Snowbirds to make return visit to air show

Written by Gerald Gauthier

Monday, December 22 2008, 9:52 PM

At a time of year when most people are likely thinking about snowblowers, Kathy Wallocha has her mind on the Snowbirds. The president of the Alberta International Air Show returned recently from a major North American air show conference buoyed by the knowledge the popular Canadian Forces aerobatics team will return to Lethbridge next summer. The Snowbirds were absent at last year’s event due to a scheduling conflict after organizers moved the show to July from its traditional slot in early August. “They went to Wetaskiwin last year because we had changed weekends,” she said. Next year’s air show is scheduled the weekend of July 25-26. Although the Snowbirds will perform only on the opening day, Wallocha is optimistic the team will arrive a couple of days early and provide some advance thrills by conducting practice exercises in the skies above the city. The Snowbirds are scheduled to perform a flyover at the Indy race in Edmonton on July 26. Having the Snowbirds only one day presents challenges, Wallocha said, but forces organizers to be creative and provide more variety for show patrons from one day to the next. “To change the show up, that gets me really excited,” she said. But the thrill of landing a perennial air show favourite is being tempered by the unsettling reality that sponsorships critical to the show’s success are harder to secure in today’s uncertain economy than they were a year ago. “We had some good indications of sponsorships at this time last year,” she said, adding that so far, some past sponsors have declined while others are deferring decisions until the new year. Also confirmed are the MIG Fury Fighters, a trio of fighter jets from Utah that conduct demonstrations of aerial dogfights. Organizers are awaiting confirmation on Hawk One, a privately-owned, refurbished RCAF F-86 Sabre 5 painted in the colours of the Golden Hawks aerobatic team that performed across Canada from 1959-1964. Hawk One is a special commemoration of the 100th anniversary in 2009 of powered flight in Canada. Organizers expect to announce the addition of several other major military acts in February. Spectacular special effects will also be part of the mix. “We’re going to bring back the (pyrotechnics). The pyro was huge,” she said, making no apologies for the fact the show features simulations of air battles. “If you’re going to demonstrate a bomber, you need to drop bombs,” she said. “Our tax dollars are paying for all of these, so why shouldn’t we help people understand what they can do?”

Last Updated ( Monday, August 10 2009, 2:28 PM )