179 replies to this topic

[Sparky]

Caught 4 of the Snowbirds practising in Comox this morning.

 

[Victoria Watcher]

Snowbirds return for Comox Air Show

The May 18 event celebrates the Royal Canadian Air Force’s 100 years of service as a distinct military element


https://www.timescol...ir-show-8604952

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 16 April 2024 - 11:12 AM.

[AllseeingEye]

Hard to believe we spent $40 million in avionics upgrades just to keep those creaky old T-33 kites flying. That of course is what happens when Canada persists in kicking the Defence portfolio/budget/equipment replacement programs down the road decade after decade.....after...............decade. Now of course we've waited so long to do so that the cost to replace those aircraft is going to be monstrous.

 

Given how desperate the army is for battlefield weapons capable of, well....anything in modern warfare, and how deficient the navy is, one wonders whether we'll have an acrobatic air team at all after the Tutors are finally, mercifully taken out behind the nearest shed and shot.

 

Remember thanks to the fact DoD has been woefully underfunded for close to 40 years that the other 900lb gorilla in the room is our spectacularly crapulent procurement system: when we finally pulled the trigger on the NSP for the new RCN and Coast Guard ships rougly a decade ago, the estimated original cost was about $26 billion dollars.

 

Today with a paltry four AOPS ships in the water - and remember they are classed as non-combatants, and sport a puny .25 Bushmaster chain gun as their primary armament - and exactly ZERO new replacements for the frigates anywhere in sight, the cost in 2023 for the entire ship replacement project was estimated to have ballooned to $84 billion and according to the federal Budget Office the *final* tab will be an eye watering $100 billion+++ dollars for a mere dozen or so surface ships that could have been essentially purchased basically COTS - at a fraction of that price.....

[Mike K.]

The replacement cost of equipment is never not going to be very high. Maybe we did the right thing by not buying aircraft in the interim, and just waiting until our fighter jets reached their end of life.

 

The new RCN Henry DeWolf-class boats are quite nice. I would have thought we'd need bigger ships, but maybe with modern technology bigger isn't necessarily better.

[AllseeingEye]

The replacement cost of equipment is never not going to be very high. Maybe we did the right thing by not buying aircraft in the interim, and just waiting until our fighter jets reached their end of life.

 

The new RCN Henry DeWolf-class boats are quite nice. I would have thought we'd need bigger ships, but maybe with modern technology bigger isn't necessarily better.

 

The existing figher (F-18's) jets were long ago dismissed by RCAF/DND brass as potential replacements due to the fact they are fighter aricraft and as such require a much longer runway than do the T-33's. That in itself discounts them as an option because it defeats the rationale behind the Snowbirds, i.e. they are "Canada's" aerial demonstration team, are a source of national pride, and therefore above all they need to be as accessible as possible to as many Canadians as possible - and that includes smaller communities that don't have airports with longer runways.

Edited by AllseeingEye, 20 April 2024 - 08:43 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Ottawa looking at retiring some older military equipment — including the Snowbird jets

Defence Minister Bill Blair insists no decisions have been made

https://www.cbc.ca/n...orces-1.7266310

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 17 July 2024 - 12:02 PM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Nobody would complain if the retired the Snowbirds and replaced them with a 5-plane CF-18 show.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 17 July 2024 - 12:05 PM.

[AllseeingEye]

Nobody would complain if the retired the Snowbirds and replaced them with a 5-plane CF-18 show.

 

Been discussed before: the F-18 requires much longer runways than exist in smaller communities in Canada. As they are a symbol of the country and frequently perform in these smaller cities the Hornets are out as an option.....

[AllseeingEye]

Also while the avionics and electronic systems have seen frequent upgrades over the years fact is the airframes are 40+ years old.

[Mike K.]

Snowbirds are coming July 22nd for a “non aerobatic” performance above Victoria.

https://www.instagra...m/p/DLBCj5KOUBt

[Victoria Watcher]

The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be making a pit stop over Victoria this summer, taking to the skies for a non-aerobatic display, the group announced Tuesday.

Between scheduled show dates in Vancouver, the Snowbirds will arrive in B.C.’s capital on July 22 – for an additional display that “brings the wow,” the team said.



https://cheknews.ca/...summer-1261642/

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 17 June 2025 - 04:28 PM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Snowbirds set to shoot across skies over Victoria's Inner Harbour

Canadian Forces aerial team set to fly by on July 22 at 6 p.m.

https://www.vicnews....harbour-8135746


While not a full airshow, the team will be in tight formation and soar past several times with formation changes. The team hopes to see the worldwide web flooded with posts after the event.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 16 July 2025 - 10:15 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Snowbirds to fly past Victoria's Inner Harbour on Tuesday

 

 

The nine-plane formation flyover is set for 6 p.m., with Ship Point Pier, the Lower Causeway and the Ogden Point Breakwater suggested as the best viewing sites.

 

https://www.timescol...uesday-10971960

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 21 July 2025 - 01:23 PM.

[Victoria Watcher]

The Canadian Forces Snowbirds are bringing their famous aerobatic performances to Nanaimo next week for two 45-minute shows.

 

The Snowbirds will soar over the Nanaimo Harbour on two days, Aug. 15 and Aug. 16, the first time the team has put on a show over the Harbour City since 2019.

 

The Aug. 15 show will run from 7 p.m. to 7:45 p.m., while the Aug. 16 show will take place at 4:15 p.m. to 5 p.m.

 

https://cheknews.ca/...-shows-1270550/

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 05 August 2025 - 08:13 PM.

[Victoria Watcher]

A pair of Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 fighter jets and a navy helicopter will fly over Hatley Castle at Royal Roads University this weekend.

 

The two CF-18 Hornet fighter jets hail from 4 Wing Cold Lake, AB – and the CH-148 Cyclone helicopter comes from 12 Wing Shearwater, NS – and are on the Island to complete training at 19 Wing Comox.

 

They’ll come down to Colwood around 2 p.m. on Sept. 14 for the flyover above Hatley Castle to commemorate the 30-year-reunion of the Royal Roads Military College’s last class, which graduated in 1995.

 

 

https://cheknews.ca/...eekend-1277889/

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 13 September 2025 - 01:08 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Saanich Peninsula and Malahat area residents can expect to see helicopters flying overhead Saturday as families of service members take to the skies for tours in a CH-148 Cyclone helicopter, according to the Department of National Defence.

The 12 Wing’s 443 Maritime Helicopter Squadron in Patricia Bay is hosting its annual family day, which includes tours that fly above Mill Bay, Highlands, Saanich, Sidney, North Saanich and Saanichton, they said.

Helicopter flights will take place throughout the day between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.


https://www.timescol...ly-day-11208365

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 14 September 2025 - 02:53 AM.

[Mike K.]

And over Sooke.

[LJ]

 

A pair of Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 fighter jets and a navy helicopter will fly over Hatley Castle at Royal Roads University this weekend.

 

The two CF-18 Hornet fighter jets hail from 4 Wing Cold Lake, AB – and the CH-148 Cyclone helicopter comes from 12 Wing Shearwater, NS – and are on the Island to complete training at 19 Wing Comox.

 

They’ll come down to Colwood around 2 p.m. on Sept. 14 for the flyover above Hatley Castle to commemorate the 30-year-reunion of the Royal Roads Military College’s last class, which graduated in 1995.

 

 

https://cheknews.ca/...eekend-1277889/

 

It was totally unimpressive. Waste of avgas.

[Victoria Watcher]

'Snowbird 1' arrives in Sidney after 3,500-kilometre journey

The CT-114 Tutor jet that led the iconic Canadian Snowbirds into history more than 55 years ago landed at the B.C. Aviation Museum on Tuesday.

https://www.timescol...ourney-12083730

 

 

The museum, run by volunteers and reliant on small grants and admission fees, is raising funds to cover the costs of transporting, reassembling and restoring the aircraft. It’s just over halfway to its goal of raising $60,000, said Dempsey.

 

It’s also starting a fundraising campaign to build a $2-million hangar to house the jet and other recent acquisitions, including the Martin Mars Hawaii waterbomber and Cold War-era Starfighter jet.

 

The museum has already received $50,000 from one donor for its hangar, which would include a reinforced roof for a walkway mezzanine and hanging airplanes.

 

The museum plans to host an open house over the August long weekend, where current members of the Snowbirds will sign autographs, along with dozens of alumni, said museum president Stephen Hale.

 

The event will coincide with the 40th anniversary of the David Foster Foundation 40th anniversary gala on Aug. 6 and 7, when the Snowbirds will do a flypast to honour the Victoria-born musician, who is also an honorary Snowbird.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 01 April 2026 - 04:47 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

The Canadian Forces Snowbirds have announced Victoria as a new stop on their summer tour to celebrate the team’s 55th anniversary.

“We are excited to announce that the Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing in Victoria,” the Snowbirds said in a Facebook post.

“Bring the family, find a great spot and look up. We cannot wait to see you there.”

Kelly Kurta, executive director of the Greater Victoria Festival Society, said the event on Aug. 4 starts at 5 p.m. along Dallas Road is to mark the Snowbird’s 55th anniversary.

“There will be food trucks, and the viewing area will be basically all along Dallas Road,” Kurta said.

Kurta advises people to walk, roll or bike to Dallas Road for the event.

 

https://cheknews.ca/...august-1320591/

 

 

Kurta advises people to walk, roll or bike to Dallas Road for the event.

 

 

Some will.  Most can't or won't.