MOOSE JAW — With a successful home opener show in the rear-view mirror, the 431 (Snowbirds) Air Demonstration Squadron is now on the road as it kicks off its 2025 performance season.
The pilots of the CT-114 Tutor turbo-charged jets performed for family on June 6 at the Moose Jaw Municipal Airport, while they will soon fly over Montreal on June 13 to launch the three-day Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix.
From there, the team will spend the next five months displaying their amazing aerobatic skills across Canada and the United States.
“We’re super excited. It’s going to be a great season … ,” said Capt. Phil Rochon, the Snowbirds’ public affairs officer. “We’re super excited to see our fans from coast to coast.”
The team “is stoked” to perform over the skies of Moose Jaw on Saturday, July 12, similar to the home closer it conducted several years ago, he continued. They expect the grandstands to be full, as 400 tickets are available.
Tickets can be purchased online through SaskTix.ca.
The Snowbirds attempt to perform at major Canadian air shows — the “anchor” events — every year, such as in Summerside, PEI in June, Abbotsford, B.C., in August, and Toronto in August, Rochon said. They then review all the requests they receive and attempt to fit those into the lineup.
For example, the team will travel to Boundary Bay in Vancouver in July, a place they haven’t visited in many years. They will also travel to smaller locations for non-aerobatic appearances since those places don’t have major air shows. They will then fly south for some U.S. appearances before finishing up their Canadian season in mid-September.
Anyone who wants the Snowbirds to perform a flyover or provide a non-aerobatic appearance can visit the Royal Canadian Air Force’s website.
The Snowbirds will be performing in 26 places this season, and while that may sound like a lot of shows, they have had years where they performed 30 to 50 times, said Rochon.
He pointed to the Canadian Armed Forces’ Golden Centennaires aerobatic team, which set a record in 1967 for the most airshows flown in a season — 121 — to celebrate Canada’s 100th anniversary.
Meanwhile, the Snowbirds usually perform on the weekends and have non-aerobatic appearances during the week. Moreover, they sometimes return to Moose Jaw for a break.
“But really, being on the road for six months, it’s good to busy to a certain extent … ,” said Rochon, noting that it’s important to spend as much time with family as they can since that “means more than anything” to the pilots.
That’s why the show on June 6 allowed the pilots to demonstrate their appreciation to their spouses and families for managing the home front while they are away, he added.
The team begins training for a new season two weeks after the end of the previous season, which includes integrating new pilots and working on the choreography, said Rochon. They then head to Comox, B.C., to practise, improve their performances and develop camaraderie. Those bonds boost help morale after a bad day and lessen the stress of a long season.
There are nine show pilots with the “well-oiled machine,” while a 10th pilot focuses on safety and being a link between the ground and the air and an 11th pilot narrates the shows, he continued.
Furthermore, 16 technicians travel with the team and are “an incredible group” since the pilots wouldn’t leave the ground without them, Rochon remarked. Each technician is also assigned to a plane, so “a real bond” develops between the pilot and mechanic.
This is Rochon’s third season with the Snowbirds, which is “super exciting” since he is one of only two Canadian Army members on the team. This allows him during shows to promote the fact that the Snowbirds represent everyone in the military.
For more information about the Snowbirds, visit Facebook or the RCAF website.
