I said it in a social media post last weekend, but photos and videos don’t do the Cold Lake Air Show justice.
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If you’ve never been to an air show at one of Canada’s air force bases, you have to go. I know not everyone is as interested in military aircraft as some of us, but the experience of being up close to jets travelling at high speed is hard to describe. I grew up attending the air show at CFB Trenton, and it turns out the allure never wears off.
The aerial demonstrations are something to marvel at, and the static (ground) displays give civilians a chance to tour and touch aircraft they wouldn’t normally get close to. Last weekend, Cold Lake hosted an array of jets and cargo planes active in Canada, the United States and Britain.
While attending the show on Saturday, it was hard not to drool over the aircraft brought in by the U.S. Air Force. The C-5M Super Galaxy, for example, can fly with 281,000 pounds of cargo. It is 247 feet long and has a wingspan of 222 feet. It’s the jacked-up big brother to Canada’s C-17 Globemaster, which can carry 170,900 pounds of cargo, stretches 174 feet long and spans 169 feet wide.
Other crowd favourites included the B-52 bomber static display and the F-22 Raptor aerial demonstration. Not only do the Raptor’s flying capabilities defy logic and physics, but the sound of its engines also raises the hair on the back of your neck and gives you goosebumps.
With upwards of 30,000 people in attendance over the weekend, I have to give kudos to CFB Cold Lake for its organization and planning.
Taylor Weaver Meridian Source
The Canadian Snowbirds were another highlight, and I feel lucky to have seen them fly one last time before the 1960s planes are retired.
Replacement planes are allegedly expected by the early 2030s, but I’m not holding my breathe.
I was sunburnt and smiling after a day on the tarmac and can’t wait until the next one.
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