The Worlds Largest Weathervane, a DC-3

This decommissioned DC-3 now forever points into the oncoming wind

Category Strange Statues, Amazing Automata, Architectural Oddities

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The worlds largest Weathervane, A Douglas DC-3 airplane sits on a pedestal in front of the Yukon Transportation Museum (where it was moved to in summer of 2009). The title of "The Worlds Largest Weathervane" isn't just a joke. Placed on a specially engineered pedestal in 1981, the plane truly does slowly and silently pivot and move with the breeze (it only takes a 5 knot wind to turn her), so that her nose is always pointing into the wind as if in a perpetual, never-ending flight.

Bought in April 1946 by Canadian Pacific Airlines, the plane served as a military cargo plane, a civilian plane, and later as a "bush plane." In truly Canadian style the plane was outfitted with skis so that it might land on remote snowy plains to deliver supplies. The DC-3 flew her last flight in November 1970 before being donated to the Yukon Flying Club in 1977. Though the DC-3 has been downgraded to the status of weathervane, as far as the fate of retired planes go, flying forever into the oncoming wind is a pretty good last gig.

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Immediately south of the south passenger vehicle entrance of the Erik Nielsen, Whitehorse International Airport, in front of the Yukon Transportation Museum

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  • & Anonymous January 3, 2010
    Having grown up in Whitehorse in the 70's, this DC-3 was a stripped-out derelict for many many years rusting away along the perimeter fence. I spent many hours sitting in the pilot's seat pretending to fly old CF-CPY. A group of local aviation enthusiasts got together back in 1980 or so and set to work putting that plane on a pedestal. The hardest part was finding the exact center of gravity so it could turn easily. It was a real struggle because internal structure had to be modified for the pivoting mechanism to fit, carry the weight of the aircraft and still be in precisely the center of gravity.
  • & Anonymous November 13, 2009
    spelling mistake 2ndP, 2ndS: plane not place