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CM . . . .
Volume V Number 4 . . . . October 16, 1998
Fly Past is an excellent tool for those students who, either through personal interest or assigned projects, want access to a pictorial history of aviation. As flight is a topic explored in junior and middle schools, and interest in war-time Canada is high among eleven to fifteen year olds, this virtual tour of the National Aviation Museum in Ottawa will likely be a popular resource, particularly with boys. The tour is divided into four main sections. "Aircraft Search" will allow users to select an aircraft by name, by engine, by manufacturer or time period. A short summary of information on each plane is accompanied by nine or ten photos of that plane. With one click, researchers may open up MS Word or Excel if they wish to jot notes or make a table or chart. An extremely useful feature is "Selected Sources" which gives an extensive annotated list of books and films on aviation, all available from the National Film Board. A second section, "The Museum," gives students a tour of the library, an aviation boutique, the R.C.A.F. Hall of Tribute and a fascinating "behind the scenes" section which explains how artifacts are found and restored. A history of the National Aviation Museum is included in this section. Another section to explore, "Walkway of Time," offers viewers movies of seven outstanding pioneers of aviation (three of whom women), representing seven eras from 1904 to the present. Clicking on a fourth section, "Flight Plan," provides users with a map of Canada upon which aviation museums across the country are highlighted. Viewers can move east or west to discover the address, telephone number, hours, admission fees, tours and the list of collections existing in each museum. The wealth of information and a wonderful array of photographs will delight fans of airplanes and aviation history. For the more reluctant and less knowledgeable student, the amount of detailed information may be a bit intimidating. Still, such a resource should be a welcome addition to the junior high or middle school's print collection on aviation. Highly recommended. Valerie Nielsen is a recently retired teacher-librarian who lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca. Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.
Published by TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS ISSUE - OCTOBER 16, 1998. AUTHORS | TITLES | MEDIA REVIEWS | PROFILES | BACK ISSUES | SEARCH | CMARCHIVE | HOME |
