Thousands of people looked up to the skies as the Canadian Forces Snowbirds put on a 45-minute show over Okanagan Lake in collaboration with Kelowna International Airport, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary.
“I just enjoy the snowbirds. I see them whenever I can, I’ve seen them for many years since I came back to Fort McMurray years ago, and it just gives me a sense of national pride,” said a local woman.
“To see the formations, they are just amazing. They get together and they get separated and it’s just nail-biting, another local added.
In nearly a decade since the snowbirds put on a show in Kelowna, Canadian Forces pilots were thrilled with the performance as well as the response from locals.
“It’s actually been better than we expected,” said Public Relations Officer Gabriel Ferris… “The response we’ve had has just been overwhelming. It’s just amazing to be able to interact with the population at least once. Last year was a bit weird with the driving formats, it’s actually been really cool to be able to do that right now and be able to sign autographs and meet people and take some pictures and selfies, it’s really cool.”
Wings and Wheels was a post-flight celebration open to the public where the Snowbirds as well as YLW teamed up with August Luxury Motors to give the community a chance to meet the pilots in person and catch a glimpse of some of the finest aircraft and cars around.
“You know, airplanes and cars are my two favorite things, so we were more than happy to support them. All the snowbirds drive us cars and stuff so it’s cool. They are amazing guys to meet and talk to and it was a lot of fun,” said Matt Augustus.
Thousands of people enjoyed the downtown snowbirds, but many more attended Wings and Wheels — which Kelowna International Airport believes is only a positive sign for the future of aviation.
“We’re also trying to stimulate the interest of the next generation to look at aviation as a career because that’s really where it’s going to come from, so part of doing the snowbird event is to continue that stimulation of people thinking about aviation as career,” smiled airport director Sam Samadar.
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will play a second show in downtown Kelowna this Sunday before heading out and doing shows across the country and even the United States through mid-October.
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