Austin Airways, a pioneering aviation firm, played a leading role in the economic development of the Ontario north in the mid-twentieth century. At first its main business was flying Toronto mining executives to remote northern sites. Based in Sudbury after 1938, the airline hauled freight, flew medical evacuations, fought forest fires, trained pilots, and transported tourists. In the 1940s, Austin diversified into aerial photography, timber surveying, aerial prospecting, and ice reconnaissance flights over Hudson Bay. One of its pilots, the legendary Thurston "Rusty" Blakey, logged about 30,000 hours in the air during his 49 years with the company. Austin Airways was absorbed into Air Ontario in 1987.

Location

Near the Aviation Monument at Science North, 100 Ramsay Lake Road, Sudbury

Themes

• Industry and trade
• Scientific and technological innovations
• Transportation systems and communications