Well, today was the big airshow day for Aero 150 held at the Gatineau Executive Airport. The guests of honour and the closing show was to be the Patrouille de France if weather permitted a show at all as there was a special weather advisory out for rain in the afternoon. The day started overcast, cold, and wet but without the wind of the day before. Those who got there early were there to see the Patrouille arrive in sections along with their supporting aircraft, an Airbus A400.
Shortly before noon, LGen Mike Hood, Commander of the RCAF, addressed the crowd and then the Skyhawks took to the air to do their jump from the Chinook and to show the French flag in honour of the French guests. It went uneventfully until the last jumper who had to cut loose his parachute and use his reserve. No danger at all but it reminds people that bad things can happen. After this, the airshow started.
There was a small fly-by by the CP-140 Aurora, the snowbirds did their show (covered yesterday in my previous post) and a couple of passes by the CT-155 Hawks before they went home. All this time the weather is closing in and had started raining, although not heavily yet. There was a small aerobatic show by a Starduster followed by the Corsair, Hurricane, and Mustang of Vintage Wings of Canada. The weather still held. And finally it was time for the Patrouille de France.
They taxied down the runway to takeoff position and the rain got a little heavier. They lifted off and the rain got a little heavier. By the time they started their show, it was raining heavily enough that the solo aircraft remained on the ground for safety reasons and I would have to say that the Patrouille show was shorter than I expected. With low ceiling and steady rain at this point it’s no wonder.
Photography was a bear for this show as I had to deal with the rain and the background of solid gray. When looking at the pictures I discovered that what I thought was grain in the pictures was actually raindrops and the clarity of pictures taken from a distance was whitewashed with mist and rain. Shooting against that gray sky is a nightmare leading to overexposure and blown out pictures. Notwithstanding, I had stayed the entire day, was cold and wet and I was taking pictures, good or bad.
To see all the pictures, CLICK HERE:
To see yesterdays’ pictures, CLICK HERE
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