Sean D. Comes to Airdrie

One of the air show industry's most accomplished aerobatic pilots is Sean D. Tucker.  Sean is known for his wild aerobatic maneuvers, and his presence on the air show stage.

photo by Ray Courtman

I had almost given up hope of ever seeing Sean D. in Alberta, but I was pleasantly surprised when the Airdrie Air Show announced that he would be coming to perform there, this past July.  Sean only had one airshow scheduled in Western Canada, and Airdrie was it!

I have known of Sean for many years, and have watched his performances on video.  I had the privilege of attending an airshow safety seminar in Nashville, Tennessee, a few years back. Sean D. Tucker was one of the feature speakers, there.  I was impressed with his ability to perform aerobatic maneuvers that looked incredibly dangerous, but always had a high degree of safety built in.  For every maneuver Sean performs, he has calculated way out if he runs into trouble.

At Airdrie this summer, Sean's performances were impeccable.  Every maneuver was crisp, and in front of the crowd.  His aircraft is a purpose-built biplane, with a huge amount of power and a bright red paint job.  A superior smoke system traces his progress through his complicated routine.  I photographed him each time he flew and I did briefly meet him after the Sunday show.  I never tire of watching a very professional and very skilled pilot perform!

For airshow aficionados - and those who just like to come and watch the occassional air show - Sean D. did not disappoint!

Other commitments made Airdrie my first show of the 2013 season.  What a fantastic start!

I'm Back! (and, the Airdrie Airshow!)

photo by Colleen De Neve, Calgary Herald

I hope we have my internet difficulties behind us now.  I have a lot of catching up to do!  It's been almost three weeks since my internet connections went down.

Where to start?

First, let me go back a couple of weeks and congratulate the Airdrie folks on a fantastic air show weekend.  Their line up of performers was outstanding with a mix of local and international talent!  Hats off to Donna Flynn (from Showline Airshows) who was the show's Air Boss.  Donna had to coordinate the air show performances with air traffic into and out of Calgary International Airport.  Working closely with air traffic control in Calgary, Donna was able to run a smooth show with very few short breaks.  Well done, Donna!

I'll catch up on a few other things I've been working on a bit later.

Come Hell or High Water!

That's the new motto of the Calgary Stampede after the devastating floods a couple weeks ago. I've been down to Stampede Park this week, and I was amazed at how much has been cleaned up. Most of the Stampede is up and rarin' to go!

If you're down at Stampede Park over the next 10 days, look for me at the Agrium Ag-tivity in the City tent.  It's a little harder to find this year - it's located behind the Saddledome close to the river. I like to volunteer there as much as I can.  We're doing the same kind of things but in a new location, and we're showing Stampede visitors how Alberta farmers and ranchers feed them!

Another event fast approaching is the Airdrie Regional Air Show to be held July 13th and 14th at the Airdrie Airport.  It looks like it's going to be a really great show this year.  I'll tell you more about that in the coming days.