Celebrating Airshows Past and Present

I often wonder if other aviation enthusiasts have the same feelings.

I have always felt anticipation about a week before an airshow. As a kid, I have fond memories of starting a new school year and waiting for the annual September airshow at Shearwater. No matter how good the summer was, it wasn’t complete before the sounds of visiting jets and demonstration teams echoed across our nieghbourhood. Always the plane spotter, I would make sure I was never far from a window – even in the classroom – to catch a glimpse of a visiting aircraft coming into Shearwater.

The weekend of the airshow, I went out both days. Usually I went along with my high school friend, Dion. It was our tradition and we made sure we saw every last plane on the base.

Those were great airshows in the 1980s and 1990s. They were still big and attracted military aircraft from the US and other NATO countries. While CFB Shearwater was busy all year around with visiting aircraft, it was the only time you could see something like The U-2 or the F-117A.

There are airshows in the past that are etched in my memory. I remember watching the Snowbirds for the first time as a kid from our front yard. As a 10-yeard old I distinctly remember being impressed with the precision of the team as they screamed over the house. That was the same thrill I was about six years later when the US Navy’s Blue Angels came for the first time. These performances inspired my passion for plane spotting and aviation photography.

I was thinking about those airshows as Rob, Brian and I made our way to this yea r’s airshow at Greenwood. We are older now and the airshows are smaller. But, as I left the office and the week behind me that Friday afternoon, I felt that same tinge of expectation of airshow weekend. As we drove up to the parking spot, I think we all felt that same excitement seeing the static displays waiting for us to explore.

As we left Greenwood, I also felt the same sadness of returning to reality for another year. But, unlike past years, I look forward to the airshow again being at Shearwater in 2018.

I guess somethings never change.