October 14, 2022
Arriving October 22 at 11 am and bringing our on-site aircraft total to 25, we’re excited to welcome the eye-catching Douglas A-26B Invader.
Purchased by Ross Robinson in 2007, this aircraft, C-GWLT, has a storied history dating back to 1944.
Manufactured towards the end of WWII, the Invader—sometimes called the “Badass Invader”—was used extensively during the Korean and Vietnam Wars and the Bay of Pigs Invasion.
After their retirement in 1969, many of the aircraft ended up in civilian hands. C-GWLT was converted to a water bomber and used to combat forest fires.
Robinson, a vintage military aircraft enthusiast, acquired the plane specifically for use at airshows and to complement his 1952 Harvard Mark IV. Its previous owners had painted it in shades of blue, an impractical colour scheme, notes Robinson. “Why would you paint an aircraft the same colour as the sky?” The aircraft’s current livery is eclectic, and there’s no doubt it garners attention at airshows.
Though it never flew with the RCAF, the Invader displays the air force logo and tail number 098, a nod to the “Trail of 98” in Yukon Territory. Back in the 1970s, this aircraft operated as Invader 7 out of Air Spray’s base in Whitehorse, YT and pilots who flew her requested a name befitting her time there. The reference to the Trail of 98 was chosen for its significance during the Klondike gold rush of 1898.
The aircraft also bears the Manitoba flag and markers to commemorate the F-86 Sabre of the 439 Fighter Squadron.
For the past 15 years, C-GWLT has been a highlight at airshows across Canada. October 22 will mark its final “mission” as it rolls into Aviation Plaza to join our collection. Owner Ross Robinson and Chief Pilot Alan Nimmo will be on-site to speak about the aircraft and its history beginning at 11 am.
Learn more and join us as we welcome the Invader!
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