Aug. 30 -- I'm an US Air Force brat and never get tired of the sound of jets as they scream across the city during the annual Air Show at the Ex. (Noisy? You ain't heard noise until you hear the sound of B-52s as they take off and land from an air base, but I digress.)

I was disappointed yesterday when overcast conditions kept most of the planes grounded, but today it is bright and sunny (okay, so there are only patches of blue sky but there's a brisk wind and I'm an optimist!) so listen up Toronto: salute the warriors of the sky, and honour aviation history which reminds us of what a kick-ass breed those courageous, early pioneers of the strata were.

Maybe this will bring things into focus: there's a very real chance that the Snowbirds will be disbanded.

Former Snowbird Dan Dempsey said it will take new jets to save one of Canada's most cherished national symbols. He wants the federal government to lease or buy more CT-155 Hawks, used as training jets, to replace the 40-year-old CT-114 Tutor jets scheduled to be phased out in 2006.

A brand new Hawk, built by BAE Systems, costs about $20 million, but would be "significantly less" without weapons systems, which the Snowbirds don't use, Dempsey said.

The Canadian Forces now lease 28 of the Hawks for training in Moose Jaw, Sask.

He fears it could be disbanded because of costs, and future generations will miss the chance to be inspired -- just as he was watching the RAF Golden Hawks scream past him at an Ottawa air show in 1959.

Posted by: Debbye at 10:30 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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