Author Topic: Snowbirds Crash shortly after takeoff in Kamloops  (Read 790 times)

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Offline Queefer Sutherland

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Including this one, nine in 50 years. Oh the horror.
You don't get drafted into something like the Snowbirds, it's something many aspire to but very few ever get to do.

2 per decade, that's not insignificant.  I don't see the need for planes to be flying in tight formation for spectators.  The margin of error is so low.  With computers I don't see how you could even have many accidents now.   But these planes are ancient hunks of junk.
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Offline Squidward von Squidderson

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They cost significant amounts of money and are just a feel-good gesture and spectacle.   Plus, with the number of dead pilots over the years, I just don’t think it’s worth the costs.  And I enjoy watching them. 
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Offline wilber

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2 per decade, that's not insignificant.  I don't see the need for planes to be flying in tight formation for spectators.  The margin of error is so low.  With computers I don't see how you could even have many accidents now.   But these planes are ancient hunks of junk.

That's what the military does, it isn't airline flying and just about every modern airforce has a display team. These aircraft are not junk, they are extremely well maintained. They allow the Snowbirds to do a routine that is unique to jet military teams. They will need replacing some day but USAF is still flying updated B52's that are older than the Tutors and plan on keeping them in service until the 2050's. There are WW2 warbirds built in the forties flying at airshows.

The USAF Thunderbirds and the Blue Angels have both lost 13 pilots since 1970.
The Snowbirds have a better safety record than either of them.
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Offline wilber

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They cost significant amounts of money and are just a feel-good gesture and spectacle.   Plus, with the number of dead pilots over the years, I just don’t think it’s worth the costs.  And I enjoy watching them.

They say they are a good recruiting tool and they give our military a presence nothing else does doing airshows all over North America. There isn't much about the Canadian military that is a big hit with those south of the border.

Why does the RCMP need a musical ride?
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Offline wilber

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I would go for it - it serves no purpose.

How would you know?
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Offline Michael Hardner

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https://www.680news.com/2020/05/22/to-shut-down-snowbirds-team-after-deadly-crash-would-be-tragic-commander/

 Lt.-Col. Mike French and Capt. Jennifer Casey were soaring through the air, trying to bring hope to an anxious and fearful country with each dip and dive of their airplane. “I’ve grown up with the Snowbirds my whole life. And for me to picture them not being around would be tragic.”

 ??? Does it strike anyone as strange to call the cancellation of the air show 'tragic' after his passenger lost their life ?
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Offline wilber

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https://www.680news.com/2020/05/22/to-shut-down-snowbirds-team-after-deadly-crash-would-be-tragic-commander/

 Lt.-Col. Mike French and Capt. Jennifer Casey were soaring through the air, trying to bring hope to an anxious and fearful country with each dip and dive of their airplane. “I’ve grown up with the Snowbirds my whole life. And for me to picture them not being around would be tragic.”

 ??? Does it strike anyone as strange to call the cancellation of the air show 'tragic' after his passenger lost their life ?
He was referring to disbanding the team, not cancelling an airshow. Airshows are all cancelled this year.
"Never trust a man without a single redeeming vice" WSC

Offline Squidward von Squidderson

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He was referring to disbanding the team, not cancelling an airshow. Airshows are all cancelled this year.

How many hundreds of thousands of dollars is it costing us to have this "feel good" airshow over a few Canadian cities? 

I think this is exactly the type of discretionary spending we shouldn't be doing right now.
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Offline wilber

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How many hundreds of thousands of dollars is it costing us to have this "feel good" airshow over a few Canadian cities? 

I think this is exactly the type of discretionary spending we shouldn't be doing right now.

The team was already there and trained for an airshow season that never happened, so not very much. Probably a small fraction of what JT announces daily in his morning update. This tour was very popular with the public.
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Offline Squidward von Squidderson

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The team was already there and trained for an airshow season that never happened, so not very much. Probably a small fraction of what JT announces daily in his morning update. This tour was very popular with the public.

So you like spending tax money, but it just has to be on what you like... 
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Offline wilber

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So you like spending tax money, but it just has to be on what you like...

It's not just what I like, a lot of people like it but that statement can be turned around. So you want to get rid of anything that doesn't interest you. Why do we have an Olympic team, the federal athletes assistance program provides 33 million in funding to 1900 athletes plus national teams cost us many more millions to compete in international competitions. Do we need that? No. Should we get rid of it? I hope not.


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Offline Squidward von Squidderson

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It's not just what I like, a lot of people like it but that statement can be turned around. So you want to get rid of anything that doesn't interest you. Why do we have an Olympic team, the federal athletes assistance program provides 33 million in funding to 1900 athletes plus national teams cost us many more millions to compete in international competitions. Do we need that? No. Should we get rid of it? I hope not.

I thought you were a fiscal conservative who was concerned about all the borrowing.  Shouldn't we be  canceling all non-essential spending now?

Offline wilber

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I thought you were a fiscal conservative who was concerned about all the borrowing.  Shouldn't we be  canceling all non-essential spending now?

I am, I also understand the icons are part of being a country. You have no problem with government spending millions to buy back guns, so what would you cut?
"Never trust a man without a single redeeming vice" WSC
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Offline Michael Hardner

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I thought you were a fiscal conservative who was concerned about all the borrowing.  Shouldn't we be  canceling all non-essential spending now?
Yeah, the cost angle is pretty weak.  This stuff can't cost much...

Offline Squidward von Squidderson

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Yeah, the cost angle is pretty weak.  This stuff can't cost much...

About $10 MIL per year.