April 15, 2023 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Join us April 14 – 15 as we welcome speakers from around the world for an in-depth look at early 20th-century aviation development.
The period between 1918 and 1924 was key to the development of civil, commercial, and military aviation in Canada.
Prior to 1918, civil operations in support of government responsibilities, briefly considered before the First World War, were brought to a standstill by the conflict. Likewise, the development of commercial aviation failed to take off due to wartime priorities. Finally, while more than 20,000 Canadians flew with distinction in combat during the war, they did so as members of the British flying services and not as part of a distinctly Canadian air force.
By 1924, civil air operations were routinely being carried out for a variety of government departments, commercial aviation firms were springing up across the country and the Royal Canadian Air Force was established to provide the framework of a national military air service.
This conference will seek to answer how and why these important developments took place.