The Fleet Finch was well liked by the RCAF as it was rugged and quite easy to fly. The last served until 1947, but most were retired by October 1944. Their role as a primary trainer was taken over by Fairchild PT-26 Cornell. Finch Mk2 4738 was constructed at Fort Erie, ON and delivered to the RCAF in 1940. The aircraft served as a primary pilot trainer at several BCATP Elementary Flying Training Schools before it was retired in 1944. After several rebuilds, it now displays its original 22 EFTS markings from 1943 when based at Ancienne Lorette, now Quebec City Airport.

The DH.82C was a cold weather operations version of the Tiger Moth for the RCAF, fitted with sliding perspex canopy, cockpit heating, brakes, tail wheel and metal struts. One of 1,523, 4947 was built at Downsview and taken on strength with the RCAF in April 1941. It was assigned to No. 2 Training Command in Winnipeg, MN and became an instructional airframe in December 1943. Soc in July 1946, in 1990 it was registered as CF-IME and in 1992 as C-FIME. Underwent a thorough restoration in 2011 and is now regularly flown for passenger rides.

Havards served widely in Canada from 1939 to 1960, this example being initially used for pilot training by 411 Sqdn at RCAF Station Toronto. It later moved to No.6 Repair Depot in Trenton and subsequently served at Summerside, PEI from 1956. It was sold to a private individual in in Ontario in 1960 but was stored outside and never flown again, requiring significant restoration before being placed on display, to begin with in Toronto and at the NAFMC since 2007.

In the early days of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), the Anson was selected as the primary twin-engine aircraft for the training of pilots, observers, wireless- operators, and bomb aimers. Over 20,000 aircrew received their training on the aircraft. This example was created using fuselage and various assorted pieces obtained from the Reynolds Aviation Museum in Wetaskiwin, Alberta, in October 2005. The aircraft had been lying unprotected in a field for around 60 years, and its identity is unknown. The impressive restoration was completed in 2017.

Almost 400 Expeditors were operated by Canada in the utility/transport, training and comms roles, this example from 1952 to 1968. Previous to its arrival at the Trenton museum, it was preserved at Portage la Prairie, Manitoba.

North American's Yale was a fixed undercarriage, lower powered, lighter weight version of the Harvard. Both evolved from the 1935 NA-16. In 1939 France ordered 230 Yales but when the country fell in 1940, 119 en route were diverted to Canada for use by the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. Almost 100 already in France were impressed by the Luftwaffe. As Harvards took over the training role, like the Fleet Forts, the Yales were relegated to radio training, carrying heavy gear in the rear cockpit which stressed engines, often needing repair. 3411 was assigned to 1 FTS Camp Borden in 1940.

After 40 years of service with 450 Sqdn (Uplands), 424 Sqdn (Trenton) and 413 Sqdn/103 Rescue Unit (Gander), this characterful helicopter was retired to the museum in 2004. Originally known as a Voyageur and used in the army transport role, it was modified with Search and Rescue equipment and was then given the type name Labrador.

The Dragonfly was the RCAF's first helicopter and 9601 was the first of seven taken on by the service. It was originally assigned in 1947 to Trenton for training duties, then to Edmonton, also for training and next to the Canadian Joint Air Training School at Rivers, Manitoba. Transferred to Cold Lake, Alberta, it flew for the Experimental and Proving Establishment for five years. After that, it was sent to Chatham, New Brunswick, for five more years. In 1965 it was retired and found its way into the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa, moving to NAFMC in 2012.

Increasingly in need of some TLC, this Argus is one of 20 Mk.IIs purchased by the RCAF in 1958 to follow on from 13 Mk.1s. It flew with 415 Maritime Patrol 'Swordfish' Sqdn at RCAF Summerside in Prince Edward Island, and carries the unit's distinctive swordfish marking on its tail. When the squadron was moved in 1988 to CFB Greenwood in Nova Scotia, the Argus was replaced by the Lockheed CP-140 Aurora.

Sea King 12405 was taken on strength by the Royal Canadian Navy in 1964 and was the first of 37 assembled by United Aircraft of Canada in Longueuil, Quebec, from kits supplied by Sikorsky. Transferred to the RCAF in 1970, this Sea King served with 423, 443 and 406 Sqdns. It served in the Gulf War as part of Operation Friction in 1991 and with the United Nations in East Timor for Operation Toucan in 1999-2000. Retired in November 2018 with 17,755 airframe hours recorded, the highest of the 41 Canadian Sea Kings.

21435 served with VU 33 Sqdn, a Royal Canadian Navy fixed-wing unit on Vancouver Island. It was later re-serialled 133135. Although now painted in the colours of a 'Red Knight' solo aerobatic craft, it never flew as such. Currently not on display but stored in an outdoor yard.

Served at 1(F) OTU and Sabre Conversion Unit at Chatham, New Brunswick from 1954 and transferred to the Aircraft Maintenance Development Unit in 1969. Initially displayed at the museum in "Golden Hawks" colours but later repainted into correct early 1960s marks.

The CF-101 held an important role as Canada's nuclear weapon carrier and as a fighter/interceptor through the Sixties and Seventies. This one was acquired from the USAF in 1971, ex 57-0373. It operated with 419 'Nighthawk' Sqdn at CFB Comox, BC and 416 Sqdn at CFB Chatham, NB, the latter unit became the last unit in the world to fly the Voodoo, soldiering on till 1984.

One of the 190 RCAF Tutors, acquired in 1963

One of my main aims in visiting Trenton was to shoot this Buffalo, but my extremely hectic schedule that day which included driving to Hamilton as part of a 550km round trip meant that I had to accept less than perfect light. 115456 left DHC's Downsview plant and began service with 429 Sqdn (Tactical Transport) at St. Hubert, Quebec in 1967. In 1975 it was converted to a dual role transport/SAR aircraft for 442 Sqdn (Transport & Rescue) at CFB Comox, BC, flying until retirement in September 2020 and ferry to the museum the next month. The CC-115s have been replaced at Comox by the CC-295.

This is an Iroquois that operated with the RCAF/Canadian Armed Forces from 1968 until 1995. During that time, it served originally with 403 Sqdn and later with 439 'Tiger' Sqdn, which was activated in Bagotville in 1993 as a Combat Support Unit. All CH-118 helicopters were replaced by Bell Griffons in 1995. After that the aircraft was used for Aircraft Battle Damage Repair training at CFBs Borden and Trenton until the end of May 2007.

In service with the R/CAF from 1968 to 1995, this F-5 was used first as a tactical fighter and trainer with 434 Sqdn in Cold Lake, Alberta. In 1976, it was transferred to 419 'Moose' Sqdn at the same base where it was used mainly for training, gaining a squadron commemorative scheme using the national colours . It entered storage at the Aircraft Maintenance Development Unit at CFB Trenton in 1995, joining the museum there two years later. Another outdoor exhibit looking somewhat weathered.