And they’re off.
Two of the Canadian Forces Snowbirds jets at the Kamloops Airport have taken off to head back to Moose Jaw. They took off at 11 a.m., flying east over Kamloops.
It’s the first time the Snowbirds have taken flight since a fatal crash in Kamloops on May 17, when one of the planes went down just moments after takeoff, crashed into a house on Glenview Avenue in Brock. The crash killed Capt. Jenn Casey and seriously injured the pilot, Capt. Richard McDougall, who is recovering from his injuries with support from the medical staff at 15 Wing in Moose Jaw.
“We’re happy at this point we’ve assessed the risk and that we have every confidence in the Tutor moving forward. I wouldn’t be standing here today if I didn’t have the confidence in the airport to get in,” Snowbirds Commanding Officer Lt.-Col. Denis Bandet said.
“We went through every bit of systems on the airplanes, from the motors to the avionics to the structures, to make sure that everything we’re doing with the airplane is proper and ready to go ahead.”
Back in June, a preliminary report suggested a suspected a bird strike as the cause of the crash. Lt.-Col. Bandet was one of the pilots who flew back to Moose Jaw today, Capt. Logan Reid was piloting the second Snowbird.
“On behalf of the Royal Canadian Air Force, the Canadian Armed Forces, 431 Air Demonstration Squadron and 15 Wing Moose Jaw, I want to extend my thanks to the community of Kamloops, the residents of Brocklehurst and the First Nations community,” Bandet added.
“The outpouring of support has been outstanding and we felt it resonate all the way back to Moose Jaw — and it’s helped us get through this difficult period.”
Kamloops resident Norahlee Schultz was one of about two dozen people who gathered to watch the planes take off today.
“When they crashed, we were walking around MacArthur Island. We heard all the sirens and saw them coming down from Sahali, and thought what the heck is going on there? And someone had mentioned one of the Snowbirds had crashed.”
Schultz’s partner, Brian McLachlin, says as someone with pilot experience, the fatal crash hits home that much more.
“I used to fly, I had my pilot’s license at one time. It’s something to see, these guys when they’re flying those Snowbirds, it’s really a Canadian thing.”
The rest of the Snowbirds fleet will depart Kamloops for Moose Jaw within the coming days.
Kamloops Deputy Mayor Bill Sarai, himself a Brocklehurst resident says it has been the routine for people in the neighbourhood to hear planes flying all day long. But he says for many people who watched the fatal crash, the sound of planes has taken on a new meaning.
“It’s an emotional moment,” Sarai said, describing this morning’s takeoff. “I imagine if we gave [people] enough notice, they would line up the main road on Tranquille from here to the Overlanders Bridge.”
“I think in the future when they’re all going home, we’ll give them an opportunity to know ahead when the final birds are going home… They’ve got some pilots at home who need to keep getting trained, and the planes need to get home eventually. And this is just the start of getting them home.”
Lt.-Col. Bandet says the hope is to resume training in Moose Jaw tomorrow, Sept. 2, ahead of next year’s airshow season.
.@CFSnowbirds on the tarmac at @KamloopsAirport. Also present is LCol Denis Bandet who will be flying one of the two planes back to Moose Jaw. #Kamloops @RadioNLNews pic.twitter.com/874Uq7rusD
— Victor Mario Kaisar (@supermario_47) September 1, 2020
RAW VIDEO – Planes are almost done being prepared ahead of takeoff. #Kamloops @CFSnowbirds pic.twitter.com/ojqBGftiap
— Victor Mario Kaisar (@supermario_47) September 1, 2020
RAW VIDEO – LCol Denis Bandet on today’s mission to bring the @CFSnowbirds home. #Kamloops pic.twitter.com/VAeUK4CWs0
— Victor Mario Kaisar (@supermario_47) September 1, 2020
#BREAKING – The @CFSnowbirds are flying again!
“We’re here today to start to begin the process of repatriating the aircraft back to Moose Jaw and it’s going to begin with two aircraft,” said LCol Denis Bandet, who was flying one of the two planes. @RadioNLNews #Kamloops pic.twitter.com/th39fJDnXN
— Victor Mario Kaisar (@supermario_47) September 1, 2020
