Aviation and Heritage Roundup February 2026
Provided by Paul Squires, CAPA-ACCA Contact, Wetaskiwin, Alberta
New Books
New books listed on the Aerodynamic Media Website. Note these books are sold on Amazon and the posts contain an Amazon affiliate link. When you purchase through links on our site, Aerodynamic Media may earn an affiliate commission.
Moonlight Crusaders: How Special Duties Squadrons Brought Spies In and Out of Occupied Europe
Skyhookers: An Illustrated History of Parasite Fighters
Heinkel He 219 History Told Through Photos and First-Hand Accounts
An Illustrated History of the Mosquito’s Design, Construction and Far East Ops
F4F Wildcat vs 6M2-N ‘Rufe’ Battles Brought to Life in New Illustrated Study Interesting as a ‘Rufe” is Canada’s only air victory over North America
Junkers Ju 88C Day and Nightfighter Missions: The Illustrated Account Cover shows attacks in Norway, Canadian pilots were involved in that.
New Book Details the Service History of the Concorde in Photographs
RAF’s Interwar Activities Chronicled With Hundreds of Rare Photos
Coming Soon: An Illustrated History of American Airpower in the Vietnam War
Lockheed Constellation: Its Development, Service and Legacy in Detail
Discover the Vital Role and Stunning Exploits of the F8U Crusader
Building an Air Force: Trace the Rise of US Airpower During the Air Corps Era
New Book Documents Luftwaffe Secret Bomber Projects With Previously Unseen Documents
New Photo Archive Chronicles Spitfire From First Flight to Last Sorties
The Harrowing Experiences of Doolittle Raid Pilot Donald Smith Told in New Book Evasion in China
From Sopwith Camel to Harrier: Hawker’s Naval Fighters Chronicled in New Book
The Disappearance of R.E.P. Brooker DSO, DFC: Answering the Mystery and Controversy
RFC in Combat: Rare Archive Images of WW1 Aerial Warfare
MiG-21 in the Polish Air Force: “An Essential Visual Reference”
New Book Explores All WW1 Russian Aircraft Types
(3209) Shooting Stars in Southern Skies – European Airlines New from Dan Hagedorn, P-80 and T-33 in Latin America
New Models
New aircraft scale model kits listed on the Aerodynamic Media Website. Note these items are sold via manufacturer stores and the posts may contain a link to an announcement on Social Media or a direct link to the manufacturer’s site.
ICM to Release Do 217M-1 Kit Representing Captured RAF Example
New This Month: Eduard’s ProfiPACK Edition P-40E Warhawk Kit
IBG to Release New Tool PZL M-18 Dromader Firefighter, Crop Duster Kits A Crop Duster kit. Cool!
Special Hobby to Release CAC Boomerang Mk.I/II With Five Liveries
Kotare Developing 1/32 Defiant Mk.I With Exclusive Perks For Pre-Orders that’s something I never thought we’d see
ICM Releases New HP.52 Hampden TB.Mk.I Model Kit Some of these were converted from Canadian built airframes, a few ended up in Soviet service.
First Look: Kit Contents For ICM’s Upcoming HP.52 Hampden TB.Mk.I Decal sheet shows for AJ991, Canadian built
Arma Hobby to Release New Curtiss P-36C Hawk Model Kit Used in Canada by Norway
Eduard Releases New ProfiPACK Bf 109 G-6 With 5 Liveries
First Look: Sword Models’ New Tool Short SB.6 Seamew I’d almost forgotten this ever flew!
Web page on the C-102 Jetliner.
How Canada built the world’s first jet airliner | Watch
Feb. 28 – How vulnerable is the F-35 software package
Can The F-35’s Software Really Be Jailbroken?
Feb. 28 – Chinese Space Program announcements
China Targets New Milestones in Space Station Growth and Lunar Exploration for 2026 – Aviation News
Feb. 27 – Chipmunk at 80 this August
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum to mark 80th anniversary of de Havilland Chipmunk’s first flight – Skies Mag
Feb. 27 – New exhibit on Tofino Airport to open at Tofino Clayoquot Heritage Museum
New exhibit about Tofino’s airport opens at Tofino Museum | Tofino/Ucluelet Westerly News
Feb. 27 – RCAF Fighter Pilot Salaries
A Look At The Salaries Of Royal Canadian Air Force Fighter Jet Pilots In 2026
Feb. 27 – Ukrainian Museum opens in Berlin
‘A living, moving exhibition’: Ukraine Museum opens in Berlin air-raid bunker | Germany | The Guardian
Feb. 27 – Drone jammed near French aircraft carrier
Drone jammed near French aircraft carrier was probably Russian, says Sweden
Feb. 27 – Australian ace in England in the First World War
Aces of the Great War: Roderic Stanley Dallas – The Queensland Ace in British Skies – Vintage Aviation News
Feb. 26 – Possible life extension for ISS
US Senate Panel Moves to Extend ISS Life, Mandates Faster Artemis Moon Base Plans – Aviation News
Feb. 25 – US Coast Guard helicopter rescue in Ontario
U.S. Coast Guard came to the rescue of Canadians stuck on ice | CBC News
Feb. 25 – Westjet cutting service in Alberta
WestJet to shut down regional routes in southern Alberta | CBC News
But flying more to Europe
WestJet Launches 8 New Nonstop Boeing 737 MAX 8 Routes To Europe In 2026
Feb. 25 – Hot air balloon flight over Saudi Arabia
A flight over AlUla, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – Site of 2027 FAI Women’s World Hot Air Balloon Championship and 2028 FAI World Hot Air Balloon Championship | World Air Sports Federation
Feb. 25 – What does snow ingestion do to jet engines
Can Snow Ingestion Damage Aircraft Engines?
Feb. 25 – the last airworthy DC-8s, one was TCA, pre Air Canada!
The Last Douglas DC-8s Still Airworthy
Feb. 23 – Space Race in the North
Orbital space race heats up in Arctic north
Feb. 23 – Canadian F-35 deliveries
Here’s Why Canada Is Moving Forward With Its Order For F-35 Fighter Jets
Ottawa Quietly Commits Funds for Additional F-35 Jets Despite Diplomatic Review – Aviation News
Feb. 23 – Air Anniversaries in 2026
Air sports and spaceflight anniversaries for 2026 | World Air Sports Federation
Feb. 23 – Canada’s busiest airports
What Is The Busiest Airport In Canada?
And Toronto has record for de-icing
Nearly 17,000 Planes: Toronto Pearson International Airport Reaches New De-Icing Record
Feb. 22 – Good design, poor performance. The Fleet 50 at 88 years old.
Today In Aviation History: First Flight of the Fleet 50 Freighter – Vintage Aviation News
Feb. 22 – Australian Make-over for Grumman Albatross (‘Turbo-Tross’?)
The Albatross: A 1950s Seaplane Finds New Purpose in the 2020s – Vintage Aviation News
Fab. 20 – Expansion plans at Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum
CATP Museum’s WWII Hangar poised for major redevelopment and expansion – DiscoverWestman.com – Local news, Weather, Sports, Free Classifieds and Business Listings for Westman region, Manitoba
Feb. 20 – How many F-104s were built? Did you know there are more CF-104s in museums in Europe than in Canada?
How Many Lockheed F-104 Starfighters Were Built?
Feb. 19 – Where are the last Vulcans? One in Canada.
Cold War legacy: Where are the last surviving Avro Vulcan bombers?
Feb. 19 – Social event at Owl’s Head Museum in Maine. Little known but interesting Museum, if you are passing by.
Owls Head Transportation Museum to Host All Club Social – Vintage Aviation News
Feb. 18 – CFB Suffield to host British military again, for drone training.
British military returns to CFB Suffield for drone training this spring | CBC News
Feb. 18 – Should Canada get the Gripen?
Could Canada Choose Sweden’s Gripen Fighter Jet Over The F-35?
Feb. 18 – US Presidential fleet to be re-painted
Air Force One Is Getting Trump’s Red, White, And Blue Paint Job And Even Existing Jets Will Be Repainted – Live and Let’s Fly
Feb. 18 – Restoration work at Saskatchewan Aviation Museum
Saskatchewan Aviation Museum working to restore J-3 Cub
Feb. 18 – Be an Aviator Day at National Air Force Museu, trenton
Young recruits earn their wings at ‘Be an Aviator’ Family Day program | Belleville Intelligencer
Feb. 18 – Hawker 125 stall tests
The Most Dangerous Line: Behind the Hawker stall test crashes | by Admiral Cloudberg | Feb, 2026 | Medium
Feb. 18 – Opening the path for space industries
Voyager Technologies and ATMOS Space Cargo Partner to Revolutionize Orbital Logistics – Aviation News
Feb. 17 – Preservation of RCAF Cornell in US
A Cornell For Geneseo: The National Warplane Museum Adds a PT-26 to Their Fleet – Vintage Aviation News
And another one
Randy’s Warbird Profiles: Fairchild PT-26 Cornell – Vintage Aviation News
Feb. 17 – Wedding dress made from Parachute
Wedding dress made from WWII parachute on display at Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City, LI – ABC7 New York
Feb. 17 – Alberta orders new water bombers, delivery takes 5 years!
Alberta spending $400M on new water bombers for aging firefighting fleet | CBC News
Alberta Invests C$400 Million in De Havilland DHC-515 Fleet to Combat Wildfires – Aviation News
Feb. 17 – A record, but I’ve got to ask ‘Why?’
Red Bull Athlete Shatters Records with 87km/h Moving Train Landing – Aviation News
Feb. 16 – Update on NX611 Just Jane
Avro Lancaster B.VII NX611 ‘Just Jane’ – Restoration Update 254 – Vintage Aviation News
Feb. 16 – Canada and the F-35
Why Might Canada’s F-35 Order Have The US Worried?
Feb. 16 – India looks at LTR for survellience
India Clears Airship-Based Pseudo-Satellites to Boost Persistent Surveillance – Aviation News
Feb. 16 – Man that man really wants an airport named for him! Little St. James Island has a heliport that could be named for him,. One he used a lot.
Trump’s Private Company Files Trademark for ‘President Donald J. Trump International Airport’ – Gerben IP
Feb. 14 – Early aviation in Toronto
The history of the first flights in Toronto
Feb. 14 – A biography of Jeremy Hansen, hopefully to fly to the moon in March.
Who is Jeremy Hansen, the Canadian tapped by NASA to fly around the moon? | Canadian Geographic
Feb. 14 – DC-4 cockpit section for sale
1944 DC-4 / C-54 Cockpit Section For Sale: “Nose to Back of Radio Quarters”
Feb. 13 – Drone / helicopter interference in fire fighting
Kelowna drone pilot found guilty of wildfire interference recognizes seriousness of the case | CBC News
Feb. 12 – Moving a Constellation
Moving a Lockheed Constellation is Not a Simple Process [Video]
Feb. 12 – Somewhere Warm. A history of Aloha Airlines
Aloha Airlines: The Spirit of Hawaii
Feb. 11 – What was that about?
FAA Closes El Paso – Lawyers, Guns & Money
Revealed: The Farcical Chain Of Events Behind El Paso’s Sudden Airspace Shutdown
Party balloons, it seems
US Military Shot Down Party Balloon After Assessing as Drone: Reports – Newsweek
Feb. 26 – And it seems, Border Patrol drones
US military uses laser to down drone and FAA closes more El Paso airspace, officials say | AP News
Skies Closed Again: US Military Laser Mistakenly Downs CBP Drone In Second Texas Airspace Shutdown
Feb. 11 – ATC shortages and FIFA may delay flights this summer
Air Traffic Controllers Brace for FIFA | The Tyee
Feb. 10 – Fokker 50 crash-lands, all safe.
Pilot praised after landing faulty Somali passenger plane on seashore
Feb. 9 – Canadian Airlines cancellations in Cuba due to fuel embargo
Air Canada and WestJet Cancel Flights to Cuba Over Jet Fuel Shortage – The New York Times
Feb. 7 – Hang Glider pilot rescued by team member after crash
Man helps save hang-glider who crashed into cliff on Vancouver Island | CBC News
Feb. 7 – LEGO DC-3 model announced
LEGO Douglas DC-3 Rumored for LEGO Icons Release in 2026 – Vintage Aviation News
Feb. 6 – Scrapping nearly new airliners for parts?
Why Airlines Are Tearing Apart Brand-New Planes For Their Engines
3-Year-Old Spirit Airbus A320neos Are Already Being Scrapped
Feb. 4 – IDF has damaged Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery in Gaza
Revealed: Israel bulldozed part of Gaza war cemetery containing allied graves | Gaza | The Guardian
Israeli razing of cemeteries and necroviolence against Palestinians – Wikipedia under “Allied Graves”
Ottawa investigating report Gaza cemetery where Canadians were buried was destroyed
IDF says it dug up Canadian soldiers’ graves to destroy Gaza tunnel | CBC News
Feb. 4 – Vancouver International record year
Vancouver International Airport hits record year despite downtick due to U.S. political tensions | CBC News
Feb. 4 – Replica in US of Canadian fighter pilot’s Sopwith Triplane
Randy’s Warbird Profiles: Sopwith Triplane replica – Vintage Aviation News
Feb. 3 – BC Aviation Museum Open Cockpit Day Feb. 15, including the Mars
BC Aviation Museum hosts third annual Open Cockpit Weekend – YouTube
Aviation Museum brings back Open Cockpit Day to North Saanich | Victoria News
PHOTOS: B.C. Aviation Museum opens its cockpits to Greater Victoria residents | Saanich News
Feb. 3 – The Chinese aircraft company planning to build airliners
Comac: The Chinese planemaker taking on Boeing and Airbus
Feb. 3 – and plans for new-build C909 Chinese water bombers
COMAC Secures Order for New Firefighting Variants of C909 Jet to Combat Regional Wildfires – Aviation News
And an opinion piece on the fall of Boeing
How Boeing Made Record Profits And Burned Down The Company – Ian Welsh
Feb. 2 – The Avro Arrow, as viewed from Asia. Good article
Sabotaged By U.S. or Smuggled to UK? What Happened To Canada’s Indigenous Fighter Jet Program?
Feb. 2 – USN plans to recover TBD Devastator. All I can say is why did it take so long?
US Navy Announces Mission to Recover a Douglas TBD Devastator – Vintage Aviation News
Feb. 2 – Drone incursions near military bases increasing in UK
Drone incidents near UK military bases double year-on-year
Feb. 1 – following up on CBC story on ‘Frankencopter’ art by Alberta helicopter maintenance man Chuck Jurgen Teschke.
Artful Canadian Engineer Builds the VW “Frankencopter,” a Different Kind of Luftwaffe – autoevolution
‘Frankencopter’ metal art gives new life to scrapped rotorcraft – Vertical Mag
Frankencopter 4 fuses VW bus and helicopter into surreal static art
VW Frankencopter – Tacky Raccoons
Jan. 30 – Further on decertification threats
Trump aviation threats that would affect Bombardier, Gulfstream and others: What we know | CBC News
US–Canada Aircraft Tariff Dispute Deepens Over Jet Certification
Why The US Is Worried About Canada & Europe’s Aircraft Manufacturing Talks
Jan. 29 – Manchester museum gets approved funding for expansion
Aviation museum’s £10m expansion plan approved
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