The Snowbirds military aerobatics squadron’s first appearance in Estevan since 2006 proved to be a memorable show for the estimated 3,000 people who attended the performance Tuesday afternoon at the Estevan Regional Airport.
The squadron members performed numerous aerial stunts and impressive formations in their famous Tudor aircraft, with white smoke billowing from behind the planes. They were in perfect alignment for their nine-plane and seven-plane formations, and often they were separated by seemingly just a few inches.
A couple of soloists also performed. They would fly towards each other, and then make a move at the last second, amazing the crowd with their timing.
“I love watching the Snowbirds,” said airport manager Richard Reetz in an interview with Lifestyles. “It’s an awesome show. Every time I see them – I think that’s the fifth or sixth time I’ve seen them – it makes me proud to be Canadian.”
During the show, the Snowbirds and their commentator paid tribute to Estevan on a number of occasions. When they performed their popular heart formation, they dedicated it to all the young people showing heart at the 2016 Saskatchewan Summer Games in Estevan.
And at the end of the show, the commentator paid tribute to all the people who have worked hard to help the city recover since a flash flood on July 10.
There were also many tributes to the Canadian Forces during the show, since the Snowbirds are representatives of the Royal Canadian Air Force. Each Snowbird pilot has thousands of hours of flying experience.
The Snowbirds’ appearance was the featured attraction for a busy day at the airport. The airport rededicated its runways, which were resurfaced last year. And Moose Jaw’s Brent Handy, an aerial stuntman, served as the opening act, and entertained the crowd with some of his manoeuvres.
It was the first time Reetz has seen Handy perform.
“He is a really great fellow to meet, and he’s just so humble in what he does,” said Reetz. “I really enjoyed visiting with him, and his performance was spectacular.”
Reetz noted the Snowbirds were impressed with the runways and the other amenities at the airport.
“They thought the facility is fantastic,” said Reetz. “We got lots of good feedback, about what a wonderful airport it is, with the size of the community we have.”
The people who were in attendance really enjoyed the show, Reetz said. The performance itself went really smoothly, and there was a seamless transition from the opening act by Handy to the Snowbirds.
There were some issues with parking, as the large field in front of the airport couldn’t accommodate all the vehicles. There was also a long lineup of vehicles on the grid roads surrounding the airport before the show began.
Parking is something they would need to address the next time they host a big event.
“Maybe just encouraging people to come a little bit sooner might have helped as well,” said Reetz. “There was just so many people coming right before it began.”
Reetz couldn’t imagine a better way to have a celebration at the airport than by bringing in the Snowbirds. They’re a premier act and well-known around the world.
They have already had requests to have air shows at the airport on a more frequent basis.
“I had several people come up to me today who mentioned they were shocked how much interest there was in something like this,” said Reetz. “I don’t think it’s something you would do every year, or every other year, maybe once every three or four years, we could do some planning and put something on big like this.”
Following the Snowbirds’ performance in Estevan, the team travelled to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where they were the featured act. Oshkosh is home to the top air show in North America, and it was the Snowbirds’ first appearance there in 33 years. nce. hours of flying experie the Snowbirds are representatives of the Royal Canadian Air Force. Each Snowbird pilot has thousan
