Programs & Events

Our RCAF 100 celebrations continue as we welcome a visiting P-51D Mustang from August 9 to 11!

Owned by Hannu Halminen of Ontario, this Mustang bears the livery of 424 (City of Hamilton) Squadron. The distinctive tiger emblem is a salute to the colourful history of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the team’s predecessor, the Hamilton Tigers.

SCHEDULE

Times are approximate and subject to change

August 9
Timing TBC: Static display (aircraft scheduled to arrive mid-afternoon, subject to weather)

August 10
Timing TBC: Static display (aircraft scheduled to do sightseeing flights this morning and will be on display the remainder of the day)
11:00 am – 3:00 pm: Hot dogs, smokies, and hamburgers available for purchase from The Big Dawg
1:30 pm: Dr. D.S. Reimer Plaza dedication ceremony (open to the public)

August 11
10:00 am – 5:00 pm: Static display
11:00 am – 3:00 pm: Hot dogs, smokies, and hamburgers available for purchase from The Big Dawg

PLUS! Don’t miss Buffalos on the Air (BOTA)
This amateur radio event is taking place August 9 – 10. During BOTA, our CC-115 Buffalo will be open for tours! Learn more.

Aircraft arrival and departure days and times are subject to several factors, such as weather and mechanical issues. Schedule changes are at the pilot’s discretion. Tickets are non-refundable.

About the P-51D Mustang

The North American Mustang was first flown in 1940. Early versions, produced to fill a British order, were fitted with Allison engines that lacked high-altitude performance. Mustangs were subsequently used by the RAF and RCAF in low-level reconnaissance and ground attack roles. Modifications to the design resulted in the marriage of the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine to a re-designed airframe. This combination, known as the Mark IV in RAF and RCAF service, created the legendary Mustang of popular memory, with its exceptional performance and range.

This particular Mustang was passed on to the Swedish Air Force in 1945.  Ten years later, it was sold to Nicaragua and salvaged in the U.S. in 1963. It was sold again, to the Bolivian Air Force, which flew it from 1966 to 1995. It was subsequently repatriated to the U.S.

Coded BA•S, and registered NL951HB, Halminen’s Mustang was restored by Fighter Enterprises, Inc. of Florida. Work was completed in 2020 and the aircraft made its first post-restoration flight on September 26, 2020.

Learn more about what made the P-51 Mustang such a remarkable aircraft.
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Standard admission rates apply.

Feature image by Derek Mickeloff, courtesy Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum.