The snowbirds story
Canadian jet team helps mark RCAF 100-year anniversary
The RCAF was established in 1924, while the U.S. Air Force was not a separate entity in the United States armed forces until 1947 (originally created in 1907 as a division of the U.S. Army Signal Corps). And, like their brethren, the RCAF has a demonstration squadron much like the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and the U.S. Navy Blue Angels. The Canadian Forces Snowbirds team, 431 Air Demonstration Squadron, is a Canadian icon made up of Canadian Armed Forces members and National Defense Public Service employees.
The RCAF celebrates its one-hundredth anniversary this year and the Snowbirds are throwing a party.
The distinctive red and white Canadair CT–114 Tutor jets are flown in approximately 60 airshows each year. During their shows, the pilots fly at speeds from 110 to 465 mph and in formation with distances as close as four feet between wings. Unlike the U.S. versions of jet team demonstrations, which are powerful, loud, and omnipresent, the Snowbirds show comprises loops, rolls, and solo passes in graceful nine-jet formations. The Snowbirds show includes more than 50 different formations and maneuvers in 35-minute performances.
The team will be featured at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh in July for the first time since 2016. “The Snowbirds are one of the world’s finest military aerobatic flight teams, so their presence at Oshkosh in 2024 is a wonderful addition to AirVenture week as we commemorate the one-hundredth anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force,” said Rick Larsen, EAA vice president of communities and member programs. “Along with their elegant precision aerobatics that define their aerial performances, we discovered in 2016 that the team members were enthusiastic and fully engaged in the aviation culture at Oshkosh, and truly enjoyed being with the tens of thousands of fellow aviators on the grounds.”
The team is designated the 431 Air Demonstration Squadron and was established in 1971. It was the first military team to perform at Oshkosh at an EAA fly-in during the 1970s.
Legacy and history
If the Snowbirds owe their legacy to any one team, it is the RCAF Golden Hawks, according to the team’s website. The Hawks were formed in 1959 to celebrate the thirty-fifth anniversary of the RCAF and the fiftieth anniversary of powered flight in Canada. The team flew 317 public air displays over five seasons before disbanding February 7, 1964, because of government budget cuts. The Golden Hawks had generated goodwill across North America, and their popularity led to the formation in 1967 of a new team, the “Golden Centennaires,” which helped Canada celebrate 100 years of nationhood. The Centennaires featured a team of eight Canadair CT–114 Tutor jet trainers and a pair of vintage Avro 504K biplane trainers, a supersonic fighter duet of the Canadair CF–104 Starfighter and McDonnell CF–101 Voodoo, and the Red Knight (a red Canadair T–33 Silver Star). When the centennial year ended, the team had set a single season record for the most shows, having flown 100 public demonstrations in Canada and another eight in the United States. Their 184-day Canadian tour between May and October was seen by more than 4 million Canadians.
According to the Canadian department of defense, pilots, technicians (aviation, avionics, aircraft structure, supply), mobile support operators, resource management support clerks, an engineering officer, a logistics officer, and a public affairs officer representing all three branches of service (Army, Navy, and Air Force) work as a team to bring the Snowbirds’ thrilling performances to the public. Serving as ambassadors of the Canadian Armed Forces, “the Snowbirds demonstrate skill, professionalism, teamwork, discipline, and dedication inherent in the men and women of the CAF, and they inspire the pursuit of excellence wherever they go in North America.”
The Snowbirds show comprises loops, rolls, and solo passes in graceful nine-jet formations.Over the years, the 431 Squadron has flown the following aircraft: Vickers Wellington; Handley-Page Halifax; Avro Lancaster; Canadair (North American) F–86 Sabre, in addition to the Canadair CT–114 Tutor jet trainers.
The Snowbirds are scheduled to have a public practice session at EAA AirVenture on Friday, July 26, with full performances during the daily afternoon airshow on Saturday and Sunday, July 27 and 28.
“As a team, we are extremely excited to be representing the Canadian Forces at AirVenture during the centennial year of the Royal Canadian Air Force,” said Maj. Brent Handy, Snowbird 1 and team lead. “The opportunity to share our display with such a large gathering of aviation enthusiasts and the chance to meet with our fans will be one of the many highlights of this important year for our dedicated team of pilots, technicians, and support personnel.”
