gallery below.

16

INFO Eduard

November 2026

Info EDUARD