This weekend we participated in the 2007 Classic Air Rallye, featuring vintage aircraft and vehicles at the Canadian Aviation Museum in Ottawa. A small group of us with vehicles befitting the period were asked to attend to complement the wonderful cross section of aircraft on display.
The show featured a large number of Vintage aircraft, but the main attraction was the Vintage Wings Collection owned by local hi tech entrepreneur Michael Potter. A perennial favourite was the Harvard shown above.
Also popular with the crowd were his P-51 Mustang and Supermarine MK XVI Spitfire. Michael is frequently seen flying across the Ottawa skies in these wonderful examples of quintessential World War II fighting machines. It was pilots of these aircraft that were largely responsible for the British Invasion that created the sports car boom in North America.
In addition to the massive outdoor display and fly-by of vintage aircraft, the Aviation Museum has a permanent indoor display of world War I, World War II and commercial aircraft. It's a fascinating display, well worth a visit on its own.
