The Snowbirds are making a trip across the country, and will be passing through Regina Thursday.
They are on their ‘operation inspiration’ tour in an effort to boost the spirits of people across the country.
Executive Officer Ryan Stich said so far, the tour has been a surreal experience.
“I flew on the team in 2011 and 2012, and while there are a lot of aviation enthusiasts, it generally tended to be centered around a more aviation centric group, so people who go to airshows, ” Stich said. “It was always supported, but this has been absolutely amazing. It’s nothing like I’ve ever seen before.”
Stich said support from people on the ground during their cross-Canada tour has been overwhelming.
“From what I’ve seen, there’s very little resistance or negativity; everybody is very positive about the fact that it’s a national effort, it’s focusing on unity and cohesion and support,” Stich said. “People are grateful, they’re appreciative, they’re coming out and expressing their enthusiasm for the project. It’s been pretty amazing actually.”
Stich said this tour has allowed them to see several Canadian communities that have never seen the Snowbirds in action before.
“Typically, in order to get the Snowbirds, you have to have an airshow, and so while we transit, we try and travel through some of these communities in a typical summer, it can be very difficult to get into certain areas,” Stich said. “This has been fantastic for the ability to reach out to communities all over the country that we would never normally have the opportunity to go and see.”
When asked what the most memorable moment of the tour has been, Stich says a fly over in Nova Scotia after the shooting rampage that killed 22 people will always stick out for him, adding the team made a fly over near Constable Heidi Stevenson’s home for her family.
