Snowbirds at the Waterloo Aviation Expo

Canadian Forces Snowbirds

Eleven Snowbirds
The Snowbirds have arrived in Waterloo. The 11 Snowbird jets are parked in a perfect line before the big event.

The Waterloo Aviation Expo and Air Show is Father’s Day Weekend!

Don’t miss this incredible event, and the opportunity to see the Snowbirds in full force.

Waterloo Aviation Expo and Air Show
Saturday June 19
Sunday June 20, 2010
Show Hours: 9am – 5pm Daily
Air Show begins at 1:00 pm Daily

Snowbirds – 40th Anniversary
2010 is the 40th anniversary of the Canadian Forces Snowbirds. Celebrate this incredible milestone by watching the exciting Snowbirds performance at the Waterloo Air Show this weekend.

Eleven Snowbird Jets are in Waterloo for the Air Show, and nine will be performing an awesome aerobatic formation display. The Snowbirds team is based in Moose Jaw, SK. Former Snowbird pilot, and women aviator Maryse Carmichael is the new Commanding Office of the team.

An Amazing Sight!
It’s a truly amazing sight to see the Snowbirds get ready for an Air Show. The editors of LearnToFly.ca were in Waterloo today (Friday June 18, 2010), and they enjoyed the great opportunity to meet the Snowbirds team. The pilots took the time to explain their upcoming performance, and they gave us a personal tour of the aircraft.

Air Show Performance
Today was setup and practice for the big Air Show event on the weekend. The Pilots performed a practice run of their entire performance, and they gave the media a chance to ask questions and visit.

Ready for Take-Off!
From our close vantage point, we were only feet away from the action. The ground crew team were positioned in front of each Snowbird as the Pilots lit the Jet engines. The noise and feel of the jet engines is fantastic. The smell of jet fuel filled the air, and the Snowbird Pilots prepared for take-off.

It was like a symphony as each Jet closed its canopy, and then taxied to the runway in order. From the flight line, you could see the precision and organization of the display.

Up Close and Personal
LearnToFly.ca Editor, Geoff McKay, meets the Snowbirds team at the Waterloo Air Show. The Snowbirds team was ready to answer questions, and discuss their Weekend Air Show plans. As the jets were being readied for the show, the pilots and crew explained what it is like to be part of such a high performance, and high visibility, iconic team.

CT-114 Tutor
The Snowbirds have flown the two-place CT-114 Tutor jet since 1971. The aircraft was designed and built in Canada and was used by the Canadian Forces as its basic pilot training aircraft until 2000. The Snowbirds are symbols of Canada, and they are painted in a distinctive red and white paint scheme symbolic of Canada’s national flag.

The CT-114 Tutor Jet weighs approximately 7170 lbs (3260 kgs) and is powered by a J-85 jet engine. The engine produces an awesome 2,700 pounds of thrust. Top speed of the CT-114 aircraft, with smoke tanks attached, is 412 knots (470 mph or 750 km/h).

Amazing Snowbirds Video

Don’t miss the Snowbirds at the Waterloo Aviation Expo and Air Show!

CT-114 Tutor Cockpit
Here’s a glimpse inside the CT-114 Tutor Cockpit. The basic Tutor is only slightly modified for use by the Snowbirds. Modifications include: a smoke generating system, a unique paint scheme for added crowd appeal, and a highly tuned engine to enhance engine response in low level flying.

The CT-114 Tutor has extremely high manoeuvrability and relatively slow speed. This makes the Tutor ideally suited for the formation aerobatic flight used during the Snowbirds Performances.

Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to see and feel the excitement of the Canadian Forces Snowbirds performance. The Air Show is held in Waterloo on Saturday and Sunday of Father’s Day Weekend.

Bring the Family
The entire family will enjoy this spectacular show, and the Snowbirds will be the highlight of a memorable weekend. Fathers will love sharing their special weekend with their families, as they watch the Snowbirds perform at this event.

Snowbirds Team
The elite team of Snowbirds Pilots at the Waterloo Aviation Expo and Air Show.