AVIATION HISTORY

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CANADIAN AVIATION HERITAGE CENTRE "Dedicated to the Preservation of Our Aviation History"
What is the CAHC? The Canadian Aviation Heritage Centre (CAHC) is a community oriented, non-profit organization founded in 1998. The CAHC is situated in the "Old Stone Barn" on the Macdonald Campus of McGill University in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue (Montréal), Québec. The practical use of most of this building, by the Macdonald Campus Agriculture Faculty, ceased with the advent of new state-of-the-art facilities One of the key objectives of the CAHC is the refurbishing of a portion of this attractive building. Two workshops have already been completed for the construction of historically significant aircraft. Major aircraft projects are now well underway. These are full-scale reproductions of aircraft that figured prominently in Québec's aviation history: the Fairchild FC-2 "Razorback", and the Blériot XI. The Fairchild FC-2 was a pioneer "bush plane", quite advanced for its time (1927)--boasting an enclosed, heated cabin and folding wings. The CAHC example will carry the registration "G-CAIH", originally assigned to Fairchild Aviation Ltd. of Montréal. This aircraft was based at Grand-Mère, Québec. The Blériot XI achieved its greatest fame in 1909, when its designer Louis Blériot became the first to fly across the English Channel. To Canadians, the Blériot XI is noteworthy for Count Jacques de Lesseps 1910 epic flight over Montréal, marking the first airplane flight directly over a Canadian City. The CAHC will use a variety of displays and lectures to stimulate interest in Canada's rich aviation history. We particularly want to challenge students of all ages to reach a greater understanding of the role that aviation has played, and is playing in the shaping of our country. Another important objective of the CAHC is the establishment of a permanent aviation art gallery. Work is underway in a section of the barn to house this facility. Prominent Canadian aviation artists have donated paintings to the Centre's permanent collection. None of the above would be possible without the donation of funds, equipment and materials from individuals, foundations and corporations. The CAHC is fortunate to have a dedicated, ever-growing team of professional and non-professional volunteers working enthusiastically to preserve this important part of our cultural heritage. We invite your support and participation in this worthwhile endeavour.