North Atlantic Aviation Museum - Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador
N 48° 57.140 W 054° 37.370
21U E 674031 N 5424880
The North Atlantic Aviation Museum concentrates its story on the important role that the town of Gander has played in aviation history. Before the jet age it was one of the busiest airports in North America.
Waymark Code: WMPE92
Location: Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Date Posted: 08/17/2015
Views: 3
The North Atlantic Aviation Museum concentrates its story on the important role that the town of Gander has played in aviation history. Before the jet age it was one of the busiest airports in North America.
Gander's heyday was in the 1940s to 1950s when it was a frequent stopover for planes needing to refuel between Europe and North America. It was also a major training ground during WWII.
On January 11, 1938, the first airplane landed at Gander.
The airport became the main staging point for the movement of Allied aircraft to Europe during World War II. Gander’s location on the Great Circle Route made it an ideal wartime refuelling and maintenance depot for bombers flying overseas. In November 1940, Captain D.C.T. Bennett left Gander for Europe, leading the first fleet of seven Lockheed Hudson bombers across the Atlantic during the Battle of Britain. More than 20,000 North American-built fighters and heavy bombers would follow.
By the end of the war, Pan-American World Airways, Trans-World Airline, Trans Canada Airlines (later Air Canada), and British Overseas Airway Corporation (later British Airways) begin regular Atlantic air service through Gander. Gander handled 13,000 aircraft annually and a quarter million passengers, requiring a new $3 million terminal to be built and opened in June 19, 1959.
By the 1950s, Gander airport was one of the busiest international airports in the world, buoyed by transoceanic traffic.
The museum contains photos of many of the famous people who had a layover in Gander. This includes Cuban President Fidel Castro on his travels to and from Moscow. Apparently the U.S. Government gave the Canadians some heat for allowing his landing. There is a television interview of another famous communist, while he was in Gander - Yuri Gagarin the first human to travel in space.
The early 1960s saw a decline in and the arrival of the jet age. This led to a decrease in the use of Gander by these scheduled air carriers, since they now had the capability of flying the Atlantic without stops.
Gander's strategic location also came into the spotlight on September 11, 2001. This is profiled in one corner of the museum where a 10 minute NBC Dateline show about the generosity of those from Gander is shown. The population of 10,000 people welcome 6,600 stranded passengers who were heading from Europe to the USA. An interesting audio recording can be listened to at the museum - of the aircraft controllers giving directions to the flights who were rerouted.
Outside of the museum are several static aircraft displays including Lockheed Hudson Bomber, CF-101 Voodoo, and a huge waterbomber.
Museum Name: North Atlantic Aviation Museum
Museum Web Address: [Web Link]
Museum Address:
135 Trans Canada Highway
Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador Canada
A1V 1W6
Museum Focus:: General Aviation
Cost:: 6.00 (listed in local currency)
Hours of Operation:: From: 9:00 AM To: 7:00 PM
List at least one aircraft on display:: De Havilland D.H.82C Tiger Moth
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Visit Instructions:
Photo showing GPS w/sign
List one aircraft on display: