The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will return to Vancouver Island for training in May. (CF Snowbirds)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

BACK IN ACTION

Snowbirds return to Vancouver Island for training ahead of summer air show season

Apr 25, 2021 | 7:10 AM

NANAIMO — The skies above sections of Vancouver Island are about to get loud.

The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will return to CFB Comox for their annual spring training on May 4 and are due to practice in the area until May 26.

Capt. Gabriel Ferris, public affairs officer for the team, told NanaimoNewsNOW much of their training will centre around the Comox Valley, but Nanaimo and Parksville residents may catch a glimpse too.

“There might be some planes flying around, we have our coordinators that still need to train, still need to fly so they might see a single or two-ship (formation) flying around.”

The team is asking people respect COVID-19 travel guidelines and not make the trip to the Comox Valley to take in their training in person.

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No shows over Vancouver Island are currently planned, however a fly-over the Vancouver, Boundary Bay and White Rock area is pencilled in for July.

Eleven pilots and a support crew of 20 will take part in the training before the team returns to their base in Moose Jaw.

Their first show of the summer season is in Michigan in mid-June.

“We have a couple of air shows in the States but that’s also depending on COVID,” Ferris said. “The schedule is in flux depending on restrictions…and what’s going on with the COVID situation so we’re trying to be as flexible as we can.”

In May 2020, public affairs officer Capt. Jennifer Casey was killed and her pilot, Capt. Richard MacDougall was seriously injured following a bird strike shortly after take-off in Kamloops.

The team was flying to Comox ahead of planned fly-overs of Vancouver Island in the days to follow.

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