Page 25 - November 2017

In 1954 “Operation Prairie Pacific” was staged by the
RCAF to introduce Canadians to the jet age with a
team of T-33 Silver Stars, F-86 Sabres and CF-100
Canucks performing throughout the prairies all the
way to the West Coast. Between 1959 and 1969, the
RCAF’s Red Knight was based in each of Saskatoon,
Portage la Prairie, Moose Jaw and then Portage
again.

The beautiful paint scheme of the 1963 Golden Hawks (Jerry Vernon))
Those early encounters with the Golden Hawks (and
later the Red Knight, notably F/O Bill Slaughter in
1964), were so invigorating that from that point
forward everything I did was to try and prepare myself
to someday become a pilot. But my story is by no
means unique. Those living on the Canadian prairies,
indeed all of Canada, have been blessed with dozens of
airshow teams over many decades that have The RCAF Red Knight over Saskatoon in the winter of 1959. (RCAF Photo)
motivated young people to pursue their dreams. One
of the earliest aerobatic demonstrations on the And of course the Golden Hawks provided five years
of sterling airshow performances across the nation
Canadian prairies took place in July 1914 at the
between 1959 and 1963. With 1959 representing
Winnipeg Industrial Exhibition when American aviation th
pioneer Lincoln Beachey demonstrated his recently the 50 anniversary of powered flight in Canada and
th
the 35 anniversary of the RCAF, the instructors at
perfected “loop-the- loop” to amazed spectators, all
RCAF Stns Gimli and Portage soon became famous
part of his 126 city North American tour that summer.
for their “Suntan Formation” which alternately
Dauphin, Manitoba native William Barker came out of depicted the numbers “50” and “35” at several
World War I as Canada’s most decorated fighter ace airshows. At the same time, the Gimli Smokers were
and raised eyebrows in Ontario for some hair raising impressing prairie audiences with their T-33 Silver
low level aerobatics starting in 1919. Meanwhile, out Star advanced trainers. From a five-ship team in
west Fred McCall and Wilfred “Wop” May, also World 1959, they grew to become a nine-plane team from
War I aces, were doing the same in Alberta. For many 1961 through 1964. Many of the same instructors
prairie folk, their first exposure to a major aerial were also involved in the magnificent “RCAF”
exposition was during the air races of the “Ford formation comprising 38 T-33s that opened National
Reliability Air Tour” of 1930 followed the next summer Air Force Day from 1960 through 1963.
by the great “Trans-Canada Air Pageant” of 1931. This

16-plane extravaganza led by the RCAF Siskins
aerobatic team performed shows all the way from
Sydney, Nova Scotia to Vancouver, BC. Prairie stops
included Winnipeg, Brandon, Regina, Moose Jaw,
Saskatoon, North Battleford, Lethbridge, Calgary and
Edmonton.

The famous "RCAF" formation flown by instructors from RCAF Stns Gimli and
Portage from 1960 to 1963. (RCAF Photo)
RCAF Photo