The runway at the Saint John Airport is expected to see a little more action than normal this upcoming weekend as Air Show Atlantic takes flight in the port city. The annual event, which is making its inaugural stop in Saint John, will feature a wide range of different planes both on the ground and flying high above that will captivate aviation enthusiasts. Airshow Executive Director Colin Stephenson says the two days are all about entertainment, appreciating Airforce veterans, and inspiring the next generation of potential pilots. “We want to be able to find the 10-year-old who says maybe I’ll join Air Cadets,” says Stephenson. “Or their 20-year-old who says maybe a good option for me is Canadian Forces, or someone else that says, you know, maybe community college and learning how to fix airplanes is my thing. We’re in that business of getting to reach more of them when we go to more communities, and to bring this type of aircraft that is so rarely seen to a new location is very fulfilling.” Among the aircrafts being flown in the show include the Canadian Forces Skyhawks, Hawker Hurricane, and some Second World War Spitfire fighter planes that Stephenson believes are making their first appearance in the Maritimes for a show. “To bring them here is a piece of living history,” Stephenson says. “And to make something like that happen for this community is just a thrill for my team.” The highlight for many will be the appearance of the Canadian Forces Snowbirds, which will be put into retirement following their final flight later this year. “We’re so proud to host them here in their legacy season,” Stephenson says. “The Snowbirds, they put bums in seats. They’ve been partners and friends of ours for generations now, and we’re really sad to see them go. We wish all those pilots best of luck as they move into other jobs in the Canadian Forces, and we’ll look forward to their return in the future.” Another plane that was garnering plenty of attention Thursday during the airshows media day was a CJ-6A Nanchang Chinese military training plane that was built back in the 1950s. Flown by Montreal-area pilot Daneil Fortin, he says there are only about 25 of this type of aircraft around Canada. Fortin has been flying in airshows around the country for 20 years, and when asked what keeps him coming back all these years the words were tough to find. “It’s a love affair, and you can’t explain it,” Fortin says. “It’s a passion about aviation, it’s passion about airshow, but it’s also a passion about sharing our passion.” The sentiment is shared by fellow pilot Larry Ricker who is a career pilot flying in both the Canadian Armed Forces and commercially for Air Canada. The plane he flies during the show is much smaller than what he flew during his working days. The aircraft was designed in 1915, just a few years after aviation was first discovered. “It’s really great to be flying this,” Ricker says. “More importantly, it’s not just flying the airplane, but it’s about telling the story of what this airplane was about, why it was designed, and what it did for Canada back over a hundred years ago.” He says his favourite part about flying airshows is how inclusive they are for the entire family, and no matter the age it has people starstruck while looking up at the aerial acrobatics. For Saint John Airport CEO Court Edeburn, he calls the weekend ahead a “once in a lifetime experience” for the people of greater Saint John. “Anything that can raise your profile is helpful, but not really the reason we’re doing this,” says Edeburn. “For us and for me personally, we’re putting in this effort because I want to say thanks to the community for supporting Saint John Airport. It’s critical Saint Johnners and people in our region use the air service that we have here, and this is a good way to say thanks for coming.” He also says the festivities will show the Saint John Airport is capable of hosting world class experiences that the entire family can enjoy. For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
