Re: Abbotsford International Airshow 2022
Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2022 4:08 pm
This was my 20 consecutive Abby, for the 60th anniversary show no less, so that means I've been to a third of them! This was a very different Abby for me. The last time Abby was in its regular format, my wife was eight months pregnant. So doing this year's show with a three year old and an eleven month old was a giant change in mindset and routine.
First off, my three year old fainted (tired/hot/dehydrated) on Sunday during the Thunderbirds performance. So a big shout out to the St. John Ambulance crew who helped us cool her down. She was fine, and they were awesome!
Traffic: we opted out of the Friday show this year, which seemed to payoff big time, judging from the comments. Saturday traffic was as expected, and Sunday we actually drove into the airport perimeter without stopping.
Parking: Sunday we were parked beside the Cascade hanger. Never seen people parked there before. You definitely knew it wasn't going to be convenient to pop back to the truck later in the day to get something.
Misc.: got my program and poster right out of the gate to keep my streak alive. Good on the Airshow for making posters easily available again.
Statics:
-Disappointing that the C-5 and V-22 were no shows. Overall kind of light on the military side. Pretty poor showing by the RCAF.
-Is it just me or does Abby have a bigger problem with static cancellations than other airshows?
-I didn't see the French on the tarmac all weekend (although we were in the same hotel - nice people). Spoke with the KC-46 Boomer and the RCAF helo crews who were all very kind with their time.
-I got kicked off the static ramp shortly after the show on Saturday. I'm not sure why they let small civilian planes be on static display if they're going to be in a rush to leave in the middle of the show.
Food: lots of variety. If you picked your vendor and time right, you didn't have to wait.
Flying:
-Overall it did not measure up to what an Abby 60th should have been. Yes, the Snowbirds would have helped, but they were still a jet demo away from being a great show.
-My Dad thought the Satursday show was the worst Abby he's seen, echoing @Strat45
-I thought the Thunderbirds were better on Sunday (although I only caught the first part).
-The NORAD flight should have been pretty simple to plan: high-performace takeoffs, two formation passes, and then three passes as singles: high speed, touch and go, and a break to land. What we got was pretty tame, although the Eagle driver on Saturday confirmed something that I've read - the F-15C is quite maneuverable at low speeds.
-Too much Kent Pietch. They have to start booking him every second year, he's in the air as much as Bud Granely used to be (but I liked Bud's routines better).
I still enjoyed the show. I had a blast introducing my kids to it. I'll be back next year. But I do feel that Abby has lost ground in the past ten years, and I hope that the new President can breathe new life into the show.
First off, my three year old fainted (tired/hot/dehydrated) on Sunday during the Thunderbirds performance. So a big shout out to the St. John Ambulance crew who helped us cool her down. She was fine, and they were awesome!
Traffic: we opted out of the Friday show this year, which seemed to payoff big time, judging from the comments. Saturday traffic was as expected, and Sunday we actually drove into the airport perimeter without stopping.
Parking: Sunday we were parked beside the Cascade hanger. Never seen people parked there before. You definitely knew it wasn't going to be convenient to pop back to the truck later in the day to get something.
Misc.: got my program and poster right out of the gate to keep my streak alive. Good on the Airshow for making posters easily available again.
Statics:
-Disappointing that the C-5 and V-22 were no shows. Overall kind of light on the military side. Pretty poor showing by the RCAF.
-Is it just me or does Abby have a bigger problem with static cancellations than other airshows?
-I didn't see the French on the tarmac all weekend (although we were in the same hotel - nice people). Spoke with the KC-46 Boomer and the RCAF helo crews who were all very kind with their time.
-I got kicked off the static ramp shortly after the show on Saturday. I'm not sure why they let small civilian planes be on static display if they're going to be in a rush to leave in the middle of the show.
Food: lots of variety. If you picked your vendor and time right, you didn't have to wait.
Flying:
-Overall it did not measure up to what an Abby 60th should have been. Yes, the Snowbirds would have helped, but they were still a jet demo away from being a great show.
-My Dad thought the Satursday show was the worst Abby he's seen, echoing @Strat45
-I thought the Thunderbirds were better on Sunday (although I only caught the first part).
-The NORAD flight should have been pretty simple to plan: high-performace takeoffs, two formation passes, and then three passes as singles: high speed, touch and go, and a break to land. What we got was pretty tame, although the Eagle driver on Saturday confirmed something that I've read - the F-15C is quite maneuverable at low speeds.
-Too much Kent Pietch. They have to start booking him every second year, he's in the air as much as Bud Granely used to be (but I liked Bud's routines better).
I still enjoyed the show. I had a blast introducing my kids to it. I'll be back next year. But I do feel that Abby has lost ground in the past ten years, and I hope that the new President can breathe new life into the show.