Tag Archives: Sidney

My First Norseman

If you want to annoy your Canadian friends, be oblivious to famous Canadian aircraft. (We’ll, this will annoy Canadian aviation enthusiasts. I doubt it will bother Canadians that aren’t into planes.) The Norseman was built by Noorduyn (don’t ask me how that is supposed to be pronounced) and it was a rugged single engined bush plane. It is a beast of a plane and there is one on display at the BC Aviation Museum. I don’t know whether it is always stored outside or not but it was on the ramp outside the museum on the sunny day that Jim and I visited. Our guide opened it up so we could have a look at the interior. It looked very nice as it has been well maintained.

The Lancaster Progress is Good, But It Will Be a While

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Jim and I made a trip to the BC Aviation Museum and one of the things he was particularly keen to see was the Lancaster restoration project that they have underway. When we got to the area where the Lancaster restoration is underway, we were disappointed to find the area was closed off that day. We were peering through the entrance at the front fuselage when the president of the museum wandered up with a guest. He asked if we were interested in seeing it and I don’t think it will take great insight to know we said yes.

He was only going to be there for a short while but was happy for us to come in and have a look around while he showed his guest what was underway. The front fuselage was looking very good and much work has been done on it. I was allowed to climb inside and seeing the pilot’s position exposed at the top of the plane was fascinating. The engines are undergoing work and they were in different parts of the museum. The centre wing structure was at one side of the hangar and you could see the work done on it and the engine mounts waiting for the return of some engines.

We didn’t have a long time there but were grateful for the fact we got in there at all. When we went outside, you could see the outer wing panels in storage alongside the hangar. I don’t know what their condition is and whether being exposed to the elements is causing much trouble but I am sure they have considered this as part of their overall restoration effort. It will be a long time before everything is done but then the Lancaster will be displayed in the colors it wore when it was operating as a search and rescue aircraft for the RCAF. Should look fantastic.

I Didn’t Appreciate How Big This Was

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The BC Aviation Museum has a Kamov KA-32 in its hangar. Apparently, it was in use for lifting operations but, with the war in Ukraine having put spares support out of reach, it is now stored. A slightly odd exhibit in a museum full of Canadian aircraft but an interesting one. I had seen images of this helicopter before, but I had never been close to one. What I had never appreciated was just how large it is. Given that it has a large lifting capacity, I probably should have worked that out. I hadn’t though. Standing alongside it in the museum, I was really surprised just how large it is!

The Firefighting Collection

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Canada has a long history of aerial firefighting and the BC Aviation Museum has a row of planes that have a firefighting history. They are lined up outside the hangar and now include the museum’s most recent addition with the Martin Mars that Coulson donated heading the line. There is an S-2 although the example here is not one that was converted for firefighting. However, it does straddle the Canadian military element of the collection and the firefighting role.
Conair has extensive firefighting activities and there are two of their planes on display. An A-26 Invader is there in Conair colours. It was retired quite a while back. Next to it is a more recent acquisition. A Convair CV-580 with a large belly tank modification is an example of the more recent types used in the role. I wonder over time whether something like a Q400 or a BAe 146 will join the collection. Maybe some of the Trackers at Abbotsford could be brought across.

The BC Aviation Museum Visit Takes a Second Attempt

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When a group of us made the trip to Sproat Lake to see Hawaii Mars fly, we had intended to go back the next day for her last flight and also to check out the BC Aviation Museum. We changed plans after the Saturday and skipped the Sunday. However, Jim had wanted to see the museum for a few things and I was interested in what was there so we made a plan for a return trip once the Mars had been pulled into position.
There were a few things in the museum that were very interesting so there will be a few posts on specific elements of the collection. This is an introductory post with some more generic photos of the contents of the museum. The others will follow so, in the first instance, here is an overview of what is there.

A Tank in the Middle of the Town?

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When you get off the ferry at Swartz Bay on Vancouver Island, the first town you come to is Sidney. I didn’t know there was anything there that we were interested in but one of our party, Jim, was keen to see an F-86 Sabre and a Sherman tank that are on display in the town. They are sitting on a pretty average looking street so seem a little incongruous. The Sabre looked like it was in need of some love. The tank, on the other hand, seemed in great condition. Of course, a tank is a bit more resilient to the comings and goings of a town so it probably can handle itself. I did like the Keep Off notice on the front. Probably not original but, it would have been funny if it had been in German. (For the specialists, I know the Canada did not use these tanks in Germany.)

Tiny Crabs in the Tidepool

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I posted about a beach on Vancouver Island that we had scoped out as a possible spot for later. While looking around, I spent a bit of time checking out some of the tide pools on the shore. As is often the case, they initially look quiet but, if you spend a little time waiting, you start to notice movement. I found a crab scuttling around in one of the pools and grabbed some photos of it. What I didn’t realize was that there was a second one alongside that had obviously been less mobile while I was watching. Lots of barnacles in the water too and a ton of snail-like creatures. Don’t think they were hermit crabs but who knows?

Picking A Spot on the Shore Near Victoria Airport

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Before we headed to Sproat Lake to find the Mars, we did a brief recce of the area along the shore where they were due to arrive the following day. At this time, we still had a plan to return to the island on the Sunday for the final touchdown of Hawaii Mars. I would later scrap this portion of the trip. However, we hadn’t got to that point yet. There were a few possible locations to try out and Steve had noticed a small park that led down to the beach, so we went to check it out. It was a lovely little spot and there was a tree hanging out from the land over one part of the beach that looked particularly cool. We didn’t end up returning but this could have been a nice spot to watch the proceedings.

My First Cyclone (In Horrid Conditions)

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We made a trip to Victoria quite a few years ago when I happened to get a shot of a Canadian Forces Sea King as it flew by. That was the only one I ever shot. They have now been retired and replaced by the outstanding airframe (tongue firmly in cheek) that is the CH-148 Cyclone. Based on the Sikorsky S-92, the Cyclone development program has been a bloody disaster. Even as I write this, they are currently addressing cracks in the tail boom that have just shown up.

Just after we got off the ferry at Swartz Bay, we drove to the shoreline in Sidney. I had only just parked the car and was heading to get something out of the trunk when I heard the sound of rotors. It was raining heavily and the wind was blowing but I grabbed the camera from the trunk, set it up for rotors and looked up just as a Cyclone flew by a little way off and then turned downwind. I think they have a squadron based in Victoria International Airport so I suspect it came from there.

The conditions for shooting were awful and the light was terrible so the shots are not too great. However, sometimes you go with what is available. I was hoping that they would be doing some pattern work and that we would get another pass but this was the one and only time that we saw them. Now I have to hope that this isn’t a repeat of my Sea King experience and I never get another shot (although I’m not sure that it is a great helicopter to photograph anyway!).