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ISSUE
145 - November 2010
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Snowbirds
- Fantastic Forty! - Part I |
By Kevin Moore, Contributing
Editor & Photographer
Roslin, Ontario, Canada |
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Three of the Snowbirds in a nice mirror
pass during the CFB Trenton,
8 Wing Air Display Weekend in
July 2009 |
In the world of aviation demonstration
teams, the Canadian Forces Snowbirds are top-notch. They
are among the best in the world and have been throughout
their 40 year history. That's right, the Snowbirds have celebrated
their 40th Anniversary during the 2010 airshow season and
have performed at airshows and various historic celebrations
across Canada and parts of the United States during the airshow
season. |
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Displaying the
colours of the Snowbirds predecessor, the Golden Centennaires,
this Snowbirds Tutor was painted for the Canadian Centennial
of (powered) Flight in 2009, left. Vintage Wings of Canada's
F-86 Sabre, Hawk One, painted in the livery of the RCAF Golden
Hawks display team, with four Snowbirds performing a pass above
and behind it, right. |
Today, as they have been since they
were established, we see the team flying in a tough little
jet called the Canadair Tutor. It was designed and built
in Canada, by Canadians, and at Canadair, the same company
that built Canadian versions of the F-86 Sabre, F-5, F-101,
and F-104, the T-33, among various other aircraft types.
The Tutor, older than the Snowbirds Aerobatic Team itself,
are expected to fly with the Snowbirds until 2020 with updated
'glass' cockpits. |
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A single Snowbirds
Tutor, #4, takes to the air during the 2009 Brantford Airshow,
left. Tutor aircraft that are no longer serviceable or have
reached their maximum airframe time end up at CFB/CFD Mountain
View where they're stripped of useable parts and await the
cutters torch or possibly a final resting place as a museum
piece, right. |
One might think it's pretty tough
for the pilots to fly their aerobatic performances in these
aging little jet aircraft, originally designed and built
as a 1960's 2-seat trainer, but any Snowbirds pilot you talk
to will tell you it does the job wonderfully. Agile, maneuverable,
easy to fly, and tough. With the updates the airplane has
had over their history, and that they will have in the coming
years, there are no current plans for the military or Canadian
government to change them at this time. |
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After initial jet
training, pilots may go on to fly the Canadian Air Force's
premier front line fighter, the CF-188 Hornet, left. Some may
move up to multi-engine training, eventually flying the CC-177
Globemaster, right. |
At one time the Tutor was used as
the Canadian Air Force's main jet trainer aircraft so, for
many first time Snowbirds pilots, they are, or were, simply
returning to an airplane they'd flown previously. The difference
was that, as Snowbirds pilots, they were going to fly it
like most had never flown it before. As a trainer, the Tutor
has been replaced and today's Canadian Air Force now flies
the Hawker Hawk as its initial jet trainer. From the Hawk,
some will move on to the CF-18 Hornet, the A310 Polaris,
or the CT-177 Globemaster. |
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Snowbird Tutor taxies out before the team's
performance
during the 2009 Waterloo Aviation Expo & Air
Show. |
Snowbirds pilots will usually have
one or two assorted tours flying other aircraft before being
selected and given the opportunity, and privilege, of flying
with the Snowbirds. Whether having flown as a tactical fighter
pilot or demonstration pilot in the CF-18 Hornet, tactical
combat support pilot in the T-33 Silver Star, instructor
in the CT-156 Harvard or the CT-114 Tutor, or transport pilot
in the CC-130 or CC-177 Globemaster, pilots selected to fly
with the Snowbirds team are experienced, highly qualified
Canadian Air Force pilots. |
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The Snowbirds Squadron (431) began life
as a bomber squadron during World War II in Burn, England flying
aircraft such as the Wellington, Halifax, and the venerable
Lancaster, similar to this one belonging to Canadian Warplane
Heritage. |
The Snowbirds are officially known
as 431 Air Demonstration Squadron with a history that dates
back to World War II when they were formed in Burn, England
and were known as 431 Bomber Squadron. The aircraft they
flew were Vickers Wellington, Avro Lancaster, and the Halifax
bomber. Post-war, the squadron was moved to RCAF Station
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia where they were disbanded in late
1945. However, at RCAF Station Bagotville, the squadron was
re-formed for 10 months in 1954 in order for the RCAF to
display the their newest fighter, the F-86 Sabre, at airshows.
Though the Snowbirds first performed in 1971, it wasn't until
1978 that 431 Squadron was again re-formed flying the CT-114
Tutor as the Snowbirds Air Demonstration Squadron, based
at CFB Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. |
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Before the Snowbirds
there were the Golden Centennaires (left), formed to celebrate
the Canadian Centennial in 1967 and the Golden Hawks, formed
in 1959 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of powered flight
in Canada. |
The team was, in a way, derived from
their predecessors, the Golden Centennaires , who in turn,
followed in the footsteps of the F-86 Sabre-flying RCAF Golden
Hawks. When the Snowbirds were 'unofficially' formed, they
started with a 7-plane formation comprised of white Tutor
aircraft that had previously flown with the Golden Centennaires.
Pilots and crew were all volunteers flying and training after
their regular duties and on weekends and holidays. They first
flew as the "Snowbirds" at an air show in Saskatchewan
in 1971. |
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The 9-plane formation
coming out of the bottom of a loop, left.
Two Snowbirds fly
overhead, ready to re-join the formation, right. |
From the beginning, the Snowbirds
were very popular, not only with airshow spectators, but
with Air Force pilots as well. Though their manoeuvres were
far more restrictive than they are today, they still wowed
the crowds. From 1971, they operated on a yearly basis until
1977 when they were made a permanent unit with an official
designation as the Canadian Forces Air Demonstration Squadron,
and officially became 431 Air Demonstration Squadron in 1978. |
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The 9-plane formation
in the "Silver Dart" configuration at the 2009 Brantford
Airshow, left. Head-on, smoke on, the team flies the "Goose" formation
during the Waterloo Aviation Expo & Air Show 2010, right. |
When the Snowbirds fly in their performances,
they know what airshow spectators are looking for and they
never disappoint. Flying tight formations is what it's all
about and every year the show changes slightly, just enough
to give that airshow crowd, their fans, something new and
something a little different. Normally, the only time spectators
will see any type of radical change in their routine is when
there's a change of command in the squadron. |
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The team ready and
preparing to taxi out for their performance during the Waterloo
Aviation Expo & Air Show 2010, left. The "Big Diamond" formation
nearing the top of a roll during the 2009 Brantford Airshow,
right. |
During each airshow season, as long
as there are no changes in aircraft capability or for reasons
of aircraft & pilot safety, the shows they fly stay the
same. The exception is weather. On bright, sunny clear weather
days, or days when cloud is high enough (at least 4,500' & 8
kilometres/5 miles visibility) , they will fly their "high
show" with a full performance, their entire routine.
On days when cloud does not permit their full show, they
will perform what's known as a "low show" which
means a cloud base of at least 1,500' and visibility of at
least 5 miles or 8 kilometres. When cloud base is at 1,000'
with visibility of less than 3 miles (5 kilometres) they
then fly what's known as a "flat show." The team,
pilots and crew, do their very best to ensure airshow spectators
are never disappointed. |
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Solo's #8 & 9
performing one of their head-on passes during the Waterloo
Aviation Expo & Air Show, left. Passing from left to right
in the "Shuttle" configuration during the 2009 Brantford
Airshow, right. |
The Snowbirds have approximately 40
assorted formations and each formation is incorporated into
the show in order to offer as smooth a transition from one
manoeuvre to another. At times, the team will switch from
one formation to another making it look almost seamless.
During their performances, there is as little as 4 feet/1.2
metres of separation between aircraft depending on the manoeuvre
and, at times, the aircraft will have several feet of wing
overlap. Flying that closely together at speeds reaching
375mph (600kmh) takes soft hands, nerves of steel and a enormous
amount of skill and ability!
Now you know a little about
the Canadian Air Force Snowbirds Aerobatic Display Team.
Next week, come back and learn a little more about the team,
their formations, and their history in Snowbirds - Fantastic
Forty! Part II. |
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