Page 7 - Jan2020

By Will
Chabun

The Museum's New Cessna Crane
Simulator

The Museum now has a second flight simulator in
operation. It is built into a Cessna Crane cockpit
section and sits next to the original flight simulator,
in the main hangar.
The markings on the
Crane are those of
#8127, an aircraft that
served with 3 Service
Flying Training School
at Calgary.

Adjacent signage introduces visitors to the huge
presence of the British Commonwealth Air Training
Plan (BCATP) in Calgary and to a mid-air collision
between two BCATP aircraft over the city.

On August 28 1943, Crane 8127 was involved in a
mid-air collision with a Harvard over Calgary, just
southwest of downtown. After completing a
bombing exercise, the Crane was preparing to land
at 3 SFTS (located west of Crowchild Trail and north
of Glenmore Trail). A 37 SFTS Harvard was on a
southerly course over the city prior to turning to
land at 37 SFTS (located at the present site of
Calgary's airport). Likely enjoying some free flying,
the pilot carried out a loop and was about to
complete a second. Suddenly, the Harvard and
Crane collided. A wing was torn off of the Crane
which plunged to the ground onto 19th Avenue,
just east of 8th Street.
One member of the Crane crew parachuted to
safety. The pilot and a student pilot were killed. The
pilot of the Harvard tried to land his crippled
aircraft but was killed when it exploded in the crash
landing.
Some history to think about as you try out the new

simulator during your next visit to the museum.