Quiet Space

I left off yesterday with this sculpture. Here we have a look at the inscription on top. The RCAF Hall Of Tribute honours those who have served in the Royal Canadian Air Force. 

Stepping inside, an inscription in Latin stands at the threshold. Per Ardua Ad Astra is the RCAF motto; it means Through Adversity To The Stars.

The space is large but quiet, with a stylized map on the floor. Sections of glass cover over mountainous landscapes rendered in three dimensions, as I noted yesterday. The walls are steel panels. An oculus is at the ceiling, letting in light. It's simple and yet very effective in its approach.

Now it's time to take you into the collection itself, organized thematically and chronologically in a large, open space. The Silver Dart was the first powered heavier than air plane to fly in Canada, at Baddeck Bay in Nova Scotia. It was the combined effort of a Canadian and American group, the Aerial Experimental Association, headed by Alexander Graham Bell. It made that first flight on February 3rd, 1909. What is suspended here is a replica made by RCAF personnel to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of that flight. It is mounted on a podium and slowly turns.