The Wallaceburg and District Museum is planning a two-day celebration, July 7-8, 2023 to honor local aviation and the memory of the owners, instructors and pilots of the Wallaceburg Airport.
The airport was started by Bob Warwick, Murray Ward, and Albert DeRidder and was located just beyond the town limits on Forhan Street.
The airport opened in 1959 and operated until 1971 with an east-west grass runway, 1550 feet long.
The airport grew with the addition of hangars and an office complex that contained a classroom, lunch counter, washrooms, and a lounge.
In 1964, the flight operations of Sarnia Airlines (now Huron Flight Centre) and McKay Airways of Chatham (Seneca Air Services) were acquired, and the Wallaceburg Airport served as the head office and flight school.
The celebration will take place on July 7 and 8 at the Wallaceburg Museum, located at 505 King St., Wallaceburg, Ontario, and will welcome people of all ages.
The event will include activities and displays of artifacts, pictures, aircraft models, a kids’ paper airplane competition, a barbecue and social time.
The flight simulators will have a number of WWII air training bases and training aircraft programmed.
If you are a veteran or interested in flying a simulator from that era, you can select a training base and plane and take a computer flight.
The simulator will also have programs of the Wallaceburg Airport and the original style planes, so if you trained there, you can experience one of those flights again.
Remember, this event is open to all and is of interest to everyone.
Come out and enjoy the displays, the large model planes, the section of actual planes, the gyrocopter and the photo opportunities.
Dana Haggith caught up with Bruce Warwick and Ken Wilson for an interview. Listen, below:
In the photo, from left: Kaelyn Gregory, Bruce Warick, Grant Wilson, Ken Wilson, Jane Wilson, Marion Smith, Gert McClure, Leesa Ervin, Roy Sager and Ed Butler.
