The 2017 Air Show Season Looks Exciting!

I've returned from the annual International Council of Air Shows (ICAS) Convention in Las Vegas. 

It was a great convention this year compared to a few years ago.  You will recall budget cuts prevented the American Armed Forces from participating in any airshows off their own bases.  The American jet teams, the demonstration flights, static displays, and the parachute teams were confined (or as they called it; "sequestered") to their bases.  Air shows across the continent suffered.  Many cancelled their shows altogether.  

Things have been slowly improving, but this next year looks fantastic!

Some Good Air Show News:

• The Fowlers are headin' North!  Ken and Wendy Fowler from Rocky Mountain House are forging ahead with their plans to conduct more than a half dozen full air shows and around 40 fly pasts in Northern Canada to celebrate Canada's 150th anniversary!  Most of their audiences have seen lots of bush planes but nothing like the aerobatic craft they'll see this summer!  What a fantastic way to celebrate Canada's birthday!
• The Canada Remembers Air Show in Saskatoon is back!  Brian Swidrovich who is the mover and shaker for that show, is looking to revive that wonderful air show at a new venue!  Stay tuned on this one!
• Demo Hornet to Honor Canada's Birthday!   Every year Canada paints up its CF-18 Demonstration Hornet to honor something.  This year they honored the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, in 2017 they will honor Canada's 150th Birthday.  I saw a proposed design for the bird.  Its mostly red with the stylized maple leaf symbol across the topside!  What a beautiful tribute to our country!  I'm anxious to see it all done up.
• Local Shows are Getting Ready!  Saskatoon, Lethbridge, Springbank, Abbotsford and Edmonton are planning shows this summer along with some smaller ones in the West!   Looks like an awesome air show summer!

At our banquet last Thursday evening we had a very moving tribute to the "Best Stick and Rudder Man who ever Lived;" Bob Hoover.  During the convention we also heard that astronaut John Glenn had passed away.  It was a bit of sadness in an otherwise very upbeat convention.

I know that not many of you are as "plane crazy" as I am, but if you enjoy seeing talented pilots fly amazing maneuvers in equally amazing planes, then this summer of 2017, an airshow is the place to be!  See you there! 

Bob Hoover Passes

It was with deep sorrow that I heard that one of my all-time heros has passed away.  R.A. (Bob) Hoover died this morning at the age of 94. 

Bob was probably the best pilot to have ever lived!  He flew in the Second World War. As a P.O.W. he escaped, stole a German fighter plane and flew it to freedom.  He was Chuck Yeager's wing man during many of that famous aviator's exploits including the breaking of the sound barrier. 

Bob flew air shows across the continent for many, many years.   He flew a brightly painted yellow P-51 Mustang though an unbelievable performance that awed everyone and inspired thousands to become pilots.  His other plane was a twin engine executive plane.  He would fly it down to the runway with its wheels retracted, shut both engines off and perform a series of stunning aerobatic maneuvers!

I first met Bob at the Medicine Hat Air Show.  When he wasn't talking airplanes and flying, he was looking for a place to go trout fishing!  Over the years he and I touched base often, usually at our annual air show convention..  He'd always have a new story to tell about something that happened in his storied career.  He knew all those who have made aviation what it is today; everyone from Orville Wright to Neil Armstrong!  He was probably the world's most active aviation ambassador.

The world is a little darker today without Bob Hoover.

Clear skies Bob! 

We'll miss you!

Excellent ICAS Convention this Year!

ICAS is the International Council of Air Shows, and their convention is held every year at the beginning of December in Las Vegas, Nevada.  I've just returned from this year's convention with a renewed sense of excitement and optimism for the 2016 air show season!

The American military is back in a big way, flying at shows on both sides of the border!  They were back in a limited capacity in 2015 but they are planning to go all out in 2016.    Canada's magnificent Snowbirds have a full 2016 schedule planned. 

One of the most exciting bits of news comes from right here in Alberta!  Team Rocket, a two plane aerobatic team from Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, announced that they are planning a most ambitious air show tour in 2017!

As you all know, Canada is celebrating its 150th Birthday in 2017.  Air shows are huge spectator draws.  They rate right up there with auto racing, soccer, football, and baseball in the numbers of fans attracted to air shows each year.  But the folks in Canada's far north rarely, if ever, see an air show!  Team Rocket is planning to remedy that in 2017!   They're planning an air show blitz across Canada's North to celebrate Canada's 150th Birthday!  They want to organize full air shows in the bigger centres and almost 40 fly-pasts over the smaller communities!

What a fantastic plan!  I volunteered to help out wherever I can. Stay tuned for more details coming up.

Overall I found this year's convention full of optimism and excitement.  Now we need to get ready for the spring!  Clear skies!

Failure is not an Option!

Last week, I attended the annual convention of the International Council of Air Shows, held each year in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

This year, I had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with Gene Kranz.  Gene was the NASA Flight Director on Apollo 13.  He and his crew managed to safely return the three man crew of Apollo 13 back to Earth, after a disastrous failure of their spaceship.  His leadership is credited with that rescue.   Every challenge (and there were dozens) was faced with a steadfast determination to bring those astronauts home safe.  The phrase, "Failure is not an option!" is credited to Kranz.

I asked him if there was anything that they could have done better in that tense four day rescue.  His answer surprised me.

He said that their communication with the astronauts was not as good as it should have been.  Everyone could hear each other perfectly, but sometimes some things were misunderstood.  His example was the water issue.  The fight team on the ground mentioned to the crew that they were concerned about water aboard the ship.  The astronauts thought that meant they needed to ration water intake, while in reality the concern was about the condensing water on the inside of the spacecraft.  The astronauts were rationing their water intake when, in reality there was lots of water on board. 

Their rationing was not required an had no impact on the successful rescue.  In fact, it made their trip back to earth somewhat less comfortable.

Communication is a volatile thing.  You think you communicated something clearly, and yet the person on the other end completely misunderstood it.  When I'm communicating with others, I'm going to try and remember Gene's example of the water issue on Apollo 13.

Gene said something else that impressed me;  "When overcoming challenges and finding solutions, you have to believe in it, your crew has to believe in it, and then you have to make it happen."