Wings & Wheels St. Thomas Airshow

St. Thomas, Ontario June 22-24, 2007

Story and photography by Adrian Lang

  Beautiful blue skies and warm temperatures greeted the crowds at the inaugural Wings and Wheels St. Thomas airshow. This small town’s aspiration to deliver a world class aerial display rivaling many of North America’s bigger shows became not only a reality, but, an instant success! St. Thomas has indeed rekindled the spirit of the airshow in Southern Ontario, which has seen a decline over the past several years. Aviation enthusiasts from Canada, the United States, and even Japan came to enjoy the spectacle.
 

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  With a rather small tarmac, the static display was light, but boasted a variety of aircraft such as a C-130 Hercules from the Michigan ANG, two US Navy Texan II’s and the smaller USN T-34. The Canadian Forces participation included the CF-18 Hornet, CT-156 Harvard II, the always odd looking CT-142 Dash 8, and the Sea King and Griffon helicopters. Vintage warbirds such as the PBY-5A Canso, DC-3, Harvard and Chipmunk trainer were also to be found on the flightline.

  Those who came to see a great flying display were not to be disappointed. St. Thomas brought the crowd a great mix of military hardware and civilian demonstrations that left the audiences in awe. With the Canadian and US anthems playing aloud, the Canadian Forces Parachute Team, the Skyhawks opened the airshow with their bright red and white canopies filling the blue sky above. The Alabama ANG flew their KC-135 in unison with two F-16 Vipers from the Colorado ANG which roared from left to right in full afterburner.

  Next to fly was the mighty C-17 Globemaster III from March AFB. The West Coast Demo Team stole the show maneuvering their huge aircraft through tight turns and the always amazing short field landing, reversal, and takeoff. Air Combat Command delivered the F-16 East Coast Demo Team from Shaw AFB and Major Jason “Buzzer” Koltes wowed the crowd with the power of the single engine Viper.

  The colorful CF-18 Hornet, piloted by Capt. Yanick “Crank” Gregoire was put through its paces, making the deafening noise of the jet resonate for miles around. One of the main sponsors, Diamond Aircraft demonstrated the D-JET, the new bizjet which circled the flightline with its ever so quiet, yet powerful engine.

  On the civilian side, aerobatic guru Bill Carter flipped and twisted his way through the air in an exhilarating display with his Pitts Special S2S. His protégé followed suit, as the up and coming Pete McLeod threw his Giles G-200 around wowing the masses. Last, but not least, the Canadian Forces Snowbirds took center stage after a brief hiatus following the loss of Capt. Shawn McCaughey in May. This show meant a lot to the Team, as St. Thomas signaled their return to the airshow circuit. The Snowbirds performed their ‘aerial ballet’ for the ever so grateful audience who watched as the 9-ship formation flew in perfect unison. With the crowd gathering around the jets as they taxied in, the team once again showed us all why they are an integral part of the Canadian Forces.

  Overall, the Wings and Wheels St. Thomas airshow was a huge triumph! With great displays and large crowds, this little town has effectively made its mark as one of Canada’s leading air shows.