One of Rocky Mountain House Airshow’s star attractions announced he was in town in style on Tuesday.
Capt. Stefan Porteous’s CF-18 made several ear-splitting low-level passes above the Rocky Mountain House Airport runway to provide a taste of what was to come at Wednesday’s airshow.
Always a crowd-pleaser, the jet fighter will share top billing with the Canadian Forces Snowbirds, which are making the Rocky Mountain Airshow one of their more than 60 performances this season.
Porteous (call sign Porcelain) gets as much of a kick out of his airshow appearances as the crowds below.
“Just playing for the crowds is always fun and also interacting with the people who come out, especially the kids that come out and are super excited to see the F-18 fly,” said Porteous on Tuesday.
Porteous promises a mixed bag of manoeuvres, from slow-speed passes to high-speed passes at .95 Mach, just below the speed of sound.
If the weather co-operates, Porteous plans to pull out one of his favourite manoeuvres.
“My favourite is the square loop. It can be very challenging to fly. To make it look good takes a little bit of skill and a lot of practise.
“Every time I try to do it a little bit better than the last.”
The airshow takes place at the Rocky Mountain House Airport. Gates open at 3 p.m. and the opening ceremony goes at 5:30 p.m. The show goes until about 8:30 p.m. Tickets cost $30 at the gate.
Other acts include Team Rocket, the aerobatic team of Ken Fowler and Eric Hansen, and aerobatic pilot Jerzy Strzyz and his Russian Sukhoi - 26MX. There will also be static displays of Sea King and Griffon helicopters and you can get a ride in an exotic car, such as a Ferarri or Lamborghini with a minimum $50 donation to Alberta Adolescent Recovery Centre.
Snowbird Capt. Blake McNaughton said the Snowbirds will do 60 to 65 performances at 35 different show sites across North America this season.
McNaughton said the Snowbirds love coming to smaller shows like Rocky Mountain House.
“When you get out of the big urban centres you get to really to see the kindness of Canadians and the down-to-earth hospitality and kindness.
“We actually really enjoy these small town shows. They are a lot of fun and meeting the people is fantastic.”
pcowley@reddeeradvocate.com
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