PILOT GIVES AIR SHOW LOCAL FLAVOUR
As a University of Calgary student back in the 1990s, Greg Mendes thought he wanted to become a commercial airline pilot. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in science, he went on to Mount Royal University to study aviation.
Then, a life- changing moment came courtesy of some visitors at Springbank Airport.
“The Snowbirds flew in,” he says as he flashes a bright smile. “That really interested me.”
It interested him enough to enlist in the Canadian Forces in 1998, receiving his pilot’s wings in 2002.
After serving as a Hercules pilot in four Afghanistan tours, Mendes finally reached his goal in 2013, becoming a member of the Snowbirds.
The elite team of Canadian military aerobatic pilots and technicians demonstrate their skill and experience to audiences across the country.
“It was a dream come true,” says the 40- year- old, known today as Capt. Mendes, of his current military gig. “It’s fun, it’s awesome.”
When we meet at Springbank Airport Thursday morning, Mendes has just taken a break from greeting fellow Snowbirds, here for this weekend’s Wings Over Springbank Air Show ( wingsoverspringbank.com), which runs Saturday and Sunday.
Along with the renowned Snowbirds, the show will include 60 aircraft in the air and on the ground, the Canadian Forces Sky-Hawks parachute team, the Canadian Forces CF- 18 Demonstration Team, as well as famed aerobatics pilot Dave ( Super Dave) Mathieson and locals, including war bird operation and flying enthusiast Bruce Evans.
By lunchtime, 11 Snowbird members land on the runway, some even putting on their own mini show as they fly in as teams of three. Even though I’ve seen them before, I can’t help but let out a loud “Oh my Gosh!’ as the majestic flying machines whiz overhead.
“See how you reacted? That’s why we have to have an air show,” says Sarah Van Gilst, also on hand with Mendes to greet the arriving Snowbird pilots. “It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve seen them, it’s always a thrilling experience.”
Van Gilst, the producer of Wings Over Springbank, isn’t an aviation expert, nor does she come from a family of pilots.
“I’m a project manager in construction,” says the 39- year- old with a laugh. “But getting a pilot’s licence is on my bucket list.”
In 2013, she got involved with the Airdrie Regional Air Show. With the opening of the new runway at the Calgary International Airport, airport officials cited conflicts with traffic patterns in not letting the show go on.
That’s why the annual air show closest to the city has been relocated to Springbank — nearly 20 years since the airport on Calgary’s western outskirts hosted its last air show — with the help of more than 350 volunteers.
While many citizens of Airdrie were upset when the change was announced earlier this year, Van Gilst is looking forward with optimism to an event she hopes has a future at Springbank.
“They’re predicting sunny skies all weekend, which is great air show weather.”
In addition to performing, Evans played an instrumental role in helping the Springbank show get off the ground, so to speak. He says he’s thrilled with bringing it back to this location 20 years later.
“Air shows are great family entertainment,” he says. “We get to showcase the military, and they’re a great recruiting tool for pilots.”
One of the last to emerge from his noisy CF- 18 Hornet on this rainy morning is Capt. Denis Beaulieu.
“Five thousand feet is our bare minimum,” Beaulieu tells Van Gilst just after landing his plane on Springbank’s 5,000- foot runway. “I felt the anti- skid kicking in.”
Like Mendes, Beaulieu signed up for the Canadian Forces right out of university, after getting a degree in mechanical engineering.
“I hadn’t even touched an airplane before that,” he says with a chuckle. He earned his pilot’s wings in 2009, the same year he received the Medal of Bravery for rescuing a man from a possible drowning in Cold Lake, Alta.
“I reached my goal and I’m pretty happy about it,” he says.
While there are clearly major challenges to performing as a member of the elite Snowbirds, great opportunities also come with the job.
“I wanted to be a commercial pilot because I wanted to see the world,” says Mendes just before he and his Snowbird team members head to the Alberta Children’s Hospital to meet up with sick kids.
“This turned out to be the better choice,” he adds.
“We were in High River last year. It was nice to give back to the community after the flood,” Mendes says. “This weekend, the best part is getting to perform in my hometown.”
It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve seen them ( Snowbirds), it’s always a thrilling experience.