Page 31 - World Airshow News Autumn 2024

Left: The 2024 Centennial Hornet Demo jet in the air near Comox, British Columbia (photo by Joe Letourneau).
Below: To help celebrate the RCAF Centennial, in late August and September, Great Britain’s RAF Red Arrows performed six airshows across Canada, including this performance in
London, Ontario (photo by Kerry J. Newstead).
Middle: In honour of the 100th year of the RCAF, a Cold War era CT-133 Silver Star, a World War II era P-51D Mustang and Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk, and the current day CF-18
Hornet demo jet flew in formation over the Abbotsford International Airshow in British Columbia (photo by Mike Head).
Bottom: The RCAF Golden Hawks performed in F-86 Sabres from 1959 to 1964 (RCAF file photo).

Over the years, the RCAF has also provided some of
world’s most entertaining aerobatic displays. The RCAF’s
first aerobatic display team were the Siskins, formed in
1929 flying three Armstrong-Whitworth Siskin IIIA bi-
planes. The RCAF Golden Hawks performed in six F-86
Sabres from 1959 to 1964, and in 1967, to commemorate
th
Canada’s 100 anniversary as a nation, the RCAF formed
the Golden Centennaires. The Golden Centennaires flew
nine blue and gold CT-114 Tutor jets for just that one sea-
son, but they became the precursor to today’s RCAF dis-
play team, the Snowbirds.
The RCAF has also featured a number of solo aerobatic
demonstrations throughout its history, including a CF101
Voodoo, a CF104 Starfighter, the T-33 Red Knight, and an
Avro 504. The current RCAF solo demonstration is the CF-
18 Hornet.
A CENtENNIAL CELEbRAtION
On April 1, 2024, the RCAF officially celebrated 100
years of excellence, but the centennial year has been
marked by a long list of special events, airshows, and fly-
pasts all over Canada. In the U.S., EAA AirVenture in Os-
hkosh featured a large contingent of RCAF aircraft, includ-
ing both the Canadian Snowbirds jet team and the RCAF
CF-18 Hornet demonstration. The Hornet demo also made
the long trip across the Atlantic to Great Britain for the
huge Royal International Air Tattoo airshow.
As part of the Centennial celebration, Italy’s Frecce Tri-
colori jet team toured North America from June through
August and performed at several Canadian airshows. In late
August and September, the British also invaded Canada, as

World Airshow News 31 Quarter 4, 2024