Updated: Age of Flight Museum, Niagara Falls, Ontario (Avro Lancaster, Swordfish, P-38)

[gwb123]

My Mother's family is from the Niagara Falls region of New York.  Back in the 1960's we regularly travelled up there from Philadelphia to spend the summers at the family farm.  

 

It was not uncommon for us to drive to the Falls, and then back along Whirlpool Street and then onto the Niagara Scenic Parkway, both which overlooked the churning waters and deep chasm of the Niagara River.  

 

I was an aviation enthusiast from early on, so imagine my surprise one day when I looked across the river to the Canadian side and saw...  

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... a brightly colored Avro Lancaster, seemingly too close to the ege of the gorge.  

 

What the heck was that about?  

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That was my introduction to the Age of Flight museum.  

 

(The pennant is currently for sale on eBay.)

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Intrigued, I did what any 12 year old would do... I badgered my parents to include it as a stop on our next drive across the bridge to the Canadian side.  Being along the river's edge, it was fairly easy to find. 

 

Once there, we found a hodge podge of an aviation collection in what must have been an old warehouse.  Some of the aircraft were in relatively good condition, and some very much in need of care. 

 

Today, with digital photography, I would have photographed every item in there five or six time.  Back then, with an allowance of 50 cents a week, one roll of film was an extravagance.  So I did the best I could.  As it turns out, there are very few photographs of the museum or its aircraft to be found online.

 

This was a mock up of the Wright Flyer, on loan from the Smithsonian.  I assume they retrieved it at some point. 

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There were several training aircraft includ this PT-19.  I still remember it for its glossy blue and yellow finish.

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An F-86 Saber. I can't remember if this one was in USAF or RCAF markings.  All I knew was it was a  jet and jets were awesome!

 

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Moving outside were some of the more significant aircraft.  

 

This is a stripped down Fairey Swordfish.  To this day it is the only one I have every seen. 

 

The musem brochure advised "it will be preserved in its present condition to illustrate its construction.  Thinking back, I think this was an excuse to not restore it. 

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An S-51 Dragonfly.  While obstensibly in USAF colors, I remember it being an odd combination of green and medium brown. Why the camouflage net is strung over the blades is anyone's guess, and certain not conducive to flying.

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A field of dreams... when you are 12!  

 

I am not sure what the closest aircraft was.  I do remember it had a tan base coat with a medium brown splotch pattern.  Even as a kid I knew this was just not right.

 

Futher beyond it was a rare photo recon version of a P-38.  To the right is the S-51, close by was a North American Harvard with RCAF markings.

 

Sadly, this photo also shows the lack of maintenance given to the museum grounds.  Once you got away from the main hardstand you had to wade through the tall grass and weeds to get to the other aircraft.   This was pretty much an indicator that the museum was underfunded.

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Getting back to the Lancaster, you can see at one time it served as a Search and Rescue aircraft.

 

This will always be one of my favorite photos as that is my Father, a former USMC aircraft electrician, and my brother inspecting the tail turret. 

 

Despite the neglected appearance, this aircraft KB889, eventually found its way to full restoration and is now on display at the Imperial War Museum at Duxford.

 

 

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For those who are curious as to what was included in the museum...

 

 

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I am not sure when the Age of Flight Museum met its end.

 

Everytime we drove along the Niagara River, I looked for the Lancaster.  But by the early 1970's it was gone.

 

This attempt at a museum was someone's best idea at one time, and not totally without reason.  The Niagara Falls region greets thousands of tourists every year (when things are normal and the borders are not closed due to Covid.)  But for as quickly as it appeared, it just did not last very long. 

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There is a personal postscript however.

 

In 1972 my friend and I took our motorcycles and headed to a small airfield in Deleware that was associated with the DuPont family.  It seems one of the hiers had an interest in aviation.  The company was also experimenting with paints that could be applied to historic aircraft.

 

We came down and found an F4F Wildcat warmed up and ready to fly.

 

But under a roof next to the hanger was the very same P-38 recon aircraft I had seen in Niagara Falls.  

 

I doubt it was in flying condition, especially with kids and onlookers crawling all over it.  How it got there, I have no idea.  I also have no idea where it is today.  But it was just odd to see it again, and this time so close by.

 

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I hope you have enjoyed this little blast of the past.  

 

If anyone out there has additional information or photos of this museum,  please feel free to add to this post.   Thanks!

 

 

 

[gwb123]

Additional postcripts:  Information on the Age of Flight Museum is almost impossible to find on the internet.

 

However I did find the following photographs on the website of Eric Dumigan, a professional aviation journalist.  He has graciously allowed me to share his photos of a much better quality from his website http://www.airic.ca/html/pftpaof.html .

 

On this view of the Lancaster you can more clearly see the Search and Rescue markings.  Also note the old Commonwealth version of the Canadian flag on the tail.

 

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The P-38 Lightning before it was fully assembled.

 

Eric provided the following information as to its unfortunate fate in later years:

 

"As for the P-38 Lightning it is

 

 P-38L 44-53193 NX34993

Nadine B. Ramsey, KS .46/47 F-5G Albert F. Van Ness CA 47 N34993 Aero Service Corp, Philadelphia PA 51/60

CF-NMW Bradley Air Services, Carp ONT 18.5.61 (flew last Canadian P-38 survey mission 9.61)

Kenting Aviation Ltd, Toronto-Malton ONT 65 Age of Flight Museum, Niagara Falls ONT 30.7.65/68

(displ. as "USAAF C-CG") N3005 Patrick Foley .69 Aidair Museum, Wilmington DE .69/71

Colonial Flying Corps Museum, Toughkenamon PA 72/76  (This is where I saw it again.)

Peter S. Sherman, Maitland FL 7.77/78 (rest., F-80 nose, flew as Glamorus Glyness) (N38PS) ntu: Peter S. Sherman, Maitland FL 22.7.78 crashed dest. near Whitehouse OH (Sherman k) 1.8.78

Rick Flaherty, California City CA 96/97 (wreckage stored Kissimmee FL 96/97 pending rest. project, markings "N3005/PS") (USCR quoted c/n 5747)"

 

 

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The P-38, now assembled, and the Dragonfly.

 

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A broader view of the outside exhibits, with a view of the Harvard.

 

 

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The Swordfish, awaiting to be assembled.

 

If I recall correctly, the back fence was a red and white pattern sometimes used for airport boundaries.

 

Once again, if anyone else has photos of this museum or later photographs of the aircraft that were displayed there, feel free to add them to the thread.

 

Thank you for looking!

 

[Proud Kraut]

Great topic, thanks for sharing these pictures and your childhood memories. The Dragonfly is my favourite.