British Columbia Aviation Museum

BCAM Location

The British Columbia Aviation Museum invites you to embark on a journey through the history of Canadian aviation. The museum, located in Sidney, Canada, near the Victoria International Airport, displays a variety of aircraft from different periods and purposes. You can view the evolution of flight from the early experiments of aviation pioneers to the modern achievements of the jet age through aviation artifacts and memorabilia and discover the stories of the planes and pilots that shaped the aviation heritage of Canada and British Columbia.

Luscombe 8 Silvaire

Early Birds

The museum features several replicas of the first attempts at flying, including a Chanute-Type Glider, a Gibson Twin Plane, and a Hoffar H-1. These planes demonstrate the ingenuity and courage of the early aviators, who experimented with different designs and materials to achieve the dream of flight. The Gibson Twin Plane was the first aeroplane designed and built in Canada, and the Hoffar H-1 was the first aircraft built and flown in British Columbia.

British Columbia Aviation Museum models

World War I

During the First World War, Canada did not have its own air force, but many Canadians served as pilots and crew members in the British Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service. The museum displays two 7/8 scale replicas of the planes that these brave men flew: a Nieuport 17 and a Royal Aircraft Factory SE5A.

Royal Aircraft Factory SE5A replica

Bush Planes

Canada is a vast country with many remote and rugged areas that are hard to access by land. Bush planes are specially designed to operate in these conditions, often equipped with floats or skis to land on water or snow. The museum has a collection of some of the early bush planes that played an important role in exploring the Canadian wilderness and connecting remote communities. You can see an Eastman Sea Rover flying boat, a Fleet Model 2 with floats, a Noorduyn Norseman, and a Stinson SR9-E Reliant. The Norseman is particularly notable, as it was purchased at scrap value and subsequently restored to a flying condition by the museum’s volunteers. It is now proudly and prominently featured on the British Columbia Aviation Museum logo.

Noorduyn Norseman

World War II

During the Second World War, Canada established its own air force and contributed significantly to the Allied air effort. The museum exhibits two planes that represent this period: a yellow-painted Avro Anson Mark II and a Bristol Bolingbroke. The Anson was a training aircraft that prepared thousands of pilots, navigators, and gunners for combat. The Bolingbroke was a Canadian version of the British Bristol Blenheim bomber and was used for coastal patrol and anti-submarine warfare.
In September 2018 the Museum also acquired an Avro Lancaster (FM104) which is currently undergoing restoration by the museum’s volunteers. It will be restored to a static display in a post-war Maritime Command configuration. The museum also has a North American Aviation Harvard trainer and a ¾ scale replica of the Supermarine Spitfire, the iconic fighter plane that defended Britain from the German Luftwaffe.

Bristol Bolingbroke Mk. IV

Postwar and Modern Planes

The museum showcases some of the postwar and modern planes that reflect the rapid innovation of aviation. You can see an Auster AOP.6, a light observation plane that was used by the British Army; a Canadair CT-133 Silver Star, a jet trainer that was used by the Royal Canadian Air Force; a Luscombe Silvaire Model 8A, a popular light sport plane; and a Republic RC-3 Seabee, an amphibious plane that could land and take off from water. You can also step inside a Trans Canada Airlines Vickers Viscount 757, the first turboprop-powered airliner of the 50s.

Vickers Viscount 757

The museum’s collection also includes a Westwind IV, a highly modified Beechcraft 18 that was used for aerial photography and surveying; a Canadair CF-104 Starfighter, a supersonic fighter-bomber that served with NATO during the Cold War; an Aerospatiale Alouette III helicopter, a versatile utility helicopter that operated in various climates and terrains; and a recently acquired Grumman S-2 Tracker, a carrier-based anti-submarine warfare plane that served aboard the HMCS Bonaventure, Canada’s last aircraft carrier.

Hamilton Westwind IV (modified Beechcraft 18)

Hawaii Mars Acquisition

In March 2024 the Museum announced that it had reached a deal with Coulson Aviation to purchase the Hawaii Mars, one of the two surviving examples of the massive Martin Mars flying boats that was originally designed as a bomber and later converted into a water bomber. The Hawaii Mars, which has a wingspan of 61 meters and can carry up to 27,000 liters of water, will be restored and visitors will be able to tour it inside, including the cockpit. The other Martin Mars, the Philippine Mars, will go on display at the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona.