Snowbirds Return To AirVenture

The Royal Canadian Air Force Snowbirds will headline the airshow at EAA AirVenture in July. The nine-jet formation team last appeared at the big show in 2016 and quickly became…

The Royal Canadian Air Force Snowbirds will headline the airshow at EAA AirVenture in July. The nine-jet formation team last appeared at the big show in 2016 and quickly became fan favorites, said EAA spokesman Rick Larsen. It's the RCAF's 100th anniversary in 2024 so it will be a memorable way to mark the centennial. “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, officially designated as 431 Air Demonstration Squadron, is based in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, and typically does 60 shows a year. They fly CT-114 Tutor aircraft that were formerly used for pilot training by the RCAF but are now flown only by the team. The announcement came after the International Council of Airshows (ICAS) meeting, which sets airshow performance schedules for the year. The Snowbirds will do a public practice on July 26 and full performances to close out AirVenture on July 26 and July 27.

Russ Niles is Editor-in-Chief of AVweb. He has been a pilot for 30 years and joined AVweb 22 years ago. He and his wife Marni live in southern British Columbia where they also operate a small winery.