Canadian Aviation Expo
Encyclopedia
| Type | Tradeshow and Fly-in |
| Founded | 1992 |
| Headquarters | Oshawa Oshawa Oshawa is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It lies in Southern Ontario approximately 60 kilometres east of downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the eastern anchor of both the Greater Toronto Area and the Golden Horseshoe. It is now commonly referred to as the most... , Ontario Ontario Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa.... , Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
| Held at | Canadian Warplane Heritage |
| Website | www.canadianaviationexpo.com |
Fly-in
A fly-in is a pre-arranged gathering of aircraft, pilots and passengers for recreational and social purposes.Fly-ins may be formally or informally organised, members of the public may or may not be invited, the gathering may be at an airport or in a farmer's field.Fly-ins can be aimed at specific...
. Except for 2007 it has included an airshow. The Expo is held annually at the beginning of May at the Hamilton/John C. Munro International Airport
Hamilton/John C. Munro International Airport
John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport or Hamilton International, , is an international airport in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It is named for John C...
in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. The event attracts about 20,000 visitors per year.
History
The event started as the Toronto Sport Aircraft Expo in 1992 and was held in a downtown Toronto convention centre. Later it was renamed the Toronto Aviation and Aircraft Show and was moved to the Air CanadaAir Canada
Air Canada is the flag carrier and largest airline of Canada. The airline, founded in 1936, provides scheduled and charter air transport for passengers and cargo to 178 destinations worldwide. It is the world's tenth largest passenger airline by number of destinations, and the airline is a...
hangar at Toronto Pearson International Airport
Toronto Pearson International Airport
Toronto Pearson International Airport is an international airport serving Toronto, Ontario, Canada; its metropolitan area; and the Golden Horseshoe, an urban agglomeration that is home to 8.1 million people – approximately 25% of Canada's population...
and later to Downsview Airport
Toronto/Downsview Airport
Downsview Airport or Toronto/Downsview Airport, , is located in Toronto, Ontario and has been exclusively owned and used as a testing facility by Bombardier Aerospace since 1994....
in north Toronto. The move to the Oshawa Airport
Oshawa Airport
Oshawa Municipal Airport, , is a municipal airport adjacent to the north end of the city of Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. Oshawa Airport is one of the major general aviation airports in the Greater Toronto Area It includes two paved runways and instrument approaches...
was made in 2002 and the name was changed to Canadian Aviation Expo at the same time.
In 2005 the Canadian Forces
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
Snowbirds
Snowbirds
Officially known as the Royal Canadian Air Force's 431 Air Demonstration Squadron, the Snowbirds are Canada's military aerobatics or air show flight demonstration team whose purpose is to "demonstrate the skill, professionalism, and teamwork of Canadian Forces personnel". The squadron is based at...
air demonstration team flew airshows for 3 days over Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
with the spectators viewing from Oshawa's Lake View Park.
In 2009 the Expo moved from Oshawa Airport to Hamilton Airport where it used the facilities of the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum
The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum is a Canadian aviation museum located at the John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport near Hamilton, Ontario. The museum has 36 military jets, propeller-driven aircraft and helicopters on display....
in a joint show.
Management
Principals in the operation of the show since 2002 have been Stephen Wilcox, Steve Nichols and John Green.Sponsors
The Expo's major sponsor since 2002 has been BreitlingBreitling
Breitling is a luxury brand of Swiss watches produced by Breitling SA, a private company headquartered in Grenchen, Canton of Solothurn . The company exclusively offered Certified Chronometers in all models since 2000...
.
A major supporter of this event is the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association
Canadian Owners and Pilots Association
The Canadian Owners and Pilots Association is a federally registered not-for-profit association that provides information and advocacy services for Canadian pilots who fly for non-commercial purposes...
who held their annual convention in conjunction with the CAE in both 2003 and 2006.