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For historical reference, this page contains the news items which were originally posted on the main "News" page, starting with the most recent first. The webmaster accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of any information contained on these pages. 
2003 Snowbirds news Four new pilots join the Canadian Forces Snowbirds for next year : Major Chris Hope, Captain Steve Chadwick, Captain Paul Couillard and Captain Chuck Mallett will now begin a rigorous six-month training program, practicing different manoeuvers and formations, getting ready for the 2003 airshow season. In addition to these four display pilots, five new show team technicians/crew also join the squadron. Major Stephen Will remains as the team Leader. To celebrate the 100th Anniversary of powered flight, the Snowbirds plan to conduct 100 fly-bys at 100 different locations on the North American continent during 2003. (December 2002. Report from Aero-News Network)
Red Baron Stearman Squadron latest Jim Keller, a pilot with more than 2400 hours of pilot time in his logbook, is the newest member of Red Baron Pizza's four-man aerobatic team. Keller, 49, will take over the Left Wing position in the formation. He's by no means a newcomer to the Red Baron team, having joined in 1998 as a solo performer and promotional pilot. After flying Left Wing for two years, John McMurray moves to the Slot position. This year, the Squadron will also have a two-ship team for performances at smaller events. Leading the Red Baron Duo will be veteran airshow performer and former Slot pilot on the Squadron's four-ship demonstration team, Bryan Regan, of Phoenix (AZ). On his wing will be Todd Schaufenbuel of Sioux Falls (SD), in his second season with the Squadron. "The addition of Two-Ship airshow demonstrations adds a stepping stone approach to our training and qualification of new pilots to the team, and opens more Airshow events to Red Baron's marketing efforts. It also provides an exciting and dramatic airshow act with the precision, smoke, and roaring round engines that airshow fans have come to expect of the Red Baron Squadron" said Randy Brooks, Squadron Operations Manager. (December 2002. Report from Aero-News Network)
Blue Impulse back to full strength The Japanese Air Self Defence Force Blue Impulse team are finally back peforming a "full strength" six-ship display routine again. The first public display by the "rebuilt" team took place at the Gifu Air Base Airshow, Japan, on 1st December 2002. Although the team had begun performing as a four-ship some time after the tragic accident which resulted in the loss of three pilots and two solo aircraft, it has been some 30 months since the team last performed with dual solos. Unfortunately, there was heavy cloud on the day of the Gifu Airshow, but a Blue Impulse six-ship display did take place. (December 2002. Thanks to SIG member Masato Ota, Japan.)
Frecce Tricolori lose an aircraft On Sunday 27th October, one of the Frecce Tricolori's MB-339 aircraft suffered a birdstrike while landing at their home base of Rivolto, following a flypast display. The bird (thought to be a seagull) struck the number 10 aircraft, causing a flameout. The pilot tried to reach the runway but was unable to make it, so both occupants of the aircraft had no option but to eject, which they did safely. The aircraft was only about 200 yards short of the runway when the pilot gave the order to eject... so near, and yet so far.... The MB-339, which unconfirmed reports suggest was serial number MM54486, was almost completely destroyed upon impact with the ground. Although it was aircraft number 10, the Frecce Tricolori's solo, it would appear that the pilot on this occasion was not their normal solo pilot. The occupant of the rear seat was one of the team's technical crew. (October/November 2002. Thanks to SIG members Paul McIvor, England, and Gianfranco Da Forno, Italy.)
Thunder Tiger perform again The December 2002 issue of Koku-Fan includes a short photo-report of the Taiwanese Thunder Tiger team. The report says that the team came back to airshow scene on Taiwanese Air Force Day in August, following a 5-year period when they did not perform any shows following a fatal accident on 27th June 1997. The photos show that the pilots now wear new yellow flight suits and their AT-3 aircraft have a different badge on their tailfins. (October 2002. Thanks to SIG member Masato Ota, Japan.)
Saudi "Green Falcons" change their name Many of you will have read our exclusive report on the Royal Saudi Air Force aerobatic team known as the "Green Falcons" in our Team Spotlight section : It would appear that they have now reverted to their original name of Saudi Hawks - quite when this happened, or why, remains unknown at this time. Several of our SIG members have been investigating this, as it was sparked off by the recent discovery that Squadron Prints are planning to release a print of a Hawk in the colours of the "Saudi Hawks". To further cloud the issue, at almost the same time, articles about the team appeared in Air Forces Monthly magazine (November 2002 issue) and the German magazine "Flieger Revue", both written by the same authors: It would appear that some of the information used in the two articles was "lifted" from our own website article (notably without our permission, nor any credit to us), but the AFM article called the team "Saudi Hawks", while the Flieger Revue article called them "Green Falcons" !!! Thanks to some double- and triple-checking by SIG member Adrian Balch, it seems that now both Squadron Prints and AFM magazine have been able to confirm with BAE Systems and the RSAF, that the team are now officially known as the Saudi Hawks again. (October 2002. Thanks to SIG members Adrian Balch, Phil Adams (Germany) and also to Gill at Squadron Prints and Alan Warnes, Editor of AFM magazine.)
Patrouille Reva find replacement pilot Following the tragic accident which resulted in the death of one of their three pilots (see below), this French civilian team of Rutan AcroEz aircraft have just announced that they have a replacement pilot and aircraft for the 2003 season. (September 2002. Thanks to Guillaume Rochette, France.)
Red Arrows away to Canada The RAF Red Arrows are currently undertaking their short 2002 tour of Canada. The team left RAF Scampton on Monday 26th August, transiting through Kinloss, Keflavik, Sondrestrom and Iqaluit, before travelling on through Goose Bay and Quebec on their way to Toronto for their first displays. Hans Utne, the father of one of our Norwegian SIG members, lives in Keflavik, Iceland and sent us a few photos of the Reds passing through there en route to Canada :-
We passed these photos on to the Red Arrows, and they have also featured them on their official website at.... http://www.raf.mod.uk/reds/index.html .... where you can get the full story of the Canadian tour - and anything else concerning the Red Arrows ! (September 2002. Thanks to SIG member Ørjan Utne, Norway, and Hans Utne.)
Finland's Midnight Hawks change colour Since the first BAe Hawk was delivered to the Finnish Air Force in 1980, they have always been in a camouflage scheme : Now, the whole fleet are being painted, during major overhauls, to overall Dark Sea Grey /Medium Sea Grey. At this point in time, more than 50% of the fleet has been repainted and because of this, it has been somewhat difficult for the Midnight Hawks aerobatic team to get four aircraft painted in either the "old" camouflage scheme, or the "new" grey scheme, as they use the aircraft from the Training Squadron. For big shows, they naturally swap planes, if needed, to get an "all-grey" team and their first display with grey Hawks was in June 2001, the aircraft carrying yellow 40cm high numbers on their vertical fins, as before. The yellow fin numbers was a good colour for the camouflage scheme, but it does not look so good on the grey one. Therefore during the summer, smaller white numbers were tested. The decision has not yet been made as to whether the change to white numbers will become permanent. Here are some photos of the Midnight Hawks grey aircraft, showing the white number on the fin :-
Note that in the middle photograph, the rudder trim tab is still in the "old" green camouflage colour - this is because the spare parts are also in the process of being repainted so currently, they also exist in both camouflage and grey. Note also in the third photo, that the lead aircraft still wears the "old" camouflage sheme, while the other three are in the overall grey scheme. 
The Midnight Hawks 2002 team are (left to right) : Number 4 - 1st Lt. Antti "Onska" Mononen : Number 3 - 1st Lt. Timo "Eki" Rauhala : Number 2 - Capt. Vesa-Pekka "VP" Saarela : Leader - Capt. Joni "Mac" Mahonen. Click on the thumbnails for larger views - all photos are © Perttu Karivalo, 2002. (September 2002. Thanks to SIG member Perttu Karivalo, Finland.)
New T-4's for the Blue Impulse The Japanese Blue Impulse team have finally been allocated two new T-4's, to replace the two aircraft lost in the crash in 2000. They are numbered 804 and 805; number 804 is already with the team and made its debut at the Niigata AB airshow, whereas number 805 is still at Kawasaki Heavy Industry's Gifu plant, undergoing test flights. This will be delivered to the team soon, but they have not yet announced when they will once again be performing six-ship displays. (September 2002. Thanks to SIG member Masato Ota, Japan.)
Patrouille Reva accident One of the three Rutan AcroEz aircraft of the French civillian team Patrouille Reva, crashed at Nancy Airshow, France on Sunday 23rd June 2002, killing the pilot. The accident happened during the team's display at the airshow - an eyewitness report from one of our SIG members says that the team had just executed a triple break when the right wingman's aircraft wingtip struck the ground, sending the aircraft cartwheeling into trees, away from the public areas. The Rutan AcroEz is an enhanced version of the original VariEz, including strengthened airframe and a more powerful engine. The aircraft that crashed was registered F-PYOL, flown by Michel Coste, a 49 year-old ex-Military pilot from Saverne. The airshow ceased immediately after the crash, but resumed after approximately 1/2 hour with Patrouille Cartouche Doré performing their display. The team were scheduled to perform at the Colmar-Meyenheim Airshow in France, just one week later : Understandably, they did not attend the show, but the remaining two aircraft did arrive at Colmar late in the afternoon and made a single flypast with smoke on, as a tribute to their fallen colleague. Our sympathies go to the family and friends. The Patrouille Reva website : http://perso.wanadoo.fr/patrouille.reva (July 2002. Thanks to SIG member Phil Adams, Germany, with additional information from Yahoo:France.)
New World Record for Esquadrilha da Fumaca The Brazillian Air Force team Esquadrilha da Fumaca have set a new World Record by flying a formation of 11 aircraft inverted for 30 seconds. They set the new record on 18th May 2002, the weekend of their 50th anniversary, breaking the previous record of a 10-aircraft inverted formation, which was also held by them, set back in 1996. Click here and here to see two video-captured photos of the record-breaking flight. The team also have new smoke systems fitted to their Tucano aircraft, enabling them to "sky write" by turning each aircraft's smoke on and off whilst flying in formation, spelling out letters in a "dot matrix" manner. (June 2002. Thanks to SIG member Marcus Sampaio, Brazil.)
Khalifa Jet Team is born ! Following the recent reports (see below) that the French-based civilian Team Apache were re-equipping with L-39 Albatros jets, the new team has now emerged. Reflecting the name of their new sponsor, they have taken the name of Khalifa Jet Team. The Algerian-based Khalifa group of companies includes the El Khalifa Bank (the first privately-owned bank in Algeria), Khalifa Airways, Khalifa Rent-A-Car and Antinea Airlines. The team have painted their L-39's in a smart dark blue and yellow colour scheme, with the Khalifa name appearing prominently on the aircraft, and are already building up a calendar of appearances in the 2002 season. For full information about the team, see their new website at :- (June 2002. Thanks to Guillaume Rochette, France.)
"New jets for the Snowbirds" campaign We recently received this message from Dan Dempsey, ex-Snowbirds Leader and now author, concerning the future for the Canadian Armed Forces Snowbirds team :
(June 2002. Thanks to Dan Dempsey, Canada.)
Esquadrilha da Fumaca and Halcones in action at FIDAE 2002 The Brazilian Air Force Esquadrilha da Fumaca showed off their new colour scheme, displaying alongside the Chilean Air Force Halcones at FIDAE 2002 in Los Cerillos, Chile, April 2002. It seems that the Halcones have now replaced their original Extra 300 aircraft with Extra 300L's - the 'L' apparantly meaning "Low wing", as these new types have the wing at a lower position on the fuselage. The Halcones' original aircraft are now reported to be retired and on display in museums or on poles. Here are a few photos from the show :-
Click on the thumbnails for larger photos. (May 2002. Thanks to SIG member Adrian Balch, and also to SIG member Werner Baier in Germany.)
Next Blue Angels Leader announced The U.S. "Navy Times" Newspaper has published an article naming Commander Russel Bartlett as the next Flight Leader of the Blue Angels for the 2003-2004 seasons. (May 2002. Thanks to Lt.Col. Stephen Hoernlein, Eglin AFB, USA.)
Philippine Blue Diamonds pilot killed in crash A Philippine Air Force F-5 Freedom Fighter crashed into an elementary school compound in Mabalacat town in Pampanga at about 10:30 a.m. on May 2nd 2002, killing its pilot and injuring at least 16 people on the ground - although thankfully, the school itself was empty of pupils, who were on summer break. The aircraft belonged to the Blue Diamond Squadron under the 600th Air Base Wing based in Floridablanca, Pampanga, and was being piloted by 33-year old Capt. Daniel Policarpio. Although Capt. Policarpio was a member of the Blue Diamonds aerobatic team, he was not flying with the team when the incident occured, but was taking part in the joint US/Philippino "Luzon Balikatan" Exercises. Residents said the jet exploded in the air and clipped the roofs of several houses before finally crashing into the school, destroying several buildings. But many witnesses also reported seeing the pilot seemingly struggling in the cockpit, fighting to keep control of his aircraft and steer it away from populated areas. Some also reported seeing what looked like a parachute just before impact. Based on the testimonies of witnesses, Air Force chief Lt. Gen. Benjamin Defensor said it seemed that Policarpio had a chance to bail out but decided against it. "With a speed and altitude apparently within the parameters of a good ejection, Captain Policarpio chose to maneuver the plane so that it would crash in a vacant school ground instead of ejecting to safety," Defensor said. For that, the Philippine Air Force will bestow a citation for gallantry on Capt. Policarpio. His body was flown from Floridablanca, Pampanga, to Villamor Air Base in Pasat City, the headquarters of Policarpio’s elite unit, the 5th Fighter Wing. (May 2002. Thanks to Lt.Col. Stephen Hoernlein, Eglin AFB, USA, for alerting us to these news reports in the Manilla Times and Philippine Star.)
Thunderbirds 2002 markings As a follow-up from the story "New markings for the 2002 Thunderbirds", below, we can now see the "Let's Roll" marking in place on the Thunderbirds F-16C. Here are two views of the same photo - an overall shot and a closer view showing the positioning of the "Let's Roll" sticker on the Leader's aircraft. The photo has been kindly passed on to us by Lt. Col. Stephen Hoernlein, USAF, and shows the U.S. Secretary of Defense during a visit to Nellis AFB (home of the Thunderbirds) on 20th February 2002.
Click the thumbnails to see larger photos. (May 2002. Thanks to Lt.Col. Stephen Hoernlein, Eglin AFB, USA.)
New markings for the 2002 Thunderbirds
The words "Let's Roll" have become America's rallying cry in the fight against terrorism, and were made famous by 32-year old businessman Todd Beamer, a passenger on board Flight 93. Before it crashed into a field in western Pennsylvania, Beamer was overheard on a cellular phone reciting the Lord's Prayer and saying "Let's roll!" as passengers charged the terrorists on the aircraft. The design was created by Senior Airman Duane White, a journeyman from Air Combat Command's multimedia center at Langley Air Force Base, Va. The Thunderbirds and other Air Force demonstration teams will apply this nose art on all aircraft, while major commands and wings will be authorized to apply the nose art to one aircraft of their choice. Click the thumbnail for a larger version of the design. (April 2002. Thanks to SIG Member Jonathan Davies and also to Lt.Col. Stephen Hoernlein, Eglin AFB, USA, for the artwork and info.)
Patrouille de France crash - CORRECTION Despite the report on Yahoo France, as relayed in the "update" below, we are now informed that it was NOT the Leader of the Patrouille de France who was killed in the accident, but in fact was the Number 4 pilot, Flt. Lt. Daniel Marchand, 29, who was destined to become team leader next year. Apologies for this error and any distress it may have caused. We have also discovered that the aircraft involved was number E-175, F-TERL. (April 2002. Thanks to Guillaume Rochette, France, for the correction and to SIG Member Paul McIvor for the serial number info.)
Indonesian team crash More bad news, this time from Indonesia and their Hawk-equipped team Jupiter. The accident happened on 28th March 2002 - this report from CNN :
Sadly once again, our condolences go to the family and friends of the aircrew, and to the team. (April 2002. Thanks to Lt.Col. Stephen Hoernlein, Eglin AFB, USA, for alerting us to this story.)
Patrouille de France crash - update It seems that the pilot of the Patrouille de France who was killed in the training accident last Thursday (see report below) was actually the Leader of the team. These (translated) details appeared in a news report on Yahoo France :
(April 2002. Thanks to SIG Member Phil Adams, Germany.)
Patrouille de France crash This sad report put out on the newswire :
Sad news indeed - our condolences go to the family and friends of the pilot, and to the team. Anyone with any further information, please get in touch. (April 2002. Thanks to SIG Member Paul McIvor.)
Patrouille de France N.A. tour update An update on the report below ("Patrouille de France North American tour") : Pacific Flyer newspaper reports that the Dayton (Ohio) airshow has confirmation that the Patrouille de France will perform each day at the show on July 17-20, 2003. Apparently that will be the first stop on a month long tour. The visit is in recognition of Dayton being home to the Wright Brothers, and will be part of a centennial of powered flight celebration. (April 2002. Thanks to SIG Member John Cooper, USA.)
Frecce Tricolori to perform in Russia A report has reached us that on 15th August 2002, the Frecce Tricolori will participate at the Moscow Air Show, organized to celebrate 90 years of the Russian Air Force. More details if and when we get them..... (April 2002. Thanks to SIG Member Nicola Foschia, Italy.)
Green Falcons accident update Following the "Saudi Green Falcons accident" report below, Air Forces Monthly magazine had some more information on the incident : The two aircraft involved were numbers 8803 and 8804 - both Hawk mk. 65A's. The accident occured whilst the aircraft were on approach to their home base of Tabuk and although both pilots escaped with only minor injuries after ejecting from their Hawks, it seems there were also four more minor injuries on the ground too, as the aircraft came down inside an Army base. For more information about the Green Falcons team, see the Team Spotlight section here on our own website. (April 2002.)
Red Arrows to visit Canada in 2002 For the first time in nine years, the RAF Red Arrows are to make a short tour of Canada during 2002. The team are planning to perform at the Canadian International Air Show in Toronto from August 31st to 2nd September and the Nova Scotia International Air Show on 7th September 2002. No doubt this has something to do with it being Queen Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee year, as the Queen is scheduled to visit Canada a month after the Reds visit, as part of the Jubilee celebrations. For further information, keep an eye on the newsroom on the Official Red Arrows website. (March 2002.)
Saudi Green Falcons accident A short report in the April 2002 issue of Aircraft Illustrated magazine states that two aircraft of the Royal Saudi Air Force Green Falcons aerobatic team collided during a formation landing. The incident happened on 5th February 2002, apparantly involving two Hawk mk. 65 aircraft - the team have both mk.65's and mk.65A's and with no serial numbers quoted, this cannot be confirmed at present. The good news though, is that both pilots ejected safely. For more information about the Green Falcons team, see the Team Spotlight section here on our own website. (March 2002 - reported in Aircraft Illustrated Magazine, April 2002.)
Team Apache jet team update Following the earlier report "Team Apache to re-equip with L-39 jets" below, the latest news is that they have a new sponsor (although it is not known who this is at the present time) and their L-39 aircraft are expected to arrive in France by late April. The team are now hoping to be flying a two-aircraft formation in May/June, working up to a four-ship by July. (March 2002. Thanks to Guillaume Rochette, France.)
The colours of Brazil take off ! A news report from Brazil about the Brazilian Air Force's Esquadrilha da Fumaca aerobatic team :-
Here are some video captures (stills) of the team in action in their new scheme - click on the thumbnails for the larger photo :-
(March 2002. Thanks to SIG member Marcus Sampaio, Brazil.)
Team Apache to re-equip with L-39 jets The French civilian team, Les Apaches, are to trade in their PC-7's and reform with L-39 Albatros jets ! The team, who started out as Patrouille Martini, becoming Patrouille Ecco, and then Patrouille Adecco, before losing sponsorhip and performing as the two-ship Apache team, very briefly announced the switch to jets on their website :- http://www.apache-aviation.com/uk/index.html However, we have a little more information than that; The team have already sold their PC-7's but are not expecting to take delivery of the L-39's in France until early March 2002. They are hoping to be ready to perform in their new jets by May, but this is not certain. They are also still without a sponsor for the new team, which will consist of 2 or 3 L-39 aircraft....... (February 2002. Thanks to Guillaume Rochette, France.)
Patrouille de France North American tour It seems that the Patrouille de France are planning a North American tour in 2003, from early July to mid-August. No specific dates or venues are known yet, as they are now soliciting propsals for their participation from military and civilian air shows in the USA and Canada during that period. (January 2002. Thanks to SIG Member John Cooper, USA.)
North American teams' 2002 dates published The 2002 display dates for the Thunderbirds, Blue Angels and Snowbirds are now out. You can see them at (January 2002. Thanks to SIG Member John Cooper, USA.)
Next aircraft for the Snowbirds....? This report passed on to us by Will Chabun, reporter for newspaper "The Leader-Post", in Regina, Saskatchewan :-
(December 2001. Report by Will Chabun/The Leader-Post, Canada.)
New Snowbirds Leader This report passed on to us by Will Chabun, reporter for newspaper "The Leader-Post", in Regina, Saskatchewan :-
(December 2001. Report by Will Chabun/The Leader-Post, Canada.)
Kleeblatt helicopter team deactivated Information received from Sergeant Martin Böttcher, of the Austrian Kleeblatt helicopter team, brings the sad news that due to personnel difficulties, the team has been stopped until further notice. They are hoping to be reactivated in the near future, which will probably be two years. For updates, watch their website at (December 2001. Thanks to SIG Member Phil Adams, Germany.)
Korean Black Eagles to re-equip.... A photo report in the January 2002 issue of Koku-Fan showed the new KAI T-50 "Golden Eagle" supersonic trainer at its rollout ceremony on 31st October 2001. It also reported that the ROKAF Black Eagles will be reformed with eight A-50 aircraft, the single seat attack version of the T-50, in 2004. (December 2001. Thanks to SIG Member Masato Ota, Japan.)
We win again at Scale Modelworld 2001 !! For the second time in four years, we have again won the award for "Best S.I.G. Display" at Scale Modelworld 2001 (aka the IPMS(UK) National Championships), held over the weekend of 3rd & 4th November in Telford, England. Many thanks and congratulations to all of our members, even those who weren't able to be there in person, because it really was a team effort !! Photos of the winning display are now posted in the "Gallery" section of our website - I hope you like them ! (November 2001.)
August 1st team get new aircraft, new scheme It seems that the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) aerobatic team, August 1st, have recently received updated J-7EB aircraft and have revised their colours to an intricate blue and white scheme. You can see several photos of their new aircraft on this following web site, which is also a useful modelling reference for all Chinese aircraft :- http://www.geocities.com/cwlam2000hk/index.htm Click on "Part II" and scroll down towards the bottom of the page, to "81st Aerobatic Team". Why "81st" and not "August 1st"... unknown...... unless it is because August is the 8th month...??) (September 2001. Thanks also to SIG Member Masato Ota, Japan..)
New Russian Team....?? The Russian A.F. seem to have a new aerobatic team of smartly blue-and-white painted L-29 Delfin aircraft, which appeared at MAKS 2001. According to the November 2001 issue of Japanese aviation journal, J-Wings, the team are apparantly named Sky Knights, but other reports indicate them to be called Sky Lancers. The team of four L-29's are based at Myachkovo, near Moscow. If anyone out there has any further information, please let us know.
(September 2001. Thanks to SIG Members Masato Ota, Japan, and Adrian Balch.)
First Esquadrilha da Fumaca in new colours On September 11, 2001, at 16:00 hours, four T-27 Tucano airplanes overflew the Esquadrilha da Fumaca's headquarters, in the Brazilian Air Force Academy. That date was marked in the pages of the Fumaca's history. After passing through a structural reinforcement inspection in the EMBRAER factory, the first T-27 Tucano (registration number FAB 1308) now painted with the colors of the National Flag, lead three other T-27's with the old red, black and white paint scheme. The solemnity of delivery of that airplane, was presided over by the General Commandant of the Air, and marked the last public appearance of the T-27 with red/black/white colors and the consolidation of an old dream of showing the Brazilian's Flag colors on the aircraft. According to the Command of Aeronautics and EMBRAER, the Esquadrilha da Fumaca will receive until December, seven more airplanes properly revised and with the new colour scheme. You can see this report along with photos of the actual aircraft in the new colour scheme at :- http://www.eda.hpg.com.br/novapintura.htm (September 2001. Thanks to SIG Member Marcus Sampaio, Brazil.)
New Breitling Eagles pilot Cdr. Stefano Rosa has replaced Cdr. Brovedani in the number 2 / Left Wing position in the team. Cdr. Rosa was previously a solo pilot with the Frecce Tricolori in the 90's. (September 2001. Thanks to SIG Member Gianfranco da Forno, Italy.)
Thunderbirds announce next Leader The USAF Thunderbirds have announced that the team's Commander/Leader for the 2002/2003 seasons will be Lt.Col. Richard McSpaden, who was former Director of Operations for the 1st Fighter Sqn. at Tyndall AFB and a 2000 hours F-15 Eagle driver. He began his training on the F-16 in August 2001, at Luke AFB, Arizona and will assume Command of the Thunderbirds in January 2002. (September 2001. Thanks to SIG Member Gianfranco da Forno, Italy.)
Blue Impulse back in action again Following the tragic accident on 4th July 2000, which claimed the lives of three team members, the JASDF announced on Tuesday August 8th 2001 that the Blue Impulse will return to the airshow scene at Matsushima AB airshow on 26th August, with 4 aircraft. It has also been reported that the replacement aircraft for the two lost in the crash will be newly-built by Kawasaki and delivered in March 2003. So, it looks like the team will be performing 4-ship displays for the remainder of 2001 and through 2002. (August 2001. Thanks to SIG Member Masato Ota, Japan.)
Team Rusj mid-air collision - update We now have more information on the mid-air collision between two of Team Rusj's L-39 Albatros aircraft (see item below "Team Rusj in mid-air collision"). This comes courtesy of a genuine eye-witness report from our Russian SIG member. The accident happened actually at an airshow in St. Petersburg, Russia, on 10th June 2001. The team took off in two groups of three aircraft and flew away to join up into formation, ready to begin their display. While the six aircraft were about 5km away, there was a bright flash from the formation and a cloud of black smoke. Two aircraft broke away from the formation and fell slowly to the ground. There were then clouds of black smoke rising from a forest. The airshow was immediately stopped and the authorities began to expel all spectators from the aerodrome. The rest of the team landed and the two aircraft which were missing were numbers 5 and 7. Both pilots ejected from their aircraft - one was found almost immediately and was alive. The body of the other pilot was found at 8:40pm that evening. The dead pilot was identified as 42-year old Sergey Maksimov. It was revealed that although he had ejected, his aircraft was inverted and too low, and his ejector seat was found embedded in the ground. The remaining two days of the St. Petersburg airshow were cancelled. (August 2001. Thanks to SIG member Eugene Pooshkarev, Russia..)
Snowbirds mid-air collision On Thursday 24th June 2001, two of the Snowbirds Tutor aircraft touched in mid-air, causing one of them to crash. The incident happened on a "media day" prelude to the International Air Show at London, Ontario, Canada, the following weekend. The two aircraft involved were Snowbird #1, the team leader's aircraft, and Snowbird #5. The #1 aircraft crashed into Lake Erie, but both of the occupants, Snowbirds Leader Major Bob Painchaud, and Sgt. David Wilson, from the Canadian Forces Recruiting Centre in London, ejected before impact. Both were rescued from the water and taken to hospitals by helicopter - Maj. Painchaud was reportedly taken to St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital in London, but due to the nature of his injuries, Sgt. Wilson was taken to the London Health Sciences Centre, which has a trauma centre. Major Painchaud was only slightly injured and released from hospital within a few hours, while Sgt. Wilson was said to be more severly injured, but was still awake, alert and talking. The other aircraft involved, flown by Captain Warren Wright, was able to return and land safely back at London after the incident, along with the rest of the team. Reports indicate that there was damage to the leading edge of the wing on his #5 aircraft. The "Media Day" on which this incident occured, is just that - a special Press-only day held before the annual London International Air Show, and a media flight with the Snowbirds allows some of the local media people and specially invited guests to fly and experience some manoeuvres with the team. This report on our website has been compiled from various newswire and media reports circulated shortly after the incident. However, we are also fortunate to be able to get a rather more "balanced" view of events from one of our SIG members who is an ex-Snowbird and still has close ties with the team. Several of the published reports indicate that the aircraft were in a nine-plane formation when the incident occured. In fact, they were not - numbers 1 and 5 had broken away from the rest of the formation for a photo-shoot session. What was not mentioned in any of the media reports was that there was also a passenger flying with Capt. Wright in Snowbird #5, well known aviation journalist Mike Reyno. There were also a number of "sensationalist" items referring to the actual collision as a "fiery crash", "bright flash of light, huge fireball and lots of smoke".... it seems that this is a case of "over-dramatising" by the media, and that there were just (if that's not too light a word for it) two people ejecting from a disabled Tutor aircraft. When we receive the official, factual story of the incident from Moose Jaw, it will be posted here. In the meantime, the team have been grounded pending an investigation into the crash. On Tuesday 26th June, Canadian media services reported that Canadian Forces and local police had located the wreckage of Snowbird #1 in the waters of Lake Erie, a little less than two miles south off the shore of Port Burwell, Ontario, and that divers from the Canadian Forces fleet diving unit at CFB Halifax arrived late Monday to begin the recovery effort. At that time, Sgt. Wilson was still in hospital at the London Health Sciences Centre, and his condition was described as "fair". (July 2001. Thanks to Alisdair McKie, Earl Watkins, Jean-Luc Debroux and SIG member Tom Kolk for forwarding the media reports. Special Thanks to Canadian SIG member and ex-Snowbird, Tony Edmundson.)
Exclusive Turkish Stars Hercules photos ! Following the report below about the Turkish Stars painting one of the Hercules support aircraft in the teams colours, we now have a set of exclusive photos of the aircraft taken by Italian SIG member Fabio Beato, at a recent air show in Ghedi, Italy. You can see them in our Gallery. (July 2001. Thanks to SIG Member Fabio Beato, Italy.)
Team Rusj in mid-air collision Russian aerobatic team, Team Rusj have had mid-air collision between two of their L-39 Albatros aircraft, resulting in the death of one of the pilots. The accident was reported on German TV news "RTL Nachtjournal" on Tuesday 12th June, and was said to have occurred at St. Petersburg, apparantly sometime during the weekend of 9th/10th June 2001. No other details are known at this time, so if anyone has any further information, please contact us. (June 2001. Thanks to SIG Translator Bianca Adams, Germany.)
Turkish Stars paint their Hercules support aircraft The Turkish Air Force aerobatic team, the Turkish Stars, have painted one of their Hercules support aircraft in the team's white and red colour scheme. CLICK HERE to see a photo of it..... It is said that this is the first of two Hercules' which they intend to paint in these colours. The serial number of this particular one is believed to be 13187. (June 2001. Thanks to SIG Member Adrian Balch. Photo from Emin Findikli, Turkey, via Adrian Balch.)
Snowbirds accident - the photos ! Following the report below, "Snowbirds aircraft in collapsed gear landing", we now have more information and photos of the aircraft involved. The incident took place at CFB Comox on Tuesday 10th April; Snowbird #5, Warren Wright, was landing in the 9 plane formation and suffered a hard landing, driving the RH landing gear through the wing skin. The airplane skidded along, broke the nose wheel and the LH gear bent back. The airplane ended up on its smoke tanks. No-one was hurt but the aircraft (#114142) may not make it back to Moose Jaw - that decision will be made sometime in the future. The following photos were taken of the aircraft in it's quarantine hanger at CFB Comox, while under investigation and examination :-
Note that some of the apparant damage to the wing has actually been cut out in order to remove the landing gear mounting points. (June 2001. Thanks to SIG Member Tony Edmundson, Canada.)
The new Esquadrilha da Fumaca colour scheme revealed ! Further to the report below about the Brazilian Air Force Esquadrilha da Fumaca getting a new colour scheme, you can now see this scheme illustrated on the following pages on their website :- http://www.eda.hpg.com.br/3vistas.jpg and http://www.eda.hpg.com.br/novotucano.htm (June 2001. Thanks to SIG Members Marcus Sampaio, Brazil, and Terry Mish, USA..)
Russia's Celestial Hussars reform It was reported in the June edition of Air Forces Monthly magazine that the Russian Air Force Celestial Hussars aerobatic team, which was originally equipped with the Su-25 "Frogfoot" at Kubinka Air Base, but disbanded in 1995, has reformed there with L-39 Albatrosses. (June 2001. Thanks to SIG Member Adrian Balch.)
Snowbirds aircraft in collapsed-gear landing This report passed to us by Jean-Luc Debroux, Aviascribe International :
(April 2001. Thanks to Jean-Luc Debroux, Aviascribe International, Belgium, for the report.)
Esquadrilha da Fumaca to get new colour scheme The Tucano aircraft belonging to the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) aerobatic team, Esquadrilha da Fumaca, are currently undergoing special inspection in the Embraer factory. Later in the year, the team are expected to reappear with their aircraft in a brand-new colour scheme of blue, green and yellow (Brazilian national colours). Details/photographs of the new scheme will be posted here as soon as we see them.... (April 2001. Thanks to SIG Member Gianfranco Da Forno, Italy.)
Thunderbirds Pacific Tour dates finalised The USAF Thunderbirds 2001 schedule includes a Pacific Tour. Dubbed the "Thunder Over the Pacific" tour, the dates and venues have now been announced. You can see them on :- http://www.hqpacaf.af.mil/news/2001/2001068.htm Included is a visit to Misawa, Japan, on 16th October. (April 2001. Thanks to SIG Member Masato Ota, Japan.)
Stoli MiGs now sponsored by Smirnoff The U.S. civilian MiG-17 duo which were formerly known as Red Star Airshows, and then theStoli MiGs, have now got a new sponsor for the 2001 season - Smirnoff vodka. So accordingly, the team have changed their name to Smirnoff MiGs. Their aircraft have retained their overall red colour scheme, but now all the "Stoli" markings have been changed to "Smirnoff" logos. Pilots remain as before, Randy Howell and Jerry Gallud. For more information, see :- (April 2001.)
New Snowbirds Leader for 2002 The Canadian Snowbirds have announced the name of the pilot who will be taking over as Team Leader from October this year - he is Major Steve Will, and was previously the Number 3 pilot for the 1989 & 90 seasons. (April 2001. Thanks to SIG Member Tony Edmundson, Canada.)
Breitling Eagles 2001 The Breitling Eagles will perform with a 5 aircraft team for the first time in 2001. This is a civilian team, based in Italy, and all the pilots are ex-Frecce Tricolori pilots. This team was formerly known as the Alpi Eagles, their name now reflecting their current sposorship by the Swiss Breitling watch company. The 2001 team pilots are : Boscolo (Leader); Brovedani (Number 2 - left wing); Liva (Number 3 - right wing); Vivona (Number 4 - slot); and G.B. Molinaro (Number 5 - solo). Their aircraft are the Sukhoi Su29 and Su31 (the single seat version is used by the solo pilot). For more information on the team, see :- http://www.breitling.com/eng/aero/eagles/index.html On the subject of Breitling sponsorship, it is not yet decided whether they will continue to sponsor the warbird team, the Breitling Fighters, in 2001, but seems certain that their sponsorship will not continue next year. (April 2001. Thanks to SIG Member Gianfranco Da Forno, Italy.)
Top European teams to visit Sweden A major airshow will take place in Sweden this year, at F10 Wing at Ängelholm, in the southern part of Sweden, on June 30. So far, the following display teams are scheduled to perform at the event :- Team 60 (Sweden); Midnight Hawks (Finland); Patrouille Suisse (Switzerland); Frecce Tricolori (Italy). (April 2001. Thanks to Niklas Knutzén, Sweden .)
Blue Impulse fly again Following the tragic accident on 4th July 2000, which claimed the lives of three team members, the Japanese Blue Impulse restarted flight training again on 9th February 2001. They have initially started basic training with 4 aircraft, but the JASDF have announced that the team will restart aerobatic training in April, and return to airshows by Matsushima AB airshow in July. (February 2001. Thanks to SIG Member Masato Ota, Japan.)
Patrulla Aguila to display in Finland The Spanish Air Force team, Patrulla Aguila, has been authorized to participate in the 2001 Jyväskylä International Air Show, in Finland. This will be the first time the Spanish team have performed in Finland, and will be displaying alongside the Finnish Air Force Academy Midnight Hawks team. For more details, check out http://www.jyvairshow.com (February 2001. Thanks to SIG Member Perttu Karivalo, FInland.)
Woman pilot for the Blue Eagles too ! Not to be outdone by the Snowbirds employing a female pilot (see below), the British Army Helicopter Display Team, the Blue Eagles, have also announced that they will have a female display pilot in their 2001 team ! She is 31-year old Sergeant Julie Wiles, and what is even more interesting is that her father was once a member of the Blue Eagles too. Delighted Julie declared: "It has always been my ambition to be one as well. I am delighted to have achieved that - and to be the first woman to join the squadron." (February 2001. Thanks to SIG Members Perttu Karivalo (Finland), and Paul McIvor.)
Woman pilot for the 2001 Snowbirds The Snowbirds have announced that their 2001 team lineup will, for the first time, include a female pilot. She is Capt. Maryse "Marcy" Carmichael, and will be flying as Snowbird 3 in the left wing position. She has the honour of being the first woman to be a pilot in a military jet team, although the first woman pilot ever to be assigned to a military aerobatic team was Flt. Lt. Joanne Mein, who joined the RAAF Roulettes, flying PC-9's, a couple of years ago. (December 2000. Thanks to SIG Member Tony Edmundson, Canada.)
Red Arrows return to Scampton for Christmas ! Following the "Red Hot News" items which have appeared on this News page previously, it has been announced that the RAF Red Arrows will return to make their permanent home once again at RAF Scampton, on 21st December 2000, when the airfield is officially re-opened again. (December 2000. Report by SIG Member Phil Adams.)
Turkish Stars to re-equip... eventually...? The December 2000 issue of Combat Aircraft Vol 3 /1 (European edition) includes a 4-page feature on the Turkish Stars. Of interest, the article mentions that the team are expected to trade in their NF-5A's and re-equip with F-16C's in 2008.... Now that's forward planning...!! ;-) (December 2000. Report by SIG Members Geoff Arnold and Adrian Balch.)
Scale Modelworld 2000 - an outstanding event ! The first ever IPMS World Competition, Scale Modelworld 2000, was a wonderful show !! Many thanks and best wishes to everyone who attended, and we hope you all had as good a time as we all did ! We met many new and old friends during the weekend, and have very happy memories of it all ! Photos of our SIG display can now be seen in the "Gallery" pages - hope you like them ! (November 2000.)
Ex-Blue Impulse T-2 in museum The Komatsu Koku Plaza (Aerospace Museum) in Japan, have recently received an ex-Blue Impulse T-2, number 163, to put on display.
Click on the thumbnail for a larger image. (November 2000 : Report by SIG Member Masato Ota, Japan.)
Patrouille de France to perform in Germany For the first time in 12 years, an aerobatic display team will be allowed to fly over German soil. The Patrouille de France have been granted permission by the Brandenburg State Government to close the Berlin BDLA Air show by performing a smoke-on flypast. No aerobatic teams have been allowed to fly in Germany since the Frecce Tricolori's disaster at Ramstein Air Base in 1988. Despite this being just a flypast, it represents a major step forward for the relaxing of the aerobatic restrictions imposed in the aftermath of Ramstein. This historic finale to the Berlin Show will take place on Saturday 30 Sept 2000 (September 2000 : Report by SIG Member Phil Adams, Germany.)
Polish team news The Polish Air Force Team Orlik were recently seen performing at the Biggin Hill Air Show in England on 17th September 2000; This year, they have obtained sponsorship from a Polish TV company, and the team's aircraft carry a large "TVP" stickers on the sides of their fuselages. CLICK HERE to see a photograph. According to the pilots of Team Orlik, the other Polish aerobatic team, Iskry, are still awaiting all their Iskra jet trainer aircraft to be upgraded, which is not only taking longer than expected, but they have run out of funds, Therefore, half the team's Iskaras are the upgraded versions, while the remainder are still in their original, old configuration. Also subject to funding, Team Orlik hope to be able to adopt a special red and white colour scheme for next year..... (September 2000 : Report by SIG Member Adrian Balch.)
Snowbirds mid-air incident The Canadian Snowbirds suffered a "minor" mid-air collision in Toronto, Ontario, on Monday September 4th 2000. The incident occurred when the team was taking off from Pearson International Airport for a show along the Lake Ontario waterfront, as part of the Canadian National Exhibition. Snowbirds 1 and 4 made contact with each other, the number 4 aircraft touching the lead's stabilizer. Both aircraft landed safely and the display was scrubbed. I have not received any information about the extent of the damage to the two aircraft involved. On a day with clear skies and bright sunshine, this was especially disappointing for the spectators, as heavy rain had kept the team grounded for the previous two days when they were scheduled to perform. (September 2000 : Report by Alasdair McKie, Canada.)
3 killed in Blue Impulse accident The Japanese Blue Impulse suffered the loss of three of their pilots when two of their Kawasaki T-4 aircraft crashed while returning to their home base of Matsushima, on 4th July 2000. The aircraft disappeared from radar at 10:20am Japanese time and all communication with them was lost. A search and rescue operation was launched, and a signal from one of the pilot's handy radios was picked up at about 12:30am. It appeared that the aircraft had crashed on a mountain to the east of Matsushima. The rescue mission was hampered by bad fog in the search area, and initially the rescue team could not locate either the aircraft or crew. However, they announced that the search would go on through the night. Sadly, it was released next morning, at 8:00am Japanese time, 5th July, that two crashed aircraft and the bodies of the three pilots had been found in Hikari-zan mountain, about 25 km east of Matsushima AB. The three pilots have been named as Maj. Mikio Abe, Capt. Miki Ichishima and Capt. Tomohiro Umekawa, all solo pilots with the team. The two aircraft involved were 720 (number 5) and 727 (number 6). Their next four displays in July and August have been immediately cancelled, and the remainder of their display season is under consideration. Although no reasons for the crash have yet been given, it seems to have caused a political problem, as the two aircraft crashed only about 6km away from the Onnagawa atomic power plant, and local residents are understandably alarmed at what could have happened.... Ironically, it was exactly nine years ago to the day, 4th July, that two Blue Impulse T-2's crashed in the Pacific..... (July 2000 : Report by SIG member Masato Ota, Japan.)
Biele Albatrosy tragedy The Slovak Biele Albatrosy (White Albatross) team have lost their number 3 pilot, Major Luboš Novák, in a accident during a performance on 3rd June 2000. No other information is known at this time, other than this short announcement on the official Biele Albatrosy website. (June 2000 )
"Dirty" Thunderbirds 2000 ! As most will know, the USAF Thunderbirds are renowed for keeping their F-16s in perfectly clean and shiny, pristine condition. However, this year, the tailfin of the number 4 "slot" aircraft is being allowed to become smoke-blackened from being in the exhaust of the lead aircraft, as a gesture of heritage to past Thunderbirds. Older types of Thunderbirds aircraft had the tailfins of their slot aircraft so smoke-blackened that the markings were almost totally obliterated. This practice stopped when the team received their T-38s, and from then on, the number 4 aircraft's tailfin was kept clean and polished... until now. However, due to the relative cleanliness of modern jet engines, the number 4 F-16C currently has a fairly clean tailfin, it's markings still perfectly visible with just a small amount of "soot" on the leading edge and top. CLICK HERE to see a photo. (June 2000 : Report by SIG member Phil Adams, Germany.)
French Connection accident report
(June 2000 : Report forwarded by SIG member Tom Kolk, USA..)
French Connection tragedy The civillianFrench Connection Airshow team of husband and wife Daniel Heligoin and Montaine Mallet were both tragically killed as a result of a mid-air collision between their two Mudry CAP 10 aircraft on Sunday 27th May. Here's the story as it went out over the newswire :-
This is indeed very sad news. You get get the latest reports and see their condolences on the French Connection Airshow web site at http://www.mudryaviation.com Our sympathies go to Daniel and Montaine's family and friends. (May 2000 : Report forwarded by SIG member Tom Kolk, USA..)
"Blunderbirds" get lost over DC ! That headline appeared on the (U.S.) Air Force Times in May ! Here's the full story from the May 24th edition of the Washington Post. :-
(June 2000 : Report forwarded by SIG member Tom Kolk, USA.)
Brand-new team in New Zealand The Royal New Zealand Air Force has formed a new aerobatic team called the Black Falcons. Formed by 14 Squadron, they consist of five Aermacchi MB339's, presently in standard markings of grey/green camouflage, with the 14 squadron bars either side of the roundel. It appears that at least one aircraft has a smoke system installed, whilst others are fitted with external smoke generator pods. CLICK HERE to see a photograph. (May 2000 : Report by SIG member Richard Holland, New Zealand.)
Snowbirds future safe It was announced officially on 18th April 2000 at the Moose Jaw Airshow, which opens the Snowbirds 2000 season, that the team's future is assured until at least 2006. Major General Lloyd Campbell, Operational Commander of the Canadian Air Force, stated that a plan of stable funding (to the sum of around $15 million per year) has been put into place to keep the Snowbirds in the air for the next six years. At that point, the situation will be reviewed and a decision will be made about replacing the team's aging CT-114 Tutors with different aircraft. The team will also remain based at Moose Jaw, which will require servicing and maintenance arrangements to be made with 15 Wing, who are also based there, in order to maintain the Snowbirds soon-to-be-unique Tutors. The Snowbirds will soon be the only unit in the Canadian Air Force to operate the Tutor, as they are currently being phased out and there will be no new pilots trained on the aircraft. Maj-Gen. Campbell believes the coming years will be an opportunity to evaluate the suitability of the new planes in the military inventory - Harvard II trainers and Hawk jets. (April 2000 : Reports by SIG members Tony Edmundson, Canada, and John Cooper, USA.)
We win at the Scottish National Modelling Championships! We are very proud that our display at the 2000 Scottish National Modelling Championships won the award for the "Best Club Display". The event was held over the weekend of 15th & 16th April 2000, for the last time at the Albert Halls, Stirling, and was a very enjoyable show. What is even more amazing is that at the same time, we also had other members of the SIG putting on an equally impressive display 350 miles away in Hinckley ! Photos of our winning display in Scotland are posted on this web site in the "Picture Gallery" section. We hope you like it !
Red Arrows return to Scampton - official ! It was announced officially at a press conference on 29th March that the RAF Red Arrows will be returning to make their permanent home back at RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire. Still no date has been set for this, but it has now been officially acknowledged that it will happen. Remember - you read it here first, three months ago (see "Red Hot News", below ) !!! (April 2000.)
Northern Lights get Jets The Canadian civilian team Northern Lights are in for a big shake-up this year - here is an extract from the March 2000 issue of "Pacific Flyer" aviation newspaper :-
(April 2000 - Thanks to SIG member John Cooper, USA, for forwarding this report.)
Red hot news !! Following on from our "Red hot rumour" news item last October (see below), we now have exclusive news that the RAF Red Arrows WILL be returning to make their permanent home once more at RAF Scampton. It seems that the move was due to take place in October '99, but was delayed for some reason. We still don't have details of the date this relocation is likely to take place, but the story is now that it IS going to happen. (January 2000 : Report by Andy Murray.)
The South African Silver Falcons Following on from the report "Silwer Valke disbanded" in June '99 (see below), the latest information received direct from South Africa indicates that the new mount for the Silver Falcons / Silwer Valke is to be the British Aerospace Hawk 100, when it is finally delivered. In the meantime, there is the possibility that the team may fly the Pilatus PC-7 Astra. (January 2000 : Report by SIG Leader Jonathan Davies.)
Latest news from the Snowbirds The following information has been passed on by SIG member and ex-Snowbird Tony Edmundson, from correspondence received from current Snowbirds team leader, Major Robert "Cowboy" Painchaud.
(January 2000 : Report by SIG member Tony Edmunson, Canada.)
Thunderbirds European Tour in 2000 The USAF Thunderbirds have announced their schedule for the 2000 display season, and it includes a European Tour. You may remember that they were actually scehduled to undertake a Eurpoean Tour in 1999, but this was cancelled due to the crisis in Kosovo. However, it seems that this tour has now been rescheduled for 2000, and will take place between the 5th - 25th June. Actual venues and show dates have not yet been finalised/released, so keep a check on the official Thunderbirds website for the latest news. (December 1999 : Report by SIG member John Cooper, USA.)
Blue Angels return to flight The Blue Angels were scheduled to take to the air again for their End-of-Season Homecoming Show at Pensacola Naval Air Station on12th/13th November. No cause has yet been determined for the accident that took the lives of two team members at Moody AFB, Georgia on October 29th. (November 1999 : Report by SIG member Tom Kolk, USA.)
Snowbirds "disbanding" - the REAL story ! There has been an awful lot of news and publicity in recent months regarding the supposed disbanding of the Canadian Snowbirds after their 2001 display season. Suspecting that a lot of this may be media hype, I have deliberately resisted jumping on the mass-hysteria bandwagon, due to the lack of some hard facts. This is why no "news" stories of this nature have yet appeared on this website, when many others are campaigning the "Save Our Snowbirds" slogan, and more. Now, thanks to information obtained direct from Moose Jaw by Canadian SIG member Tony Edmundson, an ex-Snowbird himself, we can tell the real story of the supposed Snowbirds "disbandment" :- The stories concerning the demise of the Snowbirds which hit the headlines around late summer, were mainly media |
