If LangleyB次元官网网址檚 George Miller had known about it in time, he might very well have asked to fly among the 35 pilots performing a memorial Snowbirds flyby over the Lower Mainland skies tonight.
Miller, a retired Canadian Air Force pilot and one of the early Snowbirds leaders, was mortified to learn of SundayB次元官网网址檚 plane crash in Kamloops, which killed Capt. Jennifer Casey, shortly after takeoff.
B次元官网网址淛ust watching that, knowing what she must have gone through. She obviously just bailed out way too late,B次元官网网址� he said, admitting he watched the video of the crash over and over again trying to determine what must have gone wrong.
ItB次元官网网址檚 been almost 50 years since he flew with the Snowbirds, in the same CT-114Tutor jets flown today.
Miller fears the age of the aircraft might have played a key role in the tragic crash that killed Casey and seriously injured pilot Capt. Richard MacDougall.
Just like others, Miller is in the dark about what actually caused the crash. He speculates it could have been a technical or mechanical issue.
B次元官网网址淭he tragic thing is that weB次元官网网址檝e been flying this aircraft since 1963. What other nation would fly them that long?B次元官网网址� he posed.
Miller said that along with another accident in Atlanta last October B次元官网网址� where a pilot ejected unhurt B次元官网网址� this fatal crash in the B.C. Interior is likely to confirm the high-performance jets are overdue for retirement.
B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檝e got to determine if itB次元官网网址檚 worth flying these aircraft, keeping these going, and keeping it going,B次元官网网址� Miller said.
B次元官网网址淎nd because of COVID-19 and the expenditures of the federal government right now B次元官网网址� ones itB次元官网网址檚 already committed to B次元官网网址� thereB次元官网网址檚 not going to be money to buy new aircraft. ThatB次元官网网址檚 my feeling,B次元官网网址� Miller assessed.
B次元官网网址淎nd, of course, with the 50th anniversary [of the Snowbirds this year], if theyB次元官网网址檙e ever thinking of shutting this team down, this could be it,B次元官网网址� he added, emphasizing that he has no inside knowledge.
Miller believes the Snowbirds will be shuttered or transformed from a military to civilian team.
ThatB次元官网网址檚 simply conjecture on his part, he reiterated, clarifying that the first job at hand will be to investigate the cause of the crash, and figure out why it stalled and barrelled down to the ground.
Miller is wondering why the two didnB次元官网网址檛 eject sooner, what caused that delay, and why CaseyB次元官网网址檚 parachute never opened?
B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檒l have to go through that whole process, like how did it work out? What could have been done better? And whether there was any mistakes made, or what the mechanical problems were, and so on. Then determine what to be done with the team,B次元官网网址� Miller said.
B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 just no sense that they will get another aircraft, so what do they do?B次元官网网址� he pondered.
B次元官网网址淚 think it would be very brave of the Prime Minister, since thereB次元官网网址檚 so much money spent anyways, that he put some money behind this and keep the team going. I donB次元官网网址檛 know, but that doesnB次元官网网址檛 seem to be the nature of the way things are happening.B次元官网网址�
This comes from a long-time member of the Canadian Air Force. In fact, Miller served 35 years B次元官网网址� including a stint as the first national team leader of the Snowbirds in 1973 to 1974.
In more recent years, he served as manager of the Langley Regional Airport, worked a short stint with the Pitt Meadows Airport, and founded the Fraser Blues formation flying team.
While heB次元官网网址檚 fully retired now, Miller still heads up the Langley-based aerobatic team. TheyB次元官网网址檙e a four-member team, including his son Guy Miller, who still perform at a number of special events including missing man formations, large funerals, and the 75-aircraft flyby during Langley airportB次元官网网址檚 75th anniversary a few years back.
Fraser Blues typically fly once a week or so. In particular, theyB次元官网网址檝e been flying the past four Fridays, Miller noted.
B次元官网网址淏ecause of COVID-19, IB次元官网网址檝e been trying to do sort of inspirational flights. Sort of the same idea as the Snowbirds, actually. WeB次元官网网址檝e been flying over various towns, like over LangleyB次元官网网址� and do special manoeuvres over the airport.B次元官网网址�
Miller heard nothing about the tribute flight into Vancouver until late in the day on Monday, but said the Fraser Blues B次元官网网址� when they get back together again next to fly B次元官网网址� might very well do a tribute flypast over Langley.
Tonight, planes will take off from AbbotsfordB次元官网网址檚 airport at 6:30 p.m, and fly over Langley, White Rock, Surrey, Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, Coquitlam, Port Moody, the North Shore, Vancouver and Burnaby before dispersing to their home airports.
The flight is being dubbed Operation Backup Inspiration, since B次元官网网址� when the crash occurred B次元官网网址� the Snowbirds were conducting a cross-country tour to uplift Canadians during the coronavirus outbreak.
B次元官网网址� with Black Press Media files
_________________________________
Is there more to this story?
Email: news@langleyadvancetimes.com
Like us on or follow us on
_________________________________
