With the words “Snowbirds, start ’em up!,” pilots in the nine CT-114 Tutor jets fired up their engines, filling the air with a deafening roar and the smell of high-octane fuel.
The nine birds then taxied down the runway and took flight, and for the next 30 minutes, performed incredible aerial displays and manoeuvres for family, friends and supporters during the team’s season-ending homer closer event on Oct. 18.
From the Canada Burst formation to the Big Diamond arrangement to the Inuksuk grouping, the nine Snowbirds kept spectators’ heads looking left and right and up and down to watch the action.
“In my opinion, this is the most significant show (we’ve done). This is the milestone we’ve been working for all year,” Maj. Brent Handy, the team lead with 431 Air Demonstration Squadron, said afterward. “It signifies the safe return of all our members and the successful year celebrating 100 years of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).
“In all regards, it’s been a huge success. The (mechanics) have done an excellent job of keeping our aircraft safe and serviceable,” he continued. “Right to the end, we had our full complement of aircraft available and they flew extremely well … .
“We’ve got a typical October Saskatchewan windy day, which is just perfect flying conditions for us today (because) it’s just the right amount of challenge for the pilots.”
The Snowbirds performed 24 shows across Canada and the United States this year, while they performed in front of millions of fans, while many more watched online, Handy said. He knew that the largest crowd for whom they performed was in Oshkosh, Wis., where, during a multi-day show, they flew in front of over a million people.
Those shows allowed the team to showcase everything the RCAF does, including its best skills, professionalism, and teamwork, not only by the pilots but also by the technicians and support personnel, he continued.
“It’s an enormous team, and those of us here that are part of the team are just part of the iceberg of what the Canadian Forces is up to,” the team lead continued. “… the outreach that the team achieves is not insignificant.”
The Snowbirds also had the opportunity this year to work with allied countries’ aerobatic teams to celebrate the RCAF’s 100th birthday, from Italy’s Frecce Tricolori to the U.K.’s Royal Air Force Red Arrows to the United States’ Blue Angels and Thunderbirds, Handy added.
Operating a military jet that flies at nearly 800 kilometres per hour requires intense concentration, but the team’s regular preparation and practice made it easier to handle the jets — especially when they’re flying four to 10 feet away from each other, said Handy. They also build on past performances, which helps develop confidence and skill.
“It becomes somewhat routine until we have these milestone special days like this where you take a deep breath, and then it hits you that we accomplished something big … ,” the Wyevale, Ont. native remarked.
“But on a day like today, for me as the lead, I have to admit, I did feel a little bit emotional as we shut the engine down the last time (for the season),” Handy added. “And just the magnitude of bringing everybody home safe and everyone doing such a good job, (it) was a really special day.”
