The Flin Flon Rotary Air Show went off without a hitch last Wednesday evening, in spite of a low-pressure weather system that threatened to call off the show completely.
After three days of poor flying conditions, organizers were worried that the Canadian Forces Snowbirds aerial acrobatic team wouldn’t be able to make it to Flin Flon for the show. The Rotary Club of Flin Flon had been planning the show for months, as a fundraiser in support of the construction of the new ER at the Flin Flon General Hospital.
The weather shifted just in the nick of time, however, and the Snowbirds pilots arrived in Flin Flon at 3 pm on Wednesday afternoon, and hustled to prepare for the 7pm performance.
Bill Jackson, a Rotary member and a key organizer for the event, said 4,500-plus people came out to see the show.
“It was a wonderful turnout,” he said.
Jackson said the Snowbirds paid tribute to the event organizers with a special aerobatic manoeuvre dedicated to the Rotary Club of Flin Flon.
Another highlight for many spectators was the show finale, which featured a special edition CF-18 Hornet Demonstration Jet, a loud, fast, fighter jet.
“People were certainly in awe over the F-18,” said Rob Schiefele, a member of the air show organizing committee. Schiefele said the specialized aircraft arresting system used for landing the CF-18 was particularly impressive. “It’s a system that pulls him back like a rubber slingshot…I was amazed at how he could land in such a short space.”
While the total amount fundraised is still being calculated, Jackson and Schiefele are confident that the event was a success, and an uplifting experience for residents of Flin Flon and area.
“The air show was something that Flin Flon and area really needed at this point in time,” said Schiefele. “I’ve never seen so many excited people before and after…it was a real positive thing for the community.”
