The Greenwood Military Aviation Museum (GMAM) is located at Canadian Forces Base Greenwood in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley. Begun in 1992 as an idea initiated/encouraged by then Greenwood Base Commander, Ken Allen, the Museum began with a small, dedicated group of retired and serving military personnel and local aviation enthusiasts who formed a society and remain today the backbone of the Museum. With a mandate to capture and preserve the history and heritage of Greenwood and its units, the Museum has grown and developed to do just that.

 

The Museum boasts over 10,000 square feet of indoor display area, featuring six distinct areas: Greenwood’s squadrons overseas in World War II; the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan and early RAF/RCAF Station Greenwood; RCAF Station Greenwood and the Cold War - featuring the impact of the Cuban Missile Crisis; post-Cold War Greenwood, with its varied roles; a full-size Argus aircraft tactical crew procedures trainer (simulator); and an aircraft engine display.  Exhibits include many aircraft models – including a 2/3rds scale Spitfire 9, cutaway engines, artefacts, paintings, photographs, and mannequins in period costume. 

An air park surrounds the Museum and contains actual aircraft flown from Greenwood, including an AVRO Lancaster Mark X that was built in Canada and served overseas in World War II – being the only Canadian display Lancaster to have received battle damage in the War; the only Lockheed Neptune anti-submarine warfare aircraft in Canada; one of only 5 Canadian-built display CANADAIR Argus Mark 1 anti-submarine warfare aircraft in Canada; two Canadian-built Lockheed T-33 Silver Star jet trainers; a recently restored AVRO Anson Mark II that was built in Amherst, Nova Scotia in 1941; and a Boeing-Vertol Labrador helicopter. 

Under restoration are a Douglas C-47 Dakota; a Bristol/Fairchild Bolingbroke - Canadian version of the Bristol Blenheim; and a Sperwer Uninhabited Air Vehicle.  Other restorations are planned.

 

Besides tours for visitors, cadet organizations – including the large annual Regional Air Cadet Camp – the Museum provides an annual Flight Education program for grade 6 students, as part of their curriculum on flight. 

Today, the Museum is a 12-months operation with a permanent curator, part-time Reserve General Manager and a dedicated group of some 70 volunteers with various backgrounds.  Led by Society Chairman Ian Patrick, President Brian Handley, Vice-President/Secretary Bert Campbell, Treasurer Ron Hill and 9 directors, the Society provides outstanding support in every area of Museum operations. Displays are constantly being upgraded and changed, as new items are added to the Museum’s collection, and this keeps the Museum interesting, especially for repeat visitors. A lot has happened in the last year at the Museum including the completion of the Museum annex which now houses the Anson and Bolingbroke aircraft.  The Museum is wheelchair accessible and the Flight Line Café offers coffee, tea, snacks, and soup and sandwiches on site. Be sure to visit the Commemorative Gardens area and outdoor exhibits when visiting the Museum.

Follow the progress of the Museum and its team of volunteers on our expanding website at www.gmam.ca and on Facebook.