Budget cut forces Snowbirds to reduce airshows
Rahman Mohamed

Because of budget cuts Canadian Snowbirds’ Shows to the United States have been cancelled, what the Oregon Air Show calls a big blow.

According to CBC the reason for this is because their flying time was cut.

Who are the Snowbirds?

The Snowbirds are an Air Demonstration Squadron made of 80 Canadian Forces Personnel, 24 of them part of the travelling show team.

All its members – pilots and technicians – are Canadian Forces Personnel with military experience; and at most each one is only a member for three years so there’s continuous training.

431 Squadron Badge
Courtesy of Royal Canadian Air Force; February 2014

They have a symbol that’s linked to their home in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan – wheat flies in the air across Canada; and they have a stickman walking along a line on their planes, the symbol for SMARTRISK, created in 1992 to fight injury and injury-related death in Canada.

With 70 shows a year (including their annual Labour Day soar in the Canadian International Air Show at the CNE), they fly at 100 to 320 knots (185 to 590 km/h).

Snowbirds spokesman Capt. Thomas Edelson said the team enjoys going South but Canadians are the priority.

America might miss them, but Canada still has them; check out their 2014 schedule (coming soon); they might be coming to the clouds near you!