Eyes to the sky in Abbotsford
Sixty-two years after its debut, the Abbotsford International Air Show is still attracting thousands of visitors, including pilots, military personnel from across Canada and the United States, service members from police, border security, search and rescue and many other aviation enthusiasts from around the globe.
For 3 days each summer, Abbotsford is buzzing with the sound of aircraft large and small, celebrating the art, science, and technology of aviation. Our community team was honoured to be among the vendors at this year’s show. Despite the heat, our team of 26 volunteers loved every minute of it, from engaging in meaningful conversations, to collecting I AMs, to helping people try Wheelchair Curling, to breaking into a spontaneous line dancing party with our neighbours, the Abbotsford Canucks. And now about the show…
Friday’s twilight show captivated us with incredible feats and jaw-dropping aerobatic routines by the Canadian Forces SkyHawks Parachute Team. The gravity-defying maneuvers of the CF-18 Hornet, and several synchronized fly-bys from our beloved Canadian Snowbirds. The drone show offered a dazzling tribute to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). The GhostWriter was originally a RCAF trainer aircraft, and with significant modifications it has become a skywriting marvel with 4000 LED lights and over 250 pounds of pyrotechnics. Its colourful display elicited plenty of oohs and ahhs from the crowd.
Each day brought the chilling excitement of seeing (and hearing!) the Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor. This US Air Force stealth fighter jet is known for its speed and maneuverability. Its raspy roar sounds like a whole lot of bacon sizzling on the grill – in a deafening way.
Countless other aerial performers make this a world-class show with over 350,000 square feet of military and civilian aircraft displays, such as static aircraft displays, an interactive S.T.E.M. zone, Kids Zone, food trucks, and much more.
It was a weekend full of incredible stories of strength, resilience and determination. Among our volunteers were four Veterans, one of whom is an alumnus from Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023, and an IG25 intern who is serving in the German Air Force.
Together, we learned about our other show “neighbour,” Honour House and the amazing work they do offering housing and a place of recovery for our Canadian Armed Forces, Emergency Services Personnel, Veterans and their families. They have an 11-room house in New Westminster to accommodate (for free!) those coming to the Lower Mainland for medical care. In addition, they opened Honour Ranch in Ashcroft, BC as a tranquil retreat for education and personal growth. Their entire operation is run by donations.
We also met parents who lost their son in Afghanistan. They are part of the Canadian Heroes team honouring men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice in their service. Canadian Heroes is a non-profit organization building awareness and support for front line responders, fallen heroes and their families. Their beautifully wrapped vehicles provide a travelling tribute to fallen sons and daughters and friends, and the team is keen to share stories about their loved ones. They also raise funds for Veterans charities through sales of merchandise.
As we collected people’s I AM’s we heard some powerful stories.
Three weeks ago, one fellow’s mother-in-law died and hours later when they were at the funeral home making arrangements, he received a call to say his house had burned to the ground. Everything was gone and he had no insurance. He is a civilian mechanic in the American Air Force and his military family rallied to lift him up and provide him what he needed to re-start. His I AM? I AM invincible.
Our partners at Boeing visited us, sharing their I AMs and enjoying some fierce but friendly Wheelchair Curling competition. With other special visits from the SkyHawks Parachute Team and several CAF members from CFB Trenton, we couldn’t have asked for anything more. The sky was the limit…and full of action!
