Aviation and Heritage Roundup April 2026
Provided by Paul Squires, CAPA-ACCA Contact, Wetaskiwin, Alberta
New Books
Direct links to new books from Aerodynamic Media, LLC:
Air Battles Over the Baltic 1941: Revised and Expanded Third Volume Coming Soon
Coming Soon: An Illustrated History of BAC Lightning Units of the Cold War
B-47 Stratojet: An Illustrated History of Its Development and Operations One of my favourite aircraft
New Book Explores Unorthodox Cold War Fighter Escort Experiments
Cold War Air Thieves: Inside the Race to Steal Enemy Aircraft Secrets
Baptism of Fire: 1939 Combat Debut of Hungarian / Slovak Air Forces Explored in New Edition
Spanish Civil War in the Air Examined in “Profusely Illustrated” Two Volume Series
Surprise Release: The Flying Machine #28 Now Available!
New Book Takes Readers on International Exploration of Aircraft Graveyards
Fw 190 Schlacht Units: An Illustrated History of the “Tank-Buster” and its Operations
Hungary’s Bomber Development Through WW2: A Comprehensive Study
Aviation book reviews | Hush-Kit Aviation World
New Models
Eduard Releases Limited Edition Spitfire Mk.I Kit With 11 Liveries. Book and Model
DBMK Developing Sabre Day Fighter Kit Series in 1/32 Scale First plans include Canadair Sabre IV
First Look: Test Build of Airscale’s 1/32 Dornier Do 17Z
Eduard to Release Limited Edition PBY-5A Kit With Resin Upgrades Of note, all US markings, but the OA-10 43-3879 is a Canadian Vickers’ built aircraft
Pacific Wrecks – OA-10A “Snafu Snatchers” Serial Number 44-33879
Airfix Commemorates D-Day With New Hawker Typhoon / Eurofighter Typhoon Twin Pack
First Look: Test Sprues For Arma Hobby’s Completely New Tool F4F-3 Wildcat
Revell Announces New Tool, State-of-the-Art 1/32 Harrier Kit
First Look: Test Parts / Assembly of Airscale’s 1/32 Dornier Do 17Z
MiniArt Releases new FW 190D-9 “Grünherz” Basic Model Kit Mandatory monthly FW 190 model, never fails
Eduard Announces Upcoming “Royal Class” Brassin Hybrid P-51B Model Kit
LukGraph Reveals Authentic, Vibrant Italian Liveries for Upcoming Ansaldo SVA-5 Far more Airforces than you may of thought used them
MiniArt Announces FW 190D-9 (Early Production) Advanced Kit Mandatory monthly FW 190 model, Part Deax
First Look: MDesign’s 1/32 Roland D.III Test Build Sure makes those old Aurora kits look clumsy
DBMK Developing Allison Mustang Kits in 1/32 Scale Lets hope we get some Canadian ones in there. Did you know the first air victory of a Mustang was by an RCAF aircraft?
New A6M2-K Zero Trainer Model Kit Released by Eduard
Kinetic Model Developing Model of Experimental F-104G CCV Testbed Now that’s really a stretch for a kit
Check Out Border Model’s New Tool P-51D Kit That Comes Entirely Pre-Painted Quibble. Why would the engine have ‘Rolls-Royce’ embossed on it when it’s a Packard?
Eduard Releases ProfiPACK Spitfire Mk. Vb With PE Parts, 7 Liveries
Eduard Releases New BF 109F-2 Model Kit
Arma Hobby Announces “Next Generation, Highly Accurate” P-51D VLR Kit
May News
May 31 – Proposals to keep the Snowbirds flying
Former Snowbird pilots call on Ottawa to scale back aerobatic show instead of suspending it | CBC News
May 31 – New routes to Europe by Air Transat
Air Transat’s Massive Expansion: 8 New Transatlantic Routes [Full List]
May 30 – Remembering Yukon glacier pilot Andy Williams
Remembering Andy Williams, ‘one of the great glacier pilots of the Yukon’ | CBC News
Some background Plane gets stuck in snow on Yukon glacier as region sees ‘incredible amount of change’ | CBC News
May 30 – Shuttleworth replica Avro Triplane crashes
Avro Triplane Crashes During Shuttleworth Wings & Wheels Air Show (video) – Aviation News
May 30 – Westjet and Air Canada beginning 8 hour flights with B.737 MAX aircraft
8-Hour Nonstop Flights: WestJet Launches This New Boeing 737 MAX Route
8-Hour Nonstop Flights: Air Canada’s 10 New Longest Boeing 737 MAX Routes Revealed
Air Canada Rouge Launches Boeing 737 MAX Flights To London: Here’s Why
May 30 – Large meteorite explodes over Eastern North America
Meteor fireball shakes homes spooks New England residents
May 29 – First World War Ace Arthur Whealy
Aces of the Great War: Arthur Whealy – From the Triplane to the Camel Over France – Vintage Aviation News
May 29 – Good wartime history of Don Blakeslee, including his time in the RCAF
Don Blakeslee’s War: How America’s Fighting-est Fighter Pilot Shaped the Legendary Fourth Fighter Group – Vintage Aviation News
May 28 – Museum of flight in Seattle secures funding for Solar Power installation
The Museum of Flight Receives State Grant for Large Solar Power Project – Vintage Aviation News
May 28 – Possible unexploded shell in Stephenville, Newfoundland, provokes possible evacuation
Potential WW II explosive found near Stephenville, residents offered help evacuating | CBC News
Mayor questions why police brought suspected WW II-era explosive to Stephenville | CBC News
May 28 – And speaking of explosions that Blue Origin Rocked “Blowed up real good!”
Moment Blue Origin rocket explodes during test in Florida
May 28 – Southwest might have to end it’s “Plus-Size” passenger policy
Southwest Airlines Might Reverse Its New Plus-Size Passenger Policy After Intense
Backlash
“We’re Not Cattle”: Southwest Airlines Passenger Publicly Humiliated Over New Size Policy
May 27 – Yorkshire Air Museum opens a recreation of Free French Officers Mess
Yorkshire Air Museum Reopens Restored French Officers’ Mess Exhibit – Vintage Aviation News
May 27 – First World War Bristol Fighter Ace William McKenzie Thomson
Aces of the Great War: William McKenzie Thomson – The Bristol Fighter King of the Western Front – Vintage Aviation News
May 27 – Video tour of Electra air tanker
Take a look inside a Yukon air tanker | CBC.ca
May 27 – New SAAB/Canadair AEW aircraft planned
Canada negotiating to buy Saab’s GlobalEye airborne early warning aircraft | CBC News
May 27 – Bombardier Global 6500 ordered for maritime reconnaissance for RAAF
Bombardier Defense Secures Contract to Provide Global 6500 Aircraft for Australian Maritime Surveillance Operations – Aviation News
May 27 new RCAF CT-153 training Helicopter
RCAF unveils first CT-153 Juno training helicopter at CANSEC – Vertical Mag
May 27 – US Customs punishes ‘Sanctuary Cities’ by cutting inspection services, thus stopping international services
US
‘Drawing Up Plans’ To pull Customs Officers From 10 Major Airports [Full List]
Political view, note in the comments that many of these airports are local, and only have ‘international’ flights to 1 country, Canada.
Confederate Jesus tells Markwayne Mullin to block international flights to blue cities – Lawyers, Guns & Money
May 26 – The Avro Museum activities, home of the flying Arrow replica build
AVRO Museum, 229 Avro Lane, Rocky View County, AB (2026)
May 26 – Low carbon taxiing using the APUs
EasyJet Launches Autonomous Aircraft Taxiing at Amsterdam Schiphol
May 26 – Leonardo M-346 trainers for RCAF
Leonardo Secures ITPS Canada Order for Six M-346 Advanced Jet Trainers – Aviation News
May 26 – New building opened at North Carolina’s Hickory Aviation Museum
Hickory Aviation Museum Opens Long-Awaited New Hangar Facility – Vintage Aviation News
May 25 – The Federal Government creates a pool of leased Water Bombers
Feds lease 10 new firefighting aircraft as wildfire season gets underway | CBC News
Canada begins its aerial firefighting build – Wildfire Today
B.C. pilots, aircraft at the heart of new national wildfire air fleet | CBC News
Canada reveals helicopter leasing partners for national aerial firefighting fleet – Vertical Mag
May 25 – Spain adopts kits for A-400 water bombers
Spain Bolsters Wildfire Defenses with High-Capacity A400M Firefighting Kits – Aviation News
May 25 – First World War Camel Ace Frank Granger Quigley
Aces of the Great War: Frank Granger Quigley – 33 Victories in a Sopwith Camel – Vintage Aviation News
May 25 – Cessna collides in mad-air with para-glider, all safe
Mid-Air Collision near Zell am See, Austria Ends Safely After Paraglider and Cessna Incident (video) – Aviation News
May 25 – Large drone failure during light-show in Australia
Vivid Sydney: Dozens of drones crash into Sydney harbour during light show glitch
May 24 – BC Aviation Museum acquires ex- RCAF Vampire
Museum acquires fighter jet once owned by Travolta – Victoria Times Colonist
Restoration set to begin on Vampire jet at aviation museum – Victoria Times Colonist Editor’s Note: In the past, articles published in the Times-Colonist have been well written and researched. The first aviation article listed isn’t, but the gist is there. The author mentions that a Vampire appears on the cover of the book ‘The Shepherd’, for example, you would think there might be a reason. If you don’t make the connection, get the book, or listen to the long-time seasonal audio reading by CBC, The Shepherd | CBC.ca. It’s well worth it!
May 24 – Power Bank in checked luggage forces airliner to make diversion landing
EasyJet flight diverts to Rome over power bank in luggage
“Something We Shouldn’t Have In The Hold”: Charging Power Bank diverts EasyJet Flight
And other passenger oddness
“Four-Letter Word”: United Airlines 767 Returns To Newark After Bluetooth Name Sparks Alert
“You Have 30 Seconds”: United Pilot’s FBI Warning Over Passenger’s Wi-Fi Hotspot Name
United Airlines flight diverts after passenger makes multiple Cockpit Breach Attempts
United Airlines Flight Diverts After Passenger Tries To Open Door & Attacks Another Traveller
Aggressive Passenger Banned From Flying After Biting Flight Attendant On Dallas-Bound Flight
Gun magazine delays flight
Gun Magazine Discovered On Frontier Airlines Flight
Including this sad and unexpected story
United Airlines Captain Allegedly Fired, Made “Scapegoat” After Reporting Cockpit Breach
And no Robots!
Southwest Airlines Bans Robots On Its Planes Just 2 Days After One Actually Flew For The 1st Time
May 24 – UK Defence Secretary’s aircraft GPS jammed near Russian border
RAF jet carrying John Healey has signal jammed near Russia border
“Reckless”: Russian GPS Jamming blacks out UK Defense Secretary’s Jet For Entire Flight
May 24 – A brief history of Northeast Airlines
Northeast Yellowbirds
May 22 – Unmanned AEW Platform
Saab and GA-ASI Complete First Flight of Unmanned Airborne Early Warning Aircraft – Aviation News
May 22 – Documentary film of the circumnavigation flight of the Breitling Orbiter 3 balloon.
“The Balloonists”: new documentary on the Piccard and Jones Orbiter 3 circumnavigation | World Air Sports Federation
May 22 – Abandoned Second World War fuel tanks become Graffiti art centre
Albany’s abandoned WWII fuel tanks get new life as global graffiti gallery – ABC News
May 22 – Westjet routes cut
WestJet Cuts 41 International Routes: See All Flight Changes Here
May 22 – First World War Bristol Fighter Ace Andrew McKeever
Aces of the Great War: Andrew Edward McKeever – The King of the Bristol F.2A Fighter – Vintage Aviation News
May 21 – ex-QANTAS short body 707 arrives at it new home in Australia from John Travoltas collection
John Travolta’s Former Boeing 707 Arrives at Australia’s HARS Aviation Museum – Vintage Aviation News
May 20 – 61 Years of the Twin Otter. Some airplanes are just immortal. There is even one sunk at the North Pole, which should be used as our marker for our claim to the Pole Region!
Today In Aviation History: First Flight of the de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter – Vintage Aviation News
May 20 – Keeping Aviation History Flying in Turkey
Keeping History Flying: Ali İsmet Öztürk and Türkiye’s Living Warbird Museum – Vintage Aviation News
May 20 – First World War SE.5 Ace William Gordon Claxton
Aces: William Gordon Claxton – 19-Year-Old Canadian with 37 WWI Victories in 79 Days – Vintage Aviation News
May 19 – End of an Era
Snowbirds to be grounded following 2026 season until new aircraft arrive | CBC News
Snowbirds’ future planes will be primary training fleet for new air force pilots | CBC News
May 18 – Report on Australian Fire-Fighting says pilots feel unsafe on what they are being tasked to do
Australia’s aerial firefighting operators don’t feel safe. Fire agencies disagree – Wildfire Today
May 18 – New Spitfires back in production
90 Years After Its First Flight, the Spitfire is set to be Reborn
May 18 – First World War SPAD and Dolphin Ace Albert Desbisay Carter
Aces
of the Great War: Albert Desbrisay Carter – A Journey from the Trenches to the Skies – Vintage Aviation News
May 18 – First World War Ace Billy Barker
Aces of War: William George Barker – The Hero of the Italian Front – Vintage Aviation News
May 15 – New De Havilland Canada (Viking) airfield groundbreaking
De Havilland Canada Breaks Ground on De Havilland Field, Marking a New Era for Canadian Aerospace – Canadian Aviation News
May 15 – First World War Ace Fred McCall
Aces of the Great War: Frederick McCall – The Maverick of No. 41 Squadron – Vintage Aviation News
May 15 – RCAF contract with Lockheed-Martin for Hercules maintenance and upgrades
Ottawa paying Lockheed Martin $1.5 billion to maintain transport aircraft | INsauga
May 14 – Imperial War Museum has Chipmunk fly-in too. Well, they built most of them.
IWM Duxford Opens 2026 Flying Season with VE Day Flying Day and Massive Chipmunk Gathering – Vintage Aviation News
May 14 – King Air ditching with happy ending
US Air Force & Coast Guard Save 11 People After Plane Crash In The Atlantic Ocean
May 13 – First World War Ace Donald Maclaren
Aces of War: Donald MacLaren – The Fastest Ace of the Sopwith Camel – Vintage Aviation News
May 13 – First World War Ace Raymond Collishaw
Aces: Raymond Collishaw – The Leader of All-Canadian Black Flight in WWI – Vintage Aviation News
NOTE: Collishaw served in the RAF and was in command of the defence of Egypt when the war began. He developed the formula that became the Tactical Air Forces at a time when the RAF lacked a strategy to support ground forces, but he received no credit for it. I can highly recommend M. Bechthold’s book Flying to Victory – Raymond Collishaw and the Western Desert Campaign 1940-1941, 2017, University of Oklahoma Press, for your library or gift shop if you have an interest in this airman or the Desert Campaign.
May 13 – Yorkshire Air Museum hosts National Cold War Heritage Week
Yorkshire Air Museum to Host Launch of National Cold War Heritage Week 2026 – Vintage Aviation News
Yorkshire Air Museum Hosts Launch of National Cold War Heritage Week 2026 – Vintage Aviation News
May 13 – Fort Worth Museum begins work to rebuild after hailstorm damage
Fort Worth Aviation Museum Begins Recovery After Hailstorm Damages Aircraft and Exhibits – Vintage Aviation News
But Tillamook decides not to repair the damaged hanger roof
Port of Tillamook Bay Votes Against Repairing Historic Tillamook Air Museum WWII Hangar – Vintage Aviation News
May 12 – Seventy-five years ago, the beginning of the ‘Jacqueline Wars’ between Jacqueline Auriol and Jacky Cochrane (it a shame that the Sabre 3 that Cochrane flew is sitting exposed outside to the winter weather)
75 years ago Jacqueline Auriol’s first FAI record launched the “War of the Jacquelines” | World Air Sports Federation
May 11 – Middle Power space consortium
The Space Review: After Gateway: the case for a middle power lunar consortium
May 11 – Annual shift of fire-fighting aircraft underway
Aerial resources shifting north as industry calls for more investment in aircraft across Europe – Wildfire Today
May 11 – Carry-on Bags delayed Frontier Airlines evacuation. (Warning, graphic description of dead trespasser)
Bags Before Safety: Frontier Evacuation Faces NTSB Probe Over Carry-On Chaos
May 11 – First World War Ace Alfred Atkey
Aces of the Great War: Alfred Atkey – The Hero of Toronto and the Western Front – Vintage Aviation News
May 10 – British Army parachutes medical staff and supplies into Tristan da Cunha to aid suspected hantavirus patient
Army parachutes onto Tristan da Cunha to help Briton with suspected hantavirus
RAF A400M Airdrops Medics To World’s Most Remote Island For Hantavirus Case
May 10 – Airport shut down due to laser hair removal device in baggage
Laser hair removal device sparks bomb scare at Melbourne airport
May 8 – High School course for Private Pilots Licence in NWT
High school students earn flight jackets as new pilot program in Yellowknife takes off | CBC News
May 8 – Highway landing in Manitoba, no one hurt and plane undamaged. Nice one.
Plane makes landing on Manitoba highway | CBC News
May 8 – Past News Releases on the National Research Council aircraft fleet and activities. Interesting read.
Research aircraft fleet – National Research Council Canada
Battling the headwinds of climate change with electric aviation – National Research Council Canada
May 8 – New Air and Space Centre in California
Construction Concludes on Los Angeles’ Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center – Vintage Aviation News
May 7 – Amazon Drone delivery in England
Watch: Drone delivers first Amazon parcels in UK
May 6 – Strange shape crosses BC skies, from rocket launch?
B.C. residents baffled as strange shape floats through night sky | CBC News
May 6 – First World War Ace Billy Bishop
Aces of War: Billy Bishop – The Lone Wolf of the Northern Sky – Vintage Aviation News
May 6 – Top favourite aircraft that people get too intense about (incomplete article except to subscribers, but the Arrow made it to #3)
Top 10 Aircraft Beloved By Boring Bastards | Hush-Kit Aviation World
May 5 – Creation, Saving and Restoration of a mural of early US aviation
The Aline Rhonie Mural – The Pre-Lindbergh Era of American Aviation — New York Aviation History
May 3 – Trains, Planes and Automobiles! 11-year-old’s enthusiasm starts a business
Meet the 11-year-old entrepreneur fixing, selling model trains, planes and automobiles | CBC News
May 3 – Paid to taxi airplanes
British Airways Will Pay Pilots $100,000 A Year To Taxi At Chicago O’Hare
May 2 – The Soviet DB-A.
As mentioned, one disappeared in the Arctic; its last message was that it was attempting to reach the Canadian Islands after experiencing engine problems. No trace has been found, and given how large the aircraft was, it is possible it landed on the ice and then sank into the ocean.
Today In Aviation History: May 2nd First Flight of the Bolkhovitinov DB-A – Vintage Aviation News
May 1 – CWH Avenger flies after restoration to RCN markings
Restored Grumman Avenger completes first flight above Hamilton skies
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum Avenger Takes Flight After 17-Year Restoration – Vintage Aviation News
Midway seems an odd choice of reference, given the Avengers’ extensive combat successes, but it’s a brand.
April 20 – Australian find of wartime ‘Short Snorter’ autographed money
Australian War Memorial curator amazed to find 4 metres of WWII ‘short snorter’ banknotes – ABC News
It was popular during World War II when service members would get comrades, allies and people they met to sign their bank notes as a show of camaraderie.
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