‘Wooden Wonder’ coming to Kelowna airspace

Aviation lovers, listen up. A World War II era gem will soon touch down in Kelowna.

A de Havilland 98 Mosquito, otherwise known as a “Mossie” or “Wooden Wonder”, will be making the KF Aerospace Centre for Excellence its new home on Monday, June 6, the 78th anniversary of D-Day, and the public is invited to come out and see it land at YLW.

“The Mossie was an incredibly potent aircraft,” said KF Project Supervisor D’Arcy Barker. “It could pack a similar bomb load as a B17 and fight in any theatre at any time of day or night, at high or low altitude. It was truly a multi-role aircraft, at home in seemingly any operation. That’s what made it so special. Without it, where would we be? Thankfully, we’ll never know.”

Debuting with the British Royal Air Force in 1941, the Mossie served as a night fighter, reconnaissance plane, and bomber in the Allied effort.

There are 30 Mossies still around worldwide, though only a few are still deemed air-worthy. This particular Mossie is ready for the skies thanks to a five-year restoration project, involving all original wood, except for new bomb bay doors.

The centre’s executive director, Paula Quinn, said that the goal is to have the Mossie as a ‘live display’: in other words, have it flying.

“There are only a few pilots in the world who can fly this aircraft and one of them has agreed to fly it here for us.”

The Mossie is expected to arrive at YLW at 11:15a.m.