Chasing Arrows: An Avro Arrow Story
A film/series about Reviving a Canadian dream.
Decades after Canada’s most ambitious aircraft was grounded — a new generation of dreamers are determined to make the Arrow fly again, even if they have to build it with their bare hands. They’re doing it to answer one big question: can Canadians still do big things?
All good technology-stories are people-stories. Since the 1990s, a dedicated group of volunteers have been working in Springbank, Alberta, to create a flying copy of the famous supersonic Jet, the Avro Arrow, which was destroyed by the Diefenbaker government in 1959. Using fibre-glass, carbon fibre, and advanced materials, the team has been working on this project for decades. This film follows that work.
As they near the finish-line, they are up against the most daunting odds yet as they transition from needing volunteers to build the plane, to needing money for avionics, landing gear, etc., but perhaps the most frightening adversary is time itself, as volunteers move on, new ones arrive, and some have even passed away.
The volunteers at the Avro Museum are the kind of dreamers who can’t help but make their dreams into reality. In that sense, they keep company with those who make great works of art, who build cathedrals, and who break the sound barrier and put people on the moon, just like the engineers of the original Arrow. This plane is more than a copy: the team has created an entirely new aircraft which pays homage in looks and in spirit to the original. This film captures their creative spirit.
Those who know the story of the Avro Arrow understand that it is more than a plane, it’s a symbol: of ingenuity, unity, and technical prowess, of Canada. That’s why over a quarter century of work has gone into creating this replica, which is the only flying Arrow replica in the world: the Arrow II, and they must fly it, soon.
How you can help the Avro Museum in Springbank, AB to build the Arrow II faster:
Now that the body of the plane is almost complete, The museum is transitioning from needing many volunteers to do the work, to needing a few really specialized volunteers to champion the critical systems: Landing gear, avionics, engines and fuel system. The best way to speed progress is to fund the museum so that they can have important work done such as precision welding of the landing gear they’ve designed, the purchase of avionics and other critical systems–things that simply cannot be built with more volunteers. To contribute to the progress one of the best ways is to purchase a membership to the museum or Donate (tax receipts available over $25) and find other ways to connect them with sponsors and donors.
How you can help this film/series get made and shown:
I’ve been working on this film since 2019, but the history goes back to the ’90s (and even further for the original plane). I started out on this project to celebrate the technical achievements, but found that the really interesting thing is the amazing people who are involved. This is what the story is truly about. Creative Director Frank Orlando came on board in earnest in 2025 and together we have committed to capturing this grassroots story into an epic film or series and pitching it to broadcasters. If you are a broadcaster or funder, you can reach us at [email protected] for a pitch-deck and any info. We would love to have you on this flight with us.
