Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum — Attraction in Brandon

The Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum in Brandon is an absolute gem for anyone interested in aviation history, especially in the context of World War II. This museum is packed with fascinating information about the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, which played a crucial role in training aircrew for the Allied forces. The exhibits are well-organized and offer a deep dive into this important chapter of history.

One of the standout features of the museum is the ability to interact with certain displays. Unlike many museums where you can only observe from a distance, here you can actually sit in some of the historical planes! It’s an incredible experience to be able to step into the cockpit and imagine what it must have been like for the pilots who trained and flew during the war.

There’s also a wonderful kids’ section where young visitors can ride in little bicycle-like vehicles designed to look like planes. It’s a fantastic way for children to engage with the history and have some fun while learning.

The gift shop is also excellent, offering a wide range of souvenirs, books, and memorabilia. Whether you're looking for something to remember your visit by or a unique gift, you’ll find something here.

What truly sets this museum apart, though, is the staff. Every person I interacted with was extremely friendly, knowledgeable, and eager to share their passion for history. They were more than happy to answer questions and provide additional insights into the exhibits.

Overall, the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum is a must-visit. Whether you're an aviation enthusiast or just curious about history, this museum offers an engaging, informative, and interactive experience that is hard to find elsewhere. Highly...

Such a fun and cool place to visit! The Commonwealth Air Training museum was amazing! A 10/10 and I totally recommend it! Great fun for all ages, a lot of walking though so be prepared for that. If you want a run down of the planes of ww11 and MB contribution to the war effort then this is the place to go. You can see how planes are put together in the workshop, you get to see the different uniforms and Fliers and magazines and newspaper articles that have been saved from over the years that are encased or else copied and placed all over the museum, you get to see paintings done by local Manitoba artist that embody the planes of the second World War, and coolest of all you get to go through the hangar where they have the planes stored they even have one which you'll see in my video later that they have taken the skin off so it's just the skeleton and you can see what the planes look like when they're all put together. They also have the fire trucks from those days a lot of the Jeeps and and cars, the building itself is also cool. There's a memory Chapel that I didn't take any photos up out of respect, but it shows the names of all of the manitobans lost during the war, there's also a memory wall outside. The staff was very friendly there's even a gift store and I absolutely recommend...

We discovered the museum by accident driving cross country on our way out to BC (spotted a yellow training aircraft by a roadside hotel). I found this museum fascinating; since I had just read a book about the Commonwealth Air Training Plan and the great effort to plan and build the infrastructure to train the air crews for the war. My Dad, at the time a young man of 18, attended the CATP to be trained as a mult-engine pilot. Dad was assigned as an instructor before the end of the war. He lost both his older brothers, experienced pilots, to the war effort.

The museum brought to life all the stories that I read in the CAPT book and adventures our father told us about as a child ! Everything from the hanger, Tiger Moths, Avro Ansons (multi-engine trainer), Link Trainer, etc

I have been to many excellent air museums, I would consider this museum a diamond in the rough, and a must see for anyone interested in the Canadian Air Force (or British Commonwealth) early history !

Hats off to the volunteer group that has help preserve this key part of Canada's past...