Will Our 'MIGHTY LANC' Fly Again?

FOLKS, you know very well, if AVRO CANADA was still around…they would just give the MUCH NEEDED Lancaster props to the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, free of charge!

Such was the greatness and generosity of the company.

The Mississauga Hospital is there today because Crawford Gordon (President of Avro Canada) and the company Avro got behind the fundraising efforts to put a hospital in Mississauga, where one was desperately needed in the 50s.

And our Lanc was one of their own.

That Lancaster, you see before you, was made in the very same bays as the legendary CF-105 Arrow! No foolin'.

But alas…Avro ISN'T around to bail out the Lanc.

It's just you. And me.

Without $100, 000 CDN…the propellers can't be purchased and the Lancaster will miss out on the airshow "revenue circuit" this season. When she flys, people pay to fly with her. She makes money for the museum!

We gotta' keep the cycle going.

So whatever you can give…


HERE, I'll let the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum tell you all about the dilemma:

At this time we are seeking your financial support for a very special project here at Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. During the annual inspection on our Lancaster bomber aircraft it was discovered that there is a corrosion issue with the propellers and until we can replace these propeller blades our Lancaster will be grounded.

The propellers used on the aircraft are unique and although we have been fortunate enough to locate a very limited and currently available supply, the total replacement cost will be about $100,000.00. As I am sure you are aware, we own and operate one of only two Lancaster bombers still flying in the world today. This aircraft is the most popular and notable aircraft in our collection and we therefore receive many requests to have the Lancaster attend events throughout North America. Unfortunately without new propeller blades we will not be able to meet our flying commitments for the 2009 season.

As this year is the Centennial of Flight in Canada, the Lancaster has been requested to attend a number of high profile events and venues including Air Venture at Oshkosh, WI, the largest air show in the world. It is also scheduled to go to Cold Lake, Alberta; Bagotville, Quebec; and Winnipeg, Manitoba; as well as attending several other events in Southern Ontario. In 2009 the Lancaster C-GVRA flight schedule has been planned to allow many hundreds of thousands of people to enjoy this aviation icon during the course of the summer as we celebrate 100 years of powered flight in Canada.

In order to honour our commitments, we must endeavor to make our Lancaster airworthy once again. We have sent an appeal letter to our members and supporters and now we are asking for your assistance at this difficult time. With less than 2% of our annual operating budget coming from any government grant or assistance, we rely very heavily on supporters like you. As a donor, your investment in the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum is an investment in a great Canadian success story. We still have a great deal to be accomplished here at the museum and we hope you will take part in this worthy endeavor.

PLEASE DONATE NOW!!
Donations can be made on our website by clicking: www.warplane.com/Gift-Shop/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=38&a....

Or please contact the museum at (905) 679-4183 to donate by phone.

Donations can also be mailed in to:
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, 9280 Airport Road, Mount Hope, ON. L0R 1W0

Please mark "Lancaster Propeller Fund" on your cheques.