2017 Abbotsford International Airshow

Discussion relating to 2017 airshows/fly-ins/exercises/other events. Post news before the event and post your photos afterwards! Please create only one thread per event.
Chris Smallenberg
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Joined: Tue May 02, 2017 8:30 pm

Post by Chris Smallenberg » Mon Aug 14, 2017 5:29 am

A quick interesting bit of info to put Abbotsford's line up in context...I believe Abbotsford is the only North American airshow to secure 5 Canadian/US fixed wing TAC demo/military jet team acts (Snowbirds/CF-18/Super Hornet/F-16/F-35 HF). Hard to suggest it isn't one of the top shows with that as a start.

I was also thinking today that this may have been the first ever 4 ship USAF Heritage Flight outside of the United States (can anyone thInk of another?). Was amazing to watch.

And even with all that one of the highlights for me was the Aeroshell team....phenomenal!
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Dsotm
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Post by Dsotm » Mon Aug 14, 2017 5:52 am

I had a good time saturday, my only complaint is the incredibly rude people. When i have my chair set up one foot away from the fence in the general area I fully expect that the one foot area in front of me is mine. During the civilian acts it wasn't a problem, different story when the jets are about to go up.

People see a inch of free space and the come and cram themselves in there with no regards for anyone but themselves. I always thought paying extra for the runway seating was a waste of money just to get 20 to 30 feet closer. Next year runway will be a priority for me just to get away from the mob of rude people.

Also, I thought umbrellas and half tent things were not allowed?
Last edited by Dsotm on Mon Aug 14, 2017 6:05 am, edited 3 times in total.
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cf18hornet
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Post by cf18hornet » Mon Aug 14, 2017 1:26 pm

Dsotm wrote: Mon Aug 14, 2017 5:52 am I had a good time saturday, my only complaint is the incredibly rude people. When i have my chair set up one foot away from the fence in the general area I fully expect that the one foot area in front of me is mine. During the civilian acts it wasn't a problem, different story when the jets are about to go up.

People see a inch of free space and the come and cram themselves in there with no regards for anyone but themselves. I always thought paying extra for the runway seating was a waste of money just to get 20 to 30 feet closer. Next year runway will be a priority for me just to get away from the mob of rude people.

Also, I thought umbrellas and half tent things were not allowed?
I've had the same experience with rude people as you have. Last year in Hillsboro we purposely got to the show gates extra early to ensure front row seating as Hillsboro has a very small area for general admission seating. We set up our chairs and before we knew it this guy with a giant camera lens crowds in beside me making it almost impossible to video anything. Regarding those umbrellas and tent things they are allowed in the general seating but not in box seating.
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theairshowdude
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Post by theairshowdude » Tue Aug 15, 2017 1:01 am

cf18hornet wrote: Mon Aug 14, 2017 2:51 am
Frenetic Enigma wrote: Mon Aug 14, 2017 1:16 am
cf18hornet wrote: Mon Aug 14, 2017 12:36 am


I know he was thinking of the F-22. But you'd think if anyone is going to complain about the Airshow that they'd know their differences in aircraft. I don't know how anyone could be disappointed in this years show. How many shows have three fighter demos, an aerobatic team and a four plane heritage flight including an F-35.
Totally agree on your first point.

But, to play devil's advocate: Airshow London has three fighter demos, an aerobatic team, at least a three plane heritage including an F-35, plus a 4-plane A-10 demo team, the Mig-17 and a static list that puts Abby to shame.
Maybe because I grew up in Abbotsford and think it should be among the international best, but a quick comparison to London, Ontario suggests it needs to improve to remain even the best in Canada.

Finally, anyone with info on Monday morning departures?
You can't really compare Abby to London because London is primarily a military show. Londons military display is very comparable to Abby but they only have one civilian act that I know of. London is only three hours long while Abby six hours long. Abby's static lineup would have also compared very closely to London but due to cancellations out of Abby's control it thinned out a bit. One Dutch F-35 had mechanical issues, B-1 due to rising tensions in North Korea, E-6 (don't know why it cancelled),RCAF CC-130because of wild fires and CC-177. Those are big losses for any Airshow static lineup
I agree with some points you made here. These 2 can't really be compared because ASL is a military type airshow and Abby is more general aviation. Both are unique unto themselves. I agree that this was a pretty good show and I had a bunch of fun.

Now, respectfully, I'm going to make some corrections. ASL is 4 hours but it also has faster demos since most are military jet demos, it would be the same if abby was a military airshow. Even though they did have some cancellations like the USCG C-27J, USN MH-60R and CC-177 but the B-1B was never actually confirmed by the USAF and the E-6 wasn't confirmed by the USN. Furthermore the second Dutch F-35 didn't have mechanical issues but was denied by Abby.

In good news the A-10's from DP will be back next year and of course as everyone knows the Blues.
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JA Boomer
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Post by JA Boomer » Wed Aug 16, 2017 12:51 am

Hello AirshowStuff forums! I'd been looking for an airshow forum since airshowbuzz and then fencecheck shut down, unfortunately I just found this website and I have missed out on 35 pages of Abby discussion!

This year's Abbotsford International Airshow was a real treat. A fine air display and a quality (post sequestration) static line-up. We attended the Friday and Saturday shows as well as Monday departures from 9-1130 AM. Was supposed to go to the Sunday show but the weather forecast had us switch to Saturday. Worked out fine, but I had Row 1 runway seating for Sunday and sitting in Row 8 on Saturday reminded my to always have a backup plan as there were lots of "standers" in runway seating.

Other than 2013/14 I don't remember an Abby weekend show ending at 430 PM. It's not a complaint, in fact I felt there was less "filler" acts this year with a good mix of performers and it was a solid day of flying. I'm there for the military stuff but I enjoyed the Aero Shell T6 team and Pete McLeod was okay. Also glad all the fast jets performed on Friday night, makes for a hell of an evening. The Snowbirds were fantastic this year with a few new maneuvers and music. I would like to point out that all of the performers had great music this year, and the F-16 and CF-18 announcers were superb.

Why were a USAF F-16C and A-10C parked on the airport ramp as opposed to the static ramp? I didn't think the USAF had static airshow restrictions anymore. When asked about his wingman parked by the airport, the A-10 pilot told me he had no idea why and there must have been a misunderstanding.

Having read the last few pages of discussion, I would have to think Abby is always top 1/2 in Canada and top 5 in North America in terms of airshows. Some years I would argue it is #1 in North America. Why would London be considered a military airshow? It's not on a military installation and Pete McLeod is performing this year. Someone will have to explain that to me.

This year I went to RIAT and my 16th consecutive Abby airshow. Looking forward to discussing Abby 2018 on here with you all!
DSC_0409.JPG
DSC_0409.JPG (94.89 KiB) Viewed 14060 times
Last edited by JA Boomer on Wed Aug 16, 2017 1:12 am, edited 1 time in total.
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AirshowHawk
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Location: Abbotsford, BC

Post by AirshowHawk » Wed Aug 16, 2017 3:17 am

JA Boomer wrote: Wed Aug 16, 2017 12:51 am Hello AirshowStuff forums! I'd been looking for an airshow forum since airshowbuzz and then fencecheck shut down, unfortunately I just found this website and I have missed out on 35 pages of Abby discussion!

This year's Abbotsford International Airshow was a real treat. A fine air display and a quality (post sequestration) static line-up. We attended the Friday and Saturday shows as well as Monday departures from 9-1130 AM. Was supposed to go to the Sunday show but the weather forecast had us switch to Saturday. Worked out fine, but I had Row 1 runway seating for Sunday and sitting in Row 8 on Saturday reminded my to always have a backup plan as there were lots of "standers" in runway seating.

Other than 2013/14 I don't remember an Abby weekend show ending at 430 PM. It's not a complaint, in fact I felt there was less "filler" acts this year with a good mix of performers and it was a solid day of flying. I'm there for the military stuff but I enjoyed the Aero Shell T6 team and Pete McLeod was okay. Also glad all the fast jets performed on Friday night, makes for a hell of an evening. The Snowbirds were fantastic this year with a few new maneuvers and music. I would like to point out that all of the performers had great music this year, and the F-16 and CF-18 announcers were superb.

Why were a USAF F-16C and A-10C parked on the airport ramp as opposed to the static ramp? I didn't think the USAF had static airshow restrictions anymore. When asked about his wingman parked by the airport, the A-10 pilot told me he had no idea why and there must have been a misunderstanding.

Having read the last few pages of discussion, I would have to think Abby is always top 1/2 in Canada and top 5 in North America in terms of airshows. Some years I would argue it is #1 in North America. Why would London be considered a military airshow? It's not on a military installation and Pete McLeod is performing this year. Someone will have to explain that to me.

This year I went to RIAT and my 16th consecutive Abby airshow. Looking forward to discussing Abby 2018 on here with you all!

DSC_0409.JPG
Glad to hear from a familiar name! Welcome to Airshowstuff.

From what I understand in regards to the A-10 left out of static, when I was listening to ATC they asked the A-10s whether they would be going to static or hotline and I recall them saying each saying different things and ATC gave 1 Warthog instructions to pull to hotline area.
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cf18hornet
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Joined: Thu Mar 16, 2017 7:12 pm

Post by cf18hornet » Wed Aug 16, 2017 3:45 am

JA Boomer wrote: Wed Aug 16, 2017 12:51 am Hello AirshowStuff forums! I'd been looking for an airshow forum since airshowbuzz and then fencecheck shut down, unfortunately I just found this website and I have missed out on 35 pages of Abby discussion!

This year's Abbotsford International Airshow was a real treat. A fine air display and a quality (post sequestration) static line-up. We attended the Friday and Saturday shows as well as Monday departures from 9-1130 AM. Was supposed to go to the Sunday show but the weather forecast had us switch to Saturday. Worked out fine, but I had Row 1 runway seating for Sunday and sitting in Row 8 on Saturday reminded my to always have a backup plan as there were lots of "standers" in runway seating.

Other than 2013/14 I don't remember an Abby weekend show ending at 430 PM. It's not a complaint, in fact I felt there was less "filler" acts this year with a good mix of performers and it was a solid day of flying. I'm there for the military stuff but I enjoyed the Aero Shell T6 team and Pete McLeod was okay. Also glad all the fast jets performed on Friday night, makes for a hell of an evening. The Snowbirds were fantastic this year with a few new maneuvers and music. I would like to point out that all of the performers had great music this year, and the F-16 and CF-18 announcers were superb.

Why were a USAF F-16C and A-10C parked on the airport ramp as opposed to the static ramp? I didn't think the USAF had static airshow restrictions anymore. When asked about his wingman parked by the airport, the A-10 pilot told me he had no idea why and there must have been a misunderstanding.

Having read the last few pages of discussion, I would have to think Abby is always top 1/2 in Canada and top 5 in North America in terms of airshows. Some years I would argue it is #1 in North America. Why would London be considered a military airshow? It's not on a military installation and Pete McLeod is performing this year. Someone will have to explain that to me.

This year I went to RIAT and my 16th consecutive Abby airshow. Looking forward to discussing Abby 2018 on here with you all!

DSC_0409.JPG
Nice to hear a recognizable name from the past :)

Regarding the F-16 and A-10 the USAF has a limit of five aircraft allowable for static.

London is not considered a military show but they primarily have relied on only military acts in the past and this year as well with Pete McLeod being the only exception. This is why it it regarded as a "military style show". I hope this explains all the previous posts.
Last edited by cf18hornet on Wed Aug 16, 2017 3:50 am, edited 5 times in total.
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JA Boomer
Posts: 175
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Post by JA Boomer » Wed Aug 16, 2017 2:49 pm

AirshowHawk wrote: Wed Aug 16, 2017 3:17 am Glad to hear from a familiar name! Welcome to Airshowstuff.
cf18hornet wrote: Wed Aug 16, 2017 3:45 am Nice to hear a recognizable name from the past :)
Hi guys!!! Haha.
cf18hornet wrote: Wed Aug 16, 2017 3:45 amRegarding the F-16 and A-10 the USAF has a limit of five aircraft allowable for static.
I didn't realize they still had restrictions for 2017 but I thought that might be the case as they've had to park some USAF aircraft on the hot side for this reason in the past two years as well.

It's a pretty silly regulation at this point, with the standard multiple aircraft deployments to airshows, you're not saving any money or spreading the performances over more airshows by having wingmen park on the hot side for the weekend.

Hopefully this disappears in 2018.
cf18hornet wrote: Wed Aug 16, 2017 3:45 amLondon is not considered a military show but they primarily have relied on only military acts in the past and this year as well with Pete McLeod being the only exception. This is why it it regarded as a "military style show". I hope this explains all the previous posts.
Seems like patato/potato to me. I first became aware of the London show last year as they had a stellar lineup. Toronto had been pushing Abbotsford but was never clearly better. London definitely seems to have an "in" with the US Military as they've been able to host an impressive array of irregular flybys and static aircraft from south of the border.

I don't feel like Abbotsford leverages its designation as "Canada's National Airshow" enough. It's something to be proud of, but it rarely gets mentioned.


Another cool first (I think) for me was seeing the SkyHawks jump from a Cormorant!

Anyone know why the Cormorant and Aurora demos were scrubbed? Pete McLeod wasn't even listed on the airshow website. Seems like they had a lot of last minute changes this year.
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cf18hornet
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Post by cf18hornet » Wed Aug 16, 2017 7:12 pm

RNLAF F-35 Departure day unrestricted climb.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKBnXp98xPg
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Frenetic Enigma
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Post by Frenetic Enigma » Wed Aug 16, 2017 7:32 pm

Great video of the RNLAF-35 departure. Sadly, I didn't make it out from Vancouver in time for that one. Watched many of the fighters depart from Huntingdon, then made my way down to Clearbrook Rd. for the Super Hornets departure. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think only the Hawk made a pass - judging from videos I've seen, perhaps the departure passes are a thing of the past. Abbotsford's departures were certainly quick and efficient. From what I heard, first fighters left just before 9am, and the Super Hornets were last and gone by 11 am. Snowbirds stayed due to today's performance in White Rock (and a couple of them flew over Vancouver yesterday).

On the A-10s: this may be nothing, but the group I was with on arrivals day all noticed an unusual rattling noise coming from the second A-10 when it landed. It almost immediately moved to the west end - could there have been a maintenance issue?
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