Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, situated at Hamilton International Airport, has put together a history program that is designed to help you deal with the role Canadians played during wartime and peacetime. Specifically tailored to the Grade 10 academic program, we have created an exciting and different approach to tell you the way in which Canadians participated in the Royal Canadian Air Force. While we use our collection of 41 aircraft as a backdrop, we attempt to show our teenagers the human aspect of war.

OUR PROGRAM:

When we first meet the students, our well-trained staff introduces the Museum as a working museum. Over half of our aircraft actually are maintained in flying condition and are flown on a regular basis. After a short talk on safety and security in an aviation environment, the students are taken to our "Flight Center" where a number of them are "drafted" into the RCAF. Students will actually wear authentic WWII bomber and fighter pilot uniforms. This sets the scene for the next step.

The group of teens is divided into smaller groups, and with the assistance of our aviation instructors we take the students through the process of signing up and becoming a student pilot in the RCAF. Several students are selected to become "trainees" and they are shown what it would have been like to go through the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan right here in Canada. With examples of primary and advanced training aircraft beside the group, students will get a feel for the rigors involved in flight training and what is was like to train to fly an aircraft as a bomber crew member or a fighter pilot.

Walking around "or under" our collection of fighters and bombers, students should begin to sense the immensity of the aircraft and the awesome destructive power they brought to war. We pause at one of our large bombers to reflect on what it was like to fly in a night operation over enemy occupied territory. The story of a Canadian Victoria Cross winner is related to the students.

Around noon, we break off for lunch. We have several lunch packages organized, that students may order in advance, so as to minimize waiting time. When students finish lunch one of two options are available – One is a short “information hunt”project that involves students walking around the Museum to find information about various aircraft. (Level:easy). The other is a more detailed project involving research about a WWII Canadian aviator. Pictures on our walls and documentation books are made available to students. (level: intermediate to difficult)

About 3/4 of an hour before your departure, we assemble the group again and show them what it would have been like to be a fifteen year old teenager during the bombing raids in England during WWII. Starting with the youth evacuations we present documents and artifacts that teens would have had to cope with during that time. We introduce the rationing program that all teens had to endure, and we have actual portions, quantities and samples of food that they would have been eligible to receive under the rationing system.

Finally we read samples of letters written by evacuated teens to their parents during the Blitz accompanied by sound tapes of sirens, overflying bombers and explosions actually recorded in London during an air raid in the 1940's. The session wraps up with a short story of the youngest Canadian to be a casualty of war. He was 15 years old.

Hopefully you will join us with your class for a memorable trip back in time. Give us a call at 905-679-4183 ext 222. E-mail inquiries to edserv@warplane.com Reservations are required but no deposit is required and you only pay for the students that arrive at the Museum. Teachers, EA's and Student Teachers are free.

Please e-mail edserv@warplane.com for education program information and reservations or 905-679-4183 ext 222 if you would like to talk to one of our Education Services team