Ben Isitt should be the poster child for the following quote
"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt."
Posted 13 August 2015 - 09:25 AM
It's amazing, isn't it?
I've seen a number of these things, and the performances never cease to amaze me. They fly so close together for so long at precisely the same speed and elevation, while turning, climbing, descending, right side up and upside down.
I think the Snowbirds are truly something that Canadians can take some pride in, I never fail to be amazed by the sense of that when I watch their performance.
Posted 13 August 2015 - 10:04 AM
I think the Snowbirds are truly something that Canadians can take some pride in, I never fail to be amazed by the sense of that when I watch their performance.
Well except if you are Ben Isitt apparently......
Posted 13 August 2015 - 10:08 AM
I think the Snowbirds are truly something that Canadians can take some pride in, I never fail to be amazed by the sense of that when I watch their performance.
Here's hoping the Federal Government actually puts a plan into action to replace the damn things and we aren't left in a situation like HMCS Algonquin and our forcibly retired destroyers.
Posted 13 August 2015 - 10:08 AM
Isitt: "I was a dissenting vote ... But it sure was a great show"
I take it he regrets opposing this now?
Posted 13 August 2015 - 10:09 AM
Isitt: "I was a dissenting vote ... But it sure was a great show"
I take it he regrets opposing this now?
I'm OK with his position. Geoff Young and I are/were opposed to the new bridge, but it might be very nice, and we'll both certainly use it.
Posted 13 August 2015 - 10:17 AM
Here's hoping the Federal Government actually puts a plan into action to replace the damn things and we aren't left in a situation like HMCS Algonquin and our forcibly retired destroyers.
The Snowbird-Tutor jet replacement (SARP) project was initially floated in a 2003 DND brief which, alas, has disappeared off the radar (pardon the pun) and is currently residing somewhere in the bowels of the organization. Various options have been proposed but naturally none have come to fruition. The last cost estimate I saw from ~ 2007 had pegged the required replacement $ in the $600M CDN range. Of course this is merely symptomatic of the fact the procurement process for DND is utterly broken.
That all said yeah it was a great show and as usual performed with the utter professionalism we have come to expect from CAF uniformed personnel.....
Posted 13 August 2015 - 10:21 AM
The Snowbird-Tutor jet replacement (SARP) project was initially floated in a 2003 DND brief which, alas, has disappeared off the radar (pardon the pun) and is currently residing somewhere in the bowels of the organization. Various options have been proposed but naturally none have come to fruition. The last cost estimate I saw from ~ 2007 had pegged the required replacement $ in the $600M CDN range. Of course this is merely symptomatic of the fact the procurement process for DND is utterly broken.
That all said yeah it was a great show and as usual performed with the utter professionalism we have come to expect from CAF uniformed personnel.....
Can't we use other trainer jets we now employ?
Posted 13 August 2015 - 10:26 AM
The (Snowbird) jets collided and were engulfed in a fireball. Both planes were destroyed by the force of the crash.
Selby (pilot of one plane) was killed instantly.
"I heard a loud bang, and very quickly after that my cockpit was engulfed in flame," said Mallett (pilot of the other plane).
As he reached down to eject from the aircraft, Mallett said he realized he had already been thrown clear of the cockpit.
"I free-fell into the hole created when the back part of my plane was destroyed," he said.
Spinning rapidly head over heels, Mallett tried to open his parachute but couldn't because he was still in his seat.
After releasing his seat, he was able to open his parachute and was on the ground seconds later.
The investigation continues and will focus on training and "human factor aspects associated with this collision."
Mallett is back flying with the Snowbirds, which has dedicated its 2005 season to Selby. The first show of the year is in Florida in May.
http://www.cbc.ca/ne...rvival-1.565840
Posted 13 August 2015 - 10:27 AM
Can't we use other trainer jets we now employ?
That is/was one option proposed; using some newer Czech jets was another as was, briefly, the suggestion of re-purposing some of the older F-18's. It is a testament to the RCAF ops support-flight crews that they manage to keep these old jets airworthy especially given the stresses on the airframes. Reminds me back in the 70/80's's when the RCN destroyers were using ancient - even by the standards of 30 years ago - *vacuum tube* technology as part of their communication gear and the only manufacturer in the world at the time who could re-supply them was in Czechoslovakia - a Warsaw Pact nation.
Posted 13 August 2015 - 10:33 AM
Can't we use other trainer jets we now employ?
No idea, but apparently those (CT-155 Hawk) need to be replaced too because they won't adequately prepare pilots to fly the F-35 (but who knows what happens with that project).
I have read the Tutors retire in 2020. It has taken something like 30 years to replace the Sea Kings. It will take who knows how long to replace our destroyers and naval supply ships. How many years have we been talking about F-18 replacement?
The only procurement DND gets right is when the buy off the shelf kit. We need to do that more often, but that's for another thread.
Posted 13 August 2015 - 10:36 AM
The Tutors must be very cheap to operate compared with F-16s and F-18s.
Edit: Though, it would kind of make sense to have the Snowbirds use whatever the regular air force guys are using for training/familiarization and maintenance purposes.
Edited by jonny, 13 August 2015 - 10:37 AM.
Posted 13 August 2015 - 10:40 AM
Posted 13 August 2015 - 10:50 AM
The use of "butt" might also explain where Mr. Isitt keeps his brain much of the time.
Posted 13 August 2015 - 11:08 AM
Can't we use other trainer jets we now employ?
Posted 13 August 2015 - 11:50 AM
Have a close look at the trainer jets that regularly show up at the private terminal at YYJ. They belong to a contractor.
https://en.m.wikiped...efence_Services
One issue there is that the Alpha's and especially the Skyhawks are as old as the Tutors, even older in the case of the A-4's.
Posted 13 August 2015 - 05:23 PM
Probably a tribute to the mechanics too, that keep the engines of each perfectly tuned wrt one another.
It's amazing, isn't it?
I've seen a number of these things, and the performances never cease to amaze me. They fly so close together for so long at precisely the same speed and elevation, while turning, climbing, descending, right side up and upside down.
It's interesting to look at an in-cockpit video (several on youtube) - there's a fair bit of inflight motion as the guys maintain position relative to each other.
The other interesting factoid is that apparently, the Snowbirds are looked up to by the other, more famous teams (Blue Angels, etc..) as the Tutors aren't particularly powerful, and so it requires a fine degree of energy management to keep everyone in formation for the group rolls, etc. If the lead goes in too fast, then the guy on the outside doesn't have the power to keep up, and so on..
Posted 13 August 2015 - 07:53 PM
2) the belief that neither Canada nor any institution other than the United Nations should maintain a standing army/Air Force.
Good grief. Very revealing, in any case.
So... would it be asking too much if we expect any local politicians who support one world government to also support municipal amalgamation? For consistency's sake, I mean?
If any local politicians DO support one world government and DON'T support municipal amalgamation, I honestly think my head would explode.
Posted 14 August 2015 - 07:18 AM
I can't believe the uproar over this ridiculous comment that the Snowbirds aerobatics team performances are a "frivolous" use of fossil fuels; wasting precious non renewable resources and contributing to the climate change that ultimately will spell doom for all of us.Tough.By the same logic we should lock ourselves in our homes; never taking a vacation; we certainly use fossil fuels in the zambonis to clean the ice at NHL rinks; and no-one should be allowed to cut a Christmas tree.At some point the ideologues among us must ask themselves:" What is the point of living?" Of being human?I don't need to make or to hear rational arguments for the maintenance of a military precision flying team.The simple fact of the matter, for me, and I think most Canadians, is that I like them. And sometimes that just has to be good enough.This is Frank Stanford
Posted 14 August 2015 - 07:40 AM
Know it all.
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