Page 19 - October 2017

The sky over Villeneuve on Friday was hazy with
smoke from all the forest fires burning in British
Columbia and Alberta. Overnight, rain and strong
winds pushed the smoke away but even though the
morning skies cleared, a cool strong breeze
remained for the weekend. The weather didn’t
seem to deter spectators from coming to the event!

For the third year in a row, the Edmonton Airshow was
The show
back, bigger and better than before! It is fast becoming opener was a
a must see for airshow and airplane enthusiasts alike.
polished
This year’s event took place over the weekend of Canadian
th
August 19 and 20th at the Villeneuve Airport, located North Boeing
just a few kilometers north-west of Edmonton. While it
737 with a low
may not have the publicity of major air shows, it still
and fast
showcased some fabulous flying. The event had a good “banana-pass”.
variety of Aerobatic performers, jets, vintage aircraft
and Warbirds from Canada and the United States. At However, because of the prevailing strong breeze
most air shows, the spectators are kept well away from on Saturday, the Canadian Armed Forces Parachute
the aircraft, but the Edmonton Airshow is different. It’s Team, Skyhawks, had to cancel their jump.
a more personal event that allows spectators to see the The show continued with an awesome display by
aircraft up close and interact with the pilots. This is one
Brent Handy in his Pitts Special.
of my favorite shows of the season.

For the first time in 15 years, the RCAF Snowbirds were
th
back in Edmonton to celebrate Canada’s 150 year of
confederation, making this year’s air show a must see
event. All day Thursday, aircraft began arriving at the
Villeneuve Airport in preparation for the big show.
During the afternoon rush hour traffic, at precisely 4:00
o’clock, the Snowbirds made a pass over Edmonton.
Flying South to the North, the Snowbirds flew in
formation over the Legislature Building before heading

west to the Villeneuve Airport.
Local performer Bill Carter performed tail slides,
loops and hammerheads in his blue and yellow Pitts
Special.

Spectators were wowed by his inverted ribbon cut!