News
Abbotsford Airshow set to “wow” to crowds
July 30, 2014, Abbotsford, B.C. - If you’re looking for excitement and family-fun next weekend, you need only look to the skies. The Abbotsford International Airshow has been thrilling audiences for the past five decades, and this year it will soar to the highest heights once again.
July 30, 2014 By The Province
A staple of August entertainment for the Lower Mainland, USA Today
listed it as one of the top 10 air shows in the entire world last year.
If you attend the yearly event on Aug. 8-10, it will be easy to see why.
The
air show is one of the most popular attractions in B.C., welcoming more
than 125,000 spectators to enjoy aerobatic displays the Wright brothers
could only dream of. If they did dream up some of the amazing stunts
you’ll see at the show, they would’ve been thought crazy.
Aviation
enthusiasts of all ages will marvel at seeing the best pilots in the
world take to the skies, including the iconic Canadian Forces Snowbirds
Demonstration Team.
With the Royal Canadian Air Force celebrating
its 90th anniversary this year, you can bet the Snowbirds will pull out
all the stops to thrill the crowd during their finale performances on
Saturday and Sunday.
The RCAF is bringing more than just the
Snowbirds to Abbotsford this year, as the CF-18 Hornet Demonstration
Team add their high-speed demo to the show.
Watching the velocity
and power of these jets in person makes watching Top Gun on TV lame in
comparison, which is tough to do (people love Top Gun).
There is
more on the packed event schedule than that, as you’ll see some of the
finest aerobatic pilots do things with planes that gymnasts can’t do
with their bodies. For history buffs, the air show will feature a host
of classic, restored planes from the past including a P-51 Mustang from
Second World War. As impressive as the advancements in aeronautical
engineering are, it’s a treat to see planes with that kind of legacy
still soaring.
An air show, however, is about more than just
planes, and the Royal Canadian Air Force knows that. That’s why, in
addition to their jet teams, the RCAF is also bringing the SkyHawks,
Canada’s only military parachute demonstration team.
The team, recognized worldwide by it’s super patriotic Canadian flag parachutes, has been thrilling audiences for over 40 years.
When
you see the extremely dedicated Skyhawk members building formations in
the sky using their parachutes in dangerously proximity, you will be in
awe. No planes, no problem. This will surely be a highlight of the show
and will bring that extra element of national pride.
Even though
it’s an air show, there is plenty of action on the ground as well. There
will be numerous static aircraft on display, enabling you to get up
close and personal with countless military and civilian aircraft. Seeing
these precision vehicles up close really makes you appreciate all the
discipline it takes to fly one even in a straight line, let alone
through some of the aerobatics you’ll see during the show.
If you
still haven’t been wowed, then perhaps the most impressive thing you’ll
see is from Indy Boys Inc. and their extreme motor sports
entertainment.
Vehicle builder and driver Paul Stender has made a
name for himself putting jet engines on things that should not have jet
engines. School bus? Jet engine. Humvee? Jet engine. Outhouse? Jet
engine. The team will be showing off their 367 mph School bus and more
during the show. How could you pass up seeing that?
Tickets are
still available for the Abbotsford International Air Show. There is a
special early bird rate available until Aug. 1.
