HIGH FLIGHT ENTERPRISES LTD.presents…

CANADA’S AIRSHOW TEAM HERITAGEDan Dempsey

Meticulously researched by former

Snowbird team leader Lieutenant

Colonel (Ret’d) Dan Dempsey,

A Tradition of Excellence – Canada’s

Airshow Team Heritage documents

the scores of Canadian military air

demonstration teams that have

thrilled millions of airshow specta-

tors for over 95 years. Relive this

unique historical journey through the

author’s in-depth investigation and

personal accounts from dozens of

team members who performed with

the teams in Canada, the United

States and Europe. Theirs is a story

of pride, professionalism and perse-

verance – a true reflection of the

Canadian aviation spirit which

helped build a nation.

The second edition of this high quality

production features some 768 pages

of history. Some of the world’s finest

aviation photographers have contrib-

uted more than 1,800 photographs,

hundreds of which have never before

been published. Also presented is a

collection of stirring airshow paint-

ings and specially commissioned full

colour aircraft profiles by Canada’s

leading aviation artists. Together,

this unique collection portrays a leg-

acy of aerial excellence.

BARKER’S FOKKER TEAM • RCAF SISKINS 803 SQN (RCN) SEAFIRE TEAM 417 (F) SQN MUSTANG TEAM

CENTRALIA HARVARD AEROBATIC TEAM CFS VAMPIRE TEAM

RCN SEAFIRE EXHIBITION FLIGHTRCAF BLUE DEVILS

416/420/424 (F) SQN MUSTANG TEAMSCENTRALIA “EASY ACES” AEROBATIC TEAM

31ST SAG (RCN) DEMONSTRATION TEAM 413 (F) SQN SABRE DEMO TEAM410 (F) SQN AEROBATIC TEAM441 (F) SQN AEROBATIC TEAM439 (F) SQN AEROBATIC TEAM

1 WING AEROBATIC TEAM3 WING FIREBALLS AEROBATIC TEAM

2 WING SKY LANCERS AEROBATIC TEAM4 WING SKY LANCERS AEROBATIC TEAM

445/423 AW(F) CF-100 DEMO TEAMSSILVER STARS • 431 (F) SQN AERO TEAM

PRAIRIE PACIFIC TEAM • LANCERS VF 870 BANSHEE TEAM • RCN GREY GHOSTS

1 FIS AERO TEAM • RCAF LETTERS TEAMRCAF GOLDEN HAWKS • RED KNIGHT

BALD EAGLES • GOLDEN GIGOLOS • RED RAVENSGIMLI SMOKERS • CHIPMUNK SMOKE EATERS

GOLDILOCKS • VIKING SMOOTHVU 32 T-33 DEMONSTRATION TEAM

• STU SABRE TEAM • CANADIAN ARMED FORCES GOLDEN CENTENNAIRES

BOBCATS • COUGARS • ALOUETTESLARKS • SKYLARKS • WARLOCKS

409 AW(F) DEMONSTRATION TEAM • HAWKS6 ST/R STARFIGHTER TEAM • DEADEYE ZIPS

ALBERTA ARROWS • RED INDIANSTIGER ROMEOS • 1 CAG STARFIGHTERS

434 TAC (F) SQN SCHOONER BLUENOSERSSAGUENAY MANICS/EXPOS/POGOS/QUEBECCDN FORCES CF-5 DEMONSTRATION TEAM

1 CFFTS COBRAS • RUT ZULUSJESTERS • 2 CFFTS FORMATION TEAM

MUSKET GOLD • VU 33 T-33 DEMO TEAMGOPHER GREENS • DRAGONFLIES

HUMMINGBIRDS • LAZER BLUE FLIGHTRED HERRINGS • TRACER REDSBLACK KNIGHTS • SILVER STARS

FIS VIKINGS • RAVENS • HERITAGE FLIGHTCF-5 SOLO DEMO • CF-18 SOLO DEMO

SKYHAWKS • SNOWBIRDS

It was in August 1919 that an aerial extravaganza never before witnessed in Canada took place at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto – a demon-stration of formation aerobatic flying. The four pilots who performed the feat for the first time in public were all veterans of the Great War, their leader the most highly decorated fighter ace in Canadian history, Lieutenant Colonel William Barker, VC, DSO, MC. Although it would take another 10 years before the Royal Canadian Air Force formed Canada’s first official aerobatic team, the Siskins, the demonstration of 1919 planted the seed for a rich heritage that grew steadily in the ensuing years.

Some 81 years later when Canada entered a new millennium, the successors of those barnstorming years were still going strong. It has now been over 45 years since the Canadian Forces Snowbirds flew their first formation display for the citizens of Canada. In that span of over four decades, the nine-plane jet team’s polished performance has earned them a plethora of accolades from around the world. They carry on the proud traditions of a legacy of Canadian teams that still stir the imagination – the Blue Devils, Golden Hawks, Grey Ghosts, Red Knight and Golden Centennaires, just to name a few.

Discover why over 145 million spectators have watched a performance by Canada’s aerial ambassadors since 1971 – and why the Snowbirds are today regarded as one of Canada’s most enduring and cherished national symbols.

The Author and Canada’s Airshow Team HeritageDan Dempsey watched his first airshow as a youngster at RCAF Station Rockcliffe in Ottawa in 1959. From that early exposure grew a passion for airplanes and airshows which led to a 23 year air force career, including two tours with the Snowbirds. In the fall of 1979, he was selected to fly with the team for the 1980 and 1981 seasons as Snowbird 9, one of the team’s two solos. He sub-sequently returned to command the Snowbirds in 1989 and 1990, leading the team through their 20th

anniversary and 1000 th official performance. In 2009 he flew the Hawk One F-86 Sabre with the Centennial Heritage Flight, then commanded the Hawk One team in 2011 and 2012, performing solo aerobatic displays across Canada.

His book on Canada’s airshow team heritage took seven years to produce as he pursued sources across Canada, the United States and Europe in his quest for historical accuracy. These sources have been many and varied, from the wealth of photographs at the Canadian Forces Joint Imagery Centre to the historical archives at the Directorate of History at National Defence Headquarters, National Archives and National Library of Canada. The most important research, however, has been in the endless hours spent locating and interviewing dozens of former team members about their experiences. With its rare collection of interviews, photographs and artwork, A Tradition of Excellence represents a most deserving tribute to a proud Canadian legacy. The expanded second edi-tion of the book was released in August 2007 and has been lauded as one of the finest aviation books ever published. Limited copies are still available.

AVIATION HISTORY IN THE MAKING

HIGH FLIGHT ENTERPRISES LTD.1174 Sloan Terrace, Victoria, BC, Canada V8Y 3C4Ph (250) 658-4397 or email: afteams@gmail.com

www.CanadasAirshowHeritage.com Printed in Canada