News & Stories

EVERYONE HAS A STORY TO TELL

News

Peter George in front of Museum

July 15, 2025


RAMWC Welcomes Next President & CEO Peter George

The Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada is pleased to announce the appointment of Peter George as the new incoming President and Chief Executive Officer. Peter brings more than 30 years of leadership experience in branding, strategy, and stakeholder engagement. …

line with dot READ MORE

July 14, 2025


The RCAF and the Mustang Era

On July 25–27, 2025, Hannu Halminen will return to Winnipeg to display his North American P-51 Mustang IV at the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada. The P-51 played an important role in the history of the Royal Canadian Air Force …

line with dot READ MORE

June 18, 2025


From Portage la Prairie to Mars: The story of Clennell Hagerston “Punch” Dickins

He was a teenage infantryman who became a bomber pilot, a peacetime pioneer who flew farther than any Canadian before him, and by the time he was 30, he had done more to map the North than most men did …

line with dot READ MORE
Gremlin Nose Art

March 27, 2025


Mischief in the Machine: The History of the Gremlin

While the term gremlin may have existed earlier, the myth truly “took off” with pilots and ground crew of the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the early days of World War II. These troublemaking, impish creatures became the scapegoat for mechanical issues …

line with dot READ MORE
Lockheed Vega aboard S.S. William Scoresby, Wilkins Antarctic Expedition, Deception Point, L to R, Parker Cramer, Sir Hubert Wilins, Al Cheesman, Orval Porter, 1928-29

March 3, 2025


Silas Alward Cheesman: The First Canadian Bush Pilot to Fly in Antarctica

Early Canadian bush pilots faced challenges at every turn and confronted them head-on, armed only with an indomitable will and a can-do attitude. Thanks to bush flying, trips that once took weeks could now be completed in hours. Those dealing …

line with dot READ MORE
F-86 Sabe under wraps at the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada

February 7, 2025


F-86 Sabre Unveiled

#1815 Now on Display The project began with an idea—one that would lead to 6,000 volunteer hours in a major restoration effort and a fundraising campaign unlike anything the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada had undertaken before. “2024 marked the 100th anniversary of …

line with dot READ MORE
Captain of the Clouds Movie Poster

February 4, 2025


Lights, Camera, Aviation

The Royal Aviation Museum’s Connection to Hollywood History There’s an old song that goes, “You Oughta Be in Pictures.” As it turns out, two of our museum’s aircraft are the same type as those featured in the classic Hollywood film Captains of the …

line with dot READ MORE
An F-86 Sabre tests its guns

January 14, 2025


F-86 Sabre vs. MiG-15: The Manitoban Who Downed the Last MiG of the Korean War

Text by Lt Col (ret) Robert Nash for the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada. During the Korean War, United Nations pilots flying the F-86 Sabre were involved in some of the earliest jet-to-jet battles in history. Their primary opponent …

line with dot READ MORE
F86 Sabre in Flight

January 14, 2025


The History of the Canadian Sabre

Text by Lt Col (ret) Robert Nash for the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada. The F-86 Sabre is the most-produced Western jet-powered day fighter, with a total production of 9,860, including all variants. Between 1949 and 1956, North American …

line with dot READ MORE
Desiree Charlton standing in front of the Lockheed Electra

January 2, 2025


Fueling Change: An Indigenous Woman’s Path to Aviation

Growing up in War Lake First Nation northeast of Thompson, Manitoba, Desiree Charlton learned early on the vital importance of aviation for remote northern communities.  Her community was accessible only by train for most of the year. In winter, an …

line with dot READ MORE