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Snowbirds
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Officially known as the Canadian Forces 431 Air Demonstration Squadron, the Snowbirds are Canada's military aerobatics or air show flight demonstration team.
The 431 Air Demonstration Squadron is under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Forces Air Command. Approximately 80 Canadian Forces personnel work with the squadron full-time; 24 personnel are in the show team that travels during the show season.
The show team flies 11 CT-114 Tutors — nine for aerobatic performances, including two solo aircraft, and two as spares, flown by the team coordinators.
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Encyclopedia
Officially known as the Canadian Forces 431 Air Demonstration Squadron, the Snowbirds are Canada's military aerobatics or air show flight demonstration team.
The 431 Air Demonstration Squadron is under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Forces Air Command. Approximately 80 Canadian Forces personnel work with the squadron full-time; 24 personnel are in the show team that travels during the show season.
The show team flies 11 CT-114 Tutors — nine for aerobatic performances, including two solo aircraft, and two as spares, flown by the team coordinators.
Squadron history
Second World War
No. 431 Squadron was a product of the Second World War. It was formed on 11 November 1942, at Burn, England, flying Wellington X heavy bombers with No. 4 Group RAF Bomber Command. The squadron moved to RAF Tholthorpe in mid-1943, was transferred to No. 6 Group RCAF, and converted to Halifax V aircraft. In December 1943 the squadron moved to RAF Croft where it was re-equipped with Halifax III's and later, Lancaster X aircraft. The squadron moved to RCAF Station Dartmouth, Nova Scotia after the war, disbanding there on 5 September 1945.
Battle honours
- English Channel and North Sea 1943-1944
- Baltic 1943-1944
- Fortress Europe 1943-1944
- Rhine, France and Germany 1944-1945
- Biscay Ports 1943-1944
- Ruhr 1943-1945, Berlin 1943-1944
- German Ports 1943-1945
- Normandy 1944
- Biscay 1943-1944
Postwar
Squadron re-formed
No. 431 (Fighter) Squadron re-formed at RCAF Station Bagotville on 18 January 1954, using the new F-86 Sabre. The squadron was formed on a temporary basis until there were enough new CF-100s available to fulfill RCAF squadron needs. No. 431's duties included aerial combat training and displaying the capabilities of the Sabre to the public at air shows, the largest being Operation Prairie Pacific - a 50 minute exhibition that travelled to selected locations across western Canada. This was the first Sabre team to be authorized to perform formation aerobatics in Canada. The unit was disbanded on 1 October 1954.
2 Canadian Forces Flying Training School Formation Team
In 1969, Colonel O.B. Philp, former leader of the Golden Centennaires aerobatic team obtained permission to use seven of the leftover Golden Centennaire CT-114 Tutor aircraft still fitted for aerobatic flying. The Tutors had some minor corrosion and were painted with white anti-corrosive paint. Philp and three others from 2 Canadian Forces Flying Training School (2CFFTS) began unofficially training for aerobatic flight at CFB Moose Jaw and performing at shows around the country. Known as the 2 Canadian Forces Flying Training School Formation Team, or informally as the Tutor Whites, the team grew in size and gradually gained recognition.
"The Snowbirds"
A contest to give the air demonstration team a formal name was held at the CFB Moose Jaw base elementary school (Bushell Park Elementary) and resulted in the name Snowbirds. The name reflected the aircraft's distinctive all-white paint scheme used at the time, connoted grace and beauty and was clearly linked to its Canadian origins. Coincidentally, "Snowbird" was the name of an Anne Murray hit song that was popular at the time. The name was formally adopted on 25 June 1971. The team became official when it was formed into its own squadron by reactivating 431 Squadron (renamed 431 Air Demonstration Squadron) on 1 April 1978.
Awards and honours
The Snowbirds were awarded the 1994 "Belt of Orion" by Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame. The squadron continues to fly the CT-114 Tutor, and was presented their Squadron Colours on 15 October 1999 for 25 years of service. For a time, the Red Knight, a solo show of a single Canadair (Lockheed) CT-33 Silver Star, also flew with the 431.
In 1982, Canada Post released a 17 cent stamp of an inverted Snowbird No.5 with the airframe number 114155.
On 28 June 2006, Canada Post released two domestic rate (51 cent Canadian) stamps to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the team. The Royal Canadian Mint jointly released a $5.00 silver commemorative coin.
Notable performances
- The first performance of the team with the new name of "Snowbirds" was on 11 July 1971 at their home base of CFB Moose Jaw during the Homecoming '71 Air Show.
- The first formal public performance that included opposing solos was flown at Yellowknife on 13 May 1972.
- The opening ceremonies at the Calgary 1988 Winter Olympics was the first time the Snowbirds used coloured smoke. The colours represented the five colours of the Olympic rings.
- In 1990 red smoke was incorporated into the Snowbirds' routine at major performances to commemorate the team's 20th anniversary and the silver anniversary of the Canadian flag.
- The team performed for the first time outside of Canada and the U.S. in October 1993 at Zapopan Military Air Base near Guadalajara, Mexico.
- The Snowbirds overfly the Canada Day celebrations at Parliament Hill, Ottawa on 1 July.
Accidents
The Snowbirds have had several accidents, with eight deaths resulting:
- 1972: Captain Lloyd Waterer died during a demonstration at the Trenton Airshow at CFB Trenton, Ontario
- 1978: Captain Gordon de Jong died at an air show in Grande Prairie, Alberta. The horizontal stabilizer failed rendering the aircraft uncontrollable. Although ejection was initiated, it was not successful.
- 3 September 1989: Captain Shane Antaya died after a midair collision during a demonstration at the Canadian International Air Show during the CNE in Toronto, Ontario when his Tutor crashed into Lake Ontario. During the same accident, team commander Major Dan Dempsey safely ejected from his aircraft.
- 1991: A Snowbird jet crashed during a routine training flight near Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. The two pilots were not seriously injured.
- 1992: A crash near Moose Jaw was blamed on a failed engine bearing. There were no injuries.
- 1994: Two pilots ejected from their aircraft near Moose Jaw, sustaining minor injuries.
- 1997: Two jets touched wingtips in mid-air in Glen Falls, N.Y. There were no injuries.
- 10 December 1998: Captain Michael VandenBos died in a midair collision during training near Moose Jaw.
- 4 September 2000: Aircraft #4 and #1 touched in midair causing minor damage to the wing of one and the tail of another shortly after takeoff before a demonstration for the Canadian International Air Show in Toronto on the Labour Day weekend. Both planes landed safely with no injuries.
- 10 April 2001: As it landed in Comox, British Columbia in a nine-plane diamond formation, the nose and right-wing landing gear of aircraft #5 collapsed. No one was injured.
- 21 June 2001: Major Robert Painchaud and his passenger ejected after a mid-air collision between planes #1 and #5 as they attempted to rejoin the "Concorde" nine-jet formation for a media shoot over Lake Erie near London, Ontario. The passenger sustained serious injury, but Major Painchaud suffered only bruising and the other aircraft was safely flown back to base.
- 10 December 2004: Captain Miles Selby died in a training accident near Mossbank, Saskatchewan. The other pilot, Captain Chuck Mallett, was thrown from his destroyed aircraft while still strapped into his seat. While tumbling towards the ground, he was able to unstrap, deploy his parachute and land with only minor injuries.]
- 24 August 2005: Capt. Andrew Mackay safely ejected from his aircraft near Thunder Bay, Ontario, during the warm-up for the Thunder in the Air Airshow.
- 18 May 2007: Snowbird 2, Capt. Shawn McCaughey fatally crashed during practice at Malmstrom Air Force Base near Great Falls, Montana due to a restraining strap malfunction .
- 9 Oct 2008: A Snowbird Tutor piloted by newly-recruited team member Capt. Bryan Mitchell with military photographer Sgt. Charles Senecal crashed, killing both, near the Snowbird's home base of 15 Wing Moose Jaw while on a routine, non-exhibition flight.
Bibliography
- Dempsey, Daniel V. A Tradition of Excellence: Canada's Airshow Team Heritage. Victoria, BC: High Flight Enterprises, 2002. ISBN 0-9687817-0-5.
- Fast, Beverley G. Snowbirds: Flying High, Canada's Snowbirds Celebrate 25 Years. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan: Lapel Marketing & Associates Inc., 1995. ISBN 0-96993127-0-7.
- Milberry, Larry. Canada's Air Force At War And Peace, Volume 3. Toronto: CANAV Books, 2000. ISBN 0-921022-12-3.
- Mummery, Robert. Snowbirds: Canada's Ambassadors of the Sky. Edmonton, Alberta: Reidmore Books, 1984. ISBN 0-919091-37-7.
- Rycquart, Barbara. The Snowbirds Story. London, Ontario, Canada: Third Eye, 1987. ISBN 0-919581-41-2.
- Sroka, Mike. Snowbirds: Behind The Scenes With Canada's Air Demonstration Team. Toronto, ON: Fifth House Publishers, 2006. ISBN 1-89485-686-4.
External links
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