Large toy planes whirling around YYC domestic terminal to be taken down

If you've taken a flight out of Calgary, especially with kids, you've likely seen the giant toy airplanes spinning around in the domestic terminal.

The sculptures have been on display in that spot for more than 20 years, but the planes will soon be taking their final flight.

The airport is decommissioning the artwork as part of plans to revamp the space. It's bittersweet news for Calgary metal artist Jeff de Boer, who is the creator behind the piece.

"Every artist wants to make a sculpture that has an impact," he said in an interview on the Calgary Eyeopener.

"I think they were an icon at the airport and something that people could recognize."

The two sculptures, dubbed When Aviation Was Young, look like tall, colourful carousels, each with three airplanes dangling from the top. The planes rotate in a circle and their propellers spin.

Each piece is six-metres tall, and the airplanes are each 1.5 metres across.

The display is being removed to make way for "guest experience" updates in the domestic terminal, according to a statement from the Calgary Airport Authority.

"Replacement of carpet and tile, improved lighting and creating smoother passenger flows are part of the updates," the statement said.

The sculptures will come down by mid-June.

LISTEN | Calgary metal artist describes response to sculpture's removal:

When he started the plane project two decades ago, de Boer said he wanted to create something both children and adults would enjoy.

He also wanted to tie in the history of aviation, with each of the six airplanes telling their own story.

"There's the first airplane to ever fly in Calgary, the West Wind. There is the Fokker Super Universal, which is one of the great bush planes. And then there's Fred McCall's Curtiss Jenny, which he famously crash-landed on top of a merry-go-round at the Stampede grounds in 1919," he said.

"On the other side, there's the twin-engine planes. We have a DC-3, and then we have the famous Kenn Borek Air Twin Otter. And then there's the very rare Barkley-Grow, which was a bush plane that was servicing the Yukon and Alberta back in the '20s."

Besides the historical aspect, de Boer said he wanted the planes to bring fun, joy and relaxation to passengers.

It was something he felt was particularly important, especially because the piece was unveiled shortly after 9/11.

"Aviation was a terrifying thing to people. So this idea [was to bring] joy again back to something that people had enjoyed so much before," he said.

The airport plans to return the sculptures to de Boer after they're removed.

It's still in great shape, he said. One of the planes isn't working at the moment, but the artwork is built to last. 

"Certainly I want to find a home for them. I'd hate to see them go to the scrapyard," he said.

"I would love to have them in a public place … so anybody in Calgary hopefully can see them one day without having to be flying."

Worst case, de Boer said, he's had inquiries from collectors about getting individual planes. 

Although he's disappointed to see the display removed, de Boer said he's proud to have created something that resonated with people.

"There was a whole culture around the sculptures that every artist would hope for with their work."