By Ben Forrest | September 9, 2016 Estimated reading time 3 minutes, 54 seconds.
Greenwood Military Aviation Museum in Nova Scotia has added three retired aircraft from the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) to its collection.
This brings the display in the museum’s outdoor air park to nine aircraft types flown by squadrons at 14 Wing Greenwood, the largest air base on Canada’s East Coast.
The collection also boasts two more aircraft housed within the museum and three more aircraft in the restoration phase.
The museum recently acquired a Lockheed CC-130E Hercules, a CC-144 Challenger and a CP-140A Arcturus and installed them just outside the main gate at 14 Wing Greenwood.
“I think if you look at the Challenger, there was only two given out to the museums across Canada and we were lucky enough to get the second one,” said Malcolm Uhlman, public relations director for the museum.
“I think that tells us that we’re being recognized as a major museum across Canada.”
Each of the aircraft played a significant role in the RCAF.
The CC-130E Hercules was used by 413 Transport and Rescue Squadron for missions out of Greenwood, though the specific aircraft the museum acquired is originally from Canadian Forces Base Trenton, Ont.
434 Combat Support Squadron at 14 Wing Greenwood flew CC-144 Challengers in an electronic warfare role from 1995 to 2000, predominantly working with the Royal Canadian Navy.
The specific Challenger the museum acquired is from 412 Transport Squadron in Ottawa, Ont., and was used for medevac missions out of Afghanistan and for VIP transport before it was retired in 2014.
The CP-140A Arcturus was used primarily at 14 Wing Greenwood for Arctic and coastal surface patrol missions, for pilot training and as an instructional airframe. It was also retired in 2014.
Organizers had to take the wings off the Hercules and the Arcturus to make them narrow enough to navigate a road leading to the air park from the operational side of the base. Both aircraft are now completely reassembled for public viewing.
“There’s a lot of people around that are still here or not too long retired that have flown the Aurora or the Arcturus and the Hercules in particular,” said Maj Al Baillie, the museum’s point man for the acquisitions.
“They’re absolutely tickled pink that these aircraft are here.”
Ultimately, the aircraft are bringing history to life for those who visit.
“It’s really the ultimate way to show the public what the military does,” said Uhlman. “When you can come and see and touch monster aircraft like that—you know, the Arcturus or the Herc.”
