YYC's toy plane carousel searching for a new local home

A massive tin toy plane display that has spent more than 20 years spinning around Calgary's airport is in need of a new home.

A massive tin toy plane display that has spent more than 20 years spinning around Calgary's airport is in need of a new home. 

The display, which was installed in 2002, is likely familiar to most Calgarians. 

'When Aviation Was Young' consists of two wind-up carousels of rotating tin planes with spinning propellers. 

Artist Jeff de Boer spent 5,000 hours crafting the colourful display. 

"I really wanted to do something fun, colourful, kinetic and larger than life that children can control," he told CTV News. "And 20 years later, some children that were 10 years old at the time have grown up to become pilots or stewardesses, and I've been getting messages saying, 'this sculpture inspired me to want to get into aviation.'"

But things are changing soon at YYC. 

In mid-June, the display is being decommissioned to make way for guest experience updates in the domestic terminal.