Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum to Host Warbird Fly-In Celebrating Chipmunk Anniversary

The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in Hamilton, Ontario, will host its annual Warbird Fly-In on August 29, 2026, inviting aviation enthusiasts to experience a gathering of historic military aircraft from across North America. The event will run from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the museum’s facility at John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport.  This year’s gathering will also commemorate the 80th anniversary of the first flight of the de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk, one of the most recognizable postwar training aircraft. Organizers expect several examples of the type to attend as part of the celebration. 

(Image credit: Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum)

Unlike a traditional airshow with scheduled flying displays, the Warbird Fly-In is designed as a more informal aviation gathering. Participating aircraft arrive and depart throughout the day, giving visitors the opportunity to see them taxi, land, and park on the ramp while also viewing them up close on the ground.  Aircraft expected to participate include a diverse range of historic types. Among those anticipated are multiple de Havilland Chipmunks, aircraft from Timmermans Legends of Flight—including a Supermarine Spitfire, North American P-51 Mustang, and Hawker Sea Fury—as well as a Fleet Finch, Westland Lysander, Bücker Jungmann, BAC Jet Provost, Canadair T-33 Silver Star, North American Harvard, and North American T-28 Trojan. Additional aircraft from the Great War Flying Museum may also attend.  Admission for the event is $20 for adults and $15 for children ages 6 to 17 when purchased online, with slightly higher pricing available at the gate. Museum members and children under five will be admitted free of charge.  The Warbird Fly-In is restricted to historic military aircraft operators, and participating pilots must register in advance. Registered warbird crews will receive waived landing fees as well as breakfast and lunch during the event.  In the event of poor weather, organizers have scheduled August 30, 2026, as the alternate date. Aircraft participation remains subject to weather conditions and operational availability. 

The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, often described as Canada’s “flying museum,” maintains a large collection of historic aircraft, many of which remain airworthy and continue to fly in demonstrations and special events throughout the year. For more information, visit www.warplane.com.