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the snowbirds |
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Welcome to my heritage fair site don't be afraid to click the links to find out about the snowbirds |
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The snowbirds scream past at Abbottsford British Columbia International Air Show as they have and will for a long time yet. Every workday they go through a fast paced, blood curdling, adrenaline filled world in flight. Not only have they survived some serious tragedies but each day they must live with very real dangers. To find out more about them look into their World War Two history, their formations, and much much more. They’re Canada’s longest surviving air demonstration team and should remain so for a long time yet. QUESTIONS Were the Snowbirds ever involved in combat? What are their formations and maneuvers? Has anyone ever died? What planes have they flown?
The snowbirds not only were involved in combat they acceded in it. They were originally a bombing created at Burn Air Force England on 11 November 1942. Their first battle was at the English Channel in 1943. They had many more battles like this in the English Channel, the North Sea, the Baltic area, Fortress Europe, Biscay Ports, Berlin, France and Germany, Rhur, German Ports, Rhine, Biscay, and Normandy until 1945. They were then moved to their Canadian air base at Dartmouth, Nova Scotia after victory day. They were disbanded then on 5 September 1945. They were re-activated in 1954 at Station Baggotville to fly Sabres as an air demonstration team. Which leads you through their history of teams eventually to Saskatchewan’s very own Snowbirds. Their formations include their personal favorite the big diamond, big arrow, big vic, card nine, colors roll, concord, crazy three on one, double diamond, double inverted, eagle, echelon in review, feather, heart, goose, inverted box, inverted split, line abreast, mini concord, vic, palm, sweep delta, viggan, and wedge. They also have maneuvers, which are usually traced with smoke trails. Some of these include the line abreast roll, hexagon to delta roll, big diamond roll, downward bomb burst, (A very cool looking one.) 4-3-1 split, (which uses a diamond formation, a delta formation, and a single plane.) palm tree split, heart, and co-loop. And then some of the more dangerous solo maneuvers, including, solos roll back cross vertical reverse and level roll, solo twinkle roll and solos co-360 turn. As with most professions involving stunts, there are casualties. Unfortunately the snowbirds have suffered the loss of 6 pilots including Captain Miles Selby, age 31, just killed in December during training at Mossbank Saskatchewan. The following people have been killed in flight or very soon after: Captain Lloyd Waterer #8 lead solo, killed in Trenton Ontario during an air show in 1972, 24 years old. Captain Gordon de Jong #8 lead solo, killed during an air show in Grande Prairie 1978, 32 years old. Captain Wes Mackay #8 lead solo, killed in automobile accident after show at Latrobe Pennsylvania in 1988, age 28. Captain Shayne Antaya #2 inner right wing, killed during air show at the CNE Toronto Ontario in 1989, 26 years old. Captain Michael VandenBos #2 inner right wing killed during routine training accident, south of Moose Jaw Saskatchewan 1998, age 29. This poem written by Peter Walt is appropriate to commemorate the now gone Snowbirds: Hush - The silence lingers still White clouds brush the distant hill The Snowbirds flown on silent wings Far from earth bound, tugging strings. Hush - There lies but one man sleeping A date with his Maker he is keeping Though once he raced across the sky, in flight Radiant, as a star at night. Hush - He was an airman bold Who saw the sunset turning gold Who soared with grace across this land A brave man, in a brave man's band. No more in danger shall he tread No more the sunsets turning red Though high above our prairie fleece We know his soul will find its peace. Hush - The Snowbird's taken flight Into the great beyond of night To join his comrades, in the wing Which flies just for our Heavenly King. - Peter Walt The Snowbirds, Squadron 431, have flown many different aircraft, mostly bombers, as they were originally a bombing squadron in World War Two. These aircraft are, the Vickers Wellington, a superb bomber in it’s time, had twin propeller engines and a large hull it also featured a quad mount turret used to shoot down enemy planes. The Handley Page Halifax, a better bomber than the Wellington has a thin hull, four propeller engines, twin rudders and a massive wingspan. It also featured a quad mount machine gun turret in the front of the plane. The Avro Lancaster replaced the Halifax fad a very similar design except for a stubby nose area. The Canadian Sabre a early jet fighter, flown by the golden hawks, also a runoff of squadron 431, was a small single engine turbine with swept back wings. The ct33 Silver Star is the predecessor of the modern tutor with two fuel tanks attached to the side of the wings had twin turbine engines and was flown by the red knights, an earlier version of the snowbirds. And the ct114 Tutor, the plane they fly today, which is a quite small jet fighter painted red and white with a strip of blue honoring the golden centennaries, the group that was right before them, who originally flew the planes.
THE SNOWBIRDS T H E H A T I T E N R O N T E R I I O S WARRIORS OF THE SKY
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| this is my single web link it is to the snowbirds on the ministry of defense web site. | http://www.snowbirds.dnd.ca/index_e.asp |