Aesthetic display of skills not worth the human, financial cost

OTTAWA—In the past week, the RCAF’s famed Snowbirds air demonstration squadron has found itself in the media spotlight on two separate occasions. The first instance was the March 29 release of the final report on the tragic crash that occurred shortly after a takeoff from the Kamloops, B.C., airport on May 17, 2020. Amateur video footage shot at the time appeared to indicate a bird strike on one of the CT-114 Tutor aircraft’s two air-intakes. As the Tutor lost power, the pilot, Capt. Richard MacDougall attempted to climb and turn back towards the runway. The aircraft then entered an aerodynamic stall. At a dangerously low level, both MacDougall and passenger Capt. Jenn Casey, the Snowbirds public affairs officer, ejected from the stricken plane. Both parachutes failed to fully deploy, resulting in the tragic death of Casey and severe injuries to MacDougall. Following the RCAF’s 10-month exhaustive review of all the evidence, we are now told that the bird strike did cause the failure of a compressor. However, it was MacDougall’s decision to climb sharply which caused the Tutor to stall. It is also believed that MacDougall’s shout to Casey to “Pull the handle” rather than the standard cry of “Eject! Eject! Eject!” may have led to the 0.4-second delay in Casey’s seat exiting the aircraft. The fact that Casey’s seat briefly went backwards after leaving the plane may have been caused by items stowed between the seat and cockpit. That rearward motion delayed the deployment of the drogue chute, which in turn delayed her main chute from opening. As a result of the findings, the RCAF is recommending the Snowbirds’ aircrew receive additional emergency training in the wake of this deadly tragedy. Coming fast on the heels of the accident report was the news that the Canadian government will spend $30-million in avionic upgrades in order to keep the Snowbirds’ Tutor jet fleet flying through 2030. This Band-Aid solution to keep the iconic Snowbirds performing for another decade simply postpones any decision on purchasing a replacement fleet of aircraft. For those keeping track, or who are old enough to remember, the CT-114 Tutor first entered service with the RCAF in 1963 as a basic training plane for would-be fighter pilots. They became the mainstay of 431 Air Demonstration Squadron (the Snowbirds) in 1971. The original retirement date for these jets was set for 2010. When that deadline loomed, the RCAF pushed the deadline out to 2020. Now in the spring of 2021, the plan is to invest $30-million in upgrades and fresh paint in order to squeeze another 10 years out of these old airframes. On the flip side of that is the fact that a full procurement of a replacement aircraft is estimated to be in the ballpark of $1.5-billion. That is a big sack of cheese no matter how you slice it, for what amounts to an aerial circus act. It is a feel-good demonstration team that showcases the RCAF’s incredible proficiency in acrobatic formation flying. The problem is that while most casual observers may delight in seeing the hair-raising stunts performed in the sky, many do not associate the little red and white jets as being “Air Force.” The Tutor training planes are unarmed, and, despite being part of Canada’s defence budget, they cannot in any way contribute to the defence of our nation. By their very nature, acrobatic formation stunt fliers put themselves and their aircraft at great risk. In their 50-year history, the Snowbirds have crashed 28 aircraft in 24 separate incidents that resulted in the deaths of seven pilots and two passengers. Dozens of other Snowbird pilots suffered serious injuries as well. To put this in context, in Canada’s three most recent combat aerial campaigns against armed enemies (Kosovo 1999, Libya 2011, Iraq and Syria 2014-2016), RCAF fighter pilots flew a total of 3,002 tactical sorties without suffering so much as a scratch on the paint of their CF-18 Hornets. For those who would argue that the Snowbirds are a good recruiting tool for the RCAF, the fact is the Snowbirds present a misleading image of what a modern air force actually does. Much the same is the RCMP’s Musical Ride. That is an awe-inspiring display of horsemanship, but it does not reflect the actual role of our national police force. As for being a public morale booster, let’s not forget that at the time of her death, Capt. Jenn Casey was on a nationwide Snowbirds tour aimed at boosting the spirits of pandemic-weary, locked-down Canadians. Scott Taylor is the editor and publisher of Esprit de Corps magazine. The Hill Times