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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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.


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.


By Kevin Moore, Contributing Editor & Photographer
thestickandrudder@sympatico.ca

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