CFB Shearwater, Military heliport in Shearwater, Nova Scotia, Canada

Shearwater Heliport sits on the eastern shore of Halifax Harbour, 8.3 km east-southeast of Shearwater, Nova Scotia. From the air its three light grey concrete runways read as an X crossed by a parallel strip, linked by taxiways into a triangle, with a long taxiway along the outer edge. Pale grey hangars and buildings cluster beside a parking apron near the left arm of the X.

In August 1918 the US Navy opened Naval Air Station Halifax at Baker Point, Eastern Passage, with six Curtiss HS-2L flying boats for anti-submarine patrols; Lt. Richard E. Byrd was officer-in-charge. After the war the US gifted aircraft and facilities to Canada, and in 1920 the Air Board made the site Dartmouth Air Station, an overhaul depot for HS-2L boats. Renamed RCAF Station Dartmouth in 1923, it became No. 5 (Flying Boat) Squadron headquarters in 1934.

The Shearwater Aviation Museum displays aircraft, equipment, and photographs that show how Canadian naval aviation developed over time. Visitors can walk through exhibits that tell the story of maritime flying missions and the people who flew them.

Keep in mind this is an active military installation, so access to certain areas may be restricted. The attached museum is usually easier to visit and offers insights into aviation history without such security limitations.

In August 1918 the US Navy opened Naval Air Station Halifax at Baker Point, with six Curtiss HS-2L flying boats; Lieutenant Richard E. Byrd was Officer-in-Charge of US Naval Air Force in Canada. After the war the United States gifted its aircraft and flying facilities in Nova Scotia to Canada, and the six aircraft at Sydney were shipped to Halifax for storage.