Hangar Flight Museum celebrating National Aviation Day

After 23,000 hours of restoration, Hawker Hurricane number 5389 will be unveiled at Calgary’s Hangar Flight Museum on Wednesday.

Calgary — Calgarians are celebrating the 111th anniversary of powered flight in Canada on Sunday at the Hangar Flight Museum.

Several planes will be on display for the event — going until 4 p.m. — including Calgary’s Hawker Hurricane #5389, which was originally built in 1942 and restored last year.

There will be hands-on activities for children, guided tours every half hour and a photo booth at the Hangar Flight Museum (4629 McCall Way N.E.).

The museum’s Bell 47 helicopter will also be open for visitors to sit in.

Transport Canada says this country has come a long way when it comes to aviation safety — citing rapid decreases in incidents.

In 2000, there were nearly eight accidents per 100,000 hours flown while today, that rate is fewer than four accidents a year per 100,000 hours flown – marking a 29 per cent drop.

Transport Canada says annual sales of Canadian aerospace products and services total more than $25 billion.