Silver Star lands at Calgary's Air Force Museum of Alberta
It's a sleek looking jet with a matte-grey finish but it’s far from the technological wonders military pilots fly today.
The Silver Star, or Canadair CT-133, played an important role in Canadian aviation history and is the fifth Cold War-era fighter plane on display at the Air Force Museum Society of Alberta.
As of March 31, 2005, the Silver Star had flown in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) for 54 years and logged nearly 2.4 million flight hours – making it the longest serving aircraft in Canadian military history.
"(We’re) really happy to get this airplane that was being held at a museum in Cold Lake, Alta.," said Bob Wade, former RCAF pilot. "We wanted to include it in our Cold War exhibit because it represented a major portion of air operations during that period of our history. That's where all pilots trained on that airplane during that period."
The Silver Star was a transitional aircraft for pilots moving from propellers to jet engines. Wade flew many fighters in his career but has a special place in his heart for the one known as the “T-Bird.”
"You know I love that T-Bird," he said. "When I was a young fellow just graduating out of pilot training and I could travel around North America in the jet, I'd never been in an airplane before joining the air force, you know and it was quite something for a young fella in those days to get on an airplane like that."
Wade joined the RCAF in 1968 and graduated pilot training a year later. He remembers the aircraft was maneuverable, but not fast compared to today's fighters.
"As far as altitude capability, it was good to 46,000 feet," he said. "Although it took you a long time to get up there and it would cruise at about eight tenths the speed of sound."
Dave Lowery, one of the museum’s directors, says the T-Bird was on display in Cold Lake for about a decade. It's still in the inventory of the Department of National Defence, that've loaned it to the Calgary museum.
Lowery says it’s an important representation for the Cold War exhibit.
"It's great to be able to educate the public about the Cold War era," Lowery said. "I speak to school groups that come in here and you wouldn't believe even the teachers whose jaws dropped when they see what we have.
“They had no idea about Cold War they had no idea about the people involved, nor the equipment."
The museum is working on a larger facility that will hold three new aircraft, including the T-Bird.
"So the CT-133 is outside and we're hoping to expand and more than double our square footage," he said.
"We hope to add a Voodoo, otherwise known as a CF-101, a Clunk (Canuck), otherwise known as a CF-100 and we have the CT-133. We want to enclose all those and make this a very comprehensive exhibit of the aircraft flown during the Cold War era."
The plan is also to restore the T-Bird because it's been stored outdoors for much of its life time.
More information about the museum and the Cold War exhibit can be found online.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW Life got in the way of one woman's reunion with her father, but a DNA test gained her a family
Anne Marie Cavner was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father, but then life dealt her a blow. From an unexpected loss to a host of new relationships, a DNA test changed her life, and she doesn't regret a thing.
NEW Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Quebec Health Department reports 28 cases of eye damage linked to solar eclipse
Quebec's Health Department says it has received 28 reports of eye damage related to the April 8 total solar eclipse that passed over southern parts of the province.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'