A bit of flight

The Snowbirds

 

Hawk One

Pipes and Drums

The 8 Wing/CFB Trenton Pipes and Drums performing at the rededication ceremony marking the 60th Anniversary of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan Memorial Gates.

and a bit of video as well…

The Snowbirds fly low

The relaxation of flight restrictions is one of the advantages of an air show held on an air force base – especially a base as big as CFB Trenton that is bordered by the Bay of Quinte.

Low and fast – that’s the best way to describe this performance.

 

More images in an album

RCAF Memorial Gates

Scenes from the rededication ceremony marking the 60th Anniversary of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan Memorial Gates.

 

More images here

The not an airshow airshow

The CFB Trenton open house was, despite official press release the 8 Wing/CFB Trenton Armed Forces Weekend and Air Display was an airshow – oh was it ever! The weekend was also a tribute to the following major anniversaries:

100th Anniversary of Powered Flight in Canada

85th Anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force

60th Anniversary of the Memorial Gates

40th Anniversary of 8 Air Communication and Control Squadron (8ACCS)

25th Anniversary of the National Air Force Museum of Canada

Lots of images are here

Hawk One – Centennial Flight

The history of the North American F-86 Sabre (and its variants like the Canadair Sabre models) is closely tied to the beginnings of the Cold War and famously with the Korean War battles with Russian MiGs. The Sabre, a swept wing, single seat air superiority fighter is long recognized as one of the finest fighter aircraft of all time and the Sabre 5 and Sabre 6 models built by Canadair at their Montreal plant are considered the most capable of all Sabres. Of the more than 9,500 Sabres constructed worldwide, more than 1,800 were built in Canada in six different variants.

The Canadair Sabre saw operational service both in Canada and with 12 squadrons at Royal Canadian Air Force stations in Europe as part of a large NATO commitment. The most spectacular paint scheme ever to grace the already graceful lines of the Sabre was the livery of the RCAF’s precision aerobatic team, the Golden Hawks. The Golden Hawks were created in 1959 to honour the 50th anniversary of powered flight in Canada and the Vintage Wings of Canada Sabre wears the same metallic gold paint scheme to  celebrate the 100th anniversary of flight in 2009.

Hawk One, a Canadair Sabre 5  takes off

 

The Snowbirds with Hawk One

 

The Centennial Heritage Flight: Hawk One, the demonstration CF-18 and Snow Bird 6

 

 

More images here

Birds over the Bay

I just happened to be merrily sun tanning on the water of the Bay of Quinte as the Snow Birds flew around practicing. Funny how I can do that!

The parade practise

Spot the zoomie at the parade practise!

 

more pictures in an album

The Air Force marches about

Yes, the a=Air Force does march, albeit in a manner that annoys soldiers and is bested by even the Navy.

 

Here we see the fine men and women of 8 Wing at CFB Trenton practising for the dedication of the RCAF Memorial Gate. The markers march in.

 

A quick walk out of the main gate to the South Side, onto highway 2 and down to the gate.

 

And the Wing marches through the gate and onto the parade square.

On the ramp

A behind the lines view of the ramp ceremony for Corporal Martin Dubé, the 120th Canadian soldier lost in Afghanistan.

 

More pictures of this moving ceremony are here.