There will be a lot of people in Riverfront Park in Moncton looking up this weekend.

Two performances by the CF Snowbirds, are just a couple of the reasons tens of thousands will flock to Greater Moncton on June 17th and 18th.

As part of the Soldier On Air Display Organizing Committee Jake Bell says the shows generate more than just a lot of noise and excitement, “The planes are moving very fast. The precision and skill and the trust. There’s a high level of trust involved when you’re flying with planes that close together information. Various numbers of planes, flying wing to tip through rolls and splits and various manoeuvres. That takes a lot of hours of training, skill and trust in order for them to execute.”

Captain Richard MacDougall, who is originally from Dieppe, is Snowbird 11. He was injured when a bird strike forced his plane down in 2020 in Kamloops, British Columbia. His colleague and friend Captain Jennifer Casey was killed in the crash.

“He has always loved aviation. The last three years have been hard for him, and he’s just been recently finally cleared to get back into the cockpit. It’s been a long three years of rehabilitation for him to get to this point. So he’s very proud to be able to bring his team here to show them the hospitality of the Moncton area,” says Bell, who is also MacDougall’s Stepfather.

MacDougall started his aviation career at the Moncton Flight College, as a student, and Bell says he had his pilot’s license before he had his driver’s license.

This weekend’s show also features a Military Equipment Display, the SkyHawks Parachute Team jump, and musical performances.

The Air Show benefits Soldier On, a program run through the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), which supports the recovery of ill and injured CAF members and veterans by providing opportunities and resources through sports, recreational, and creative activities.

Over the last seven years, $400,000 has been raised through golf tournaments and other activities to assist those in New Brunswick.

This is only the second time the Soldier On Air Display has been done here in Moncton. Last year the CF Snowbirds’ performance had to be cancelled due to technical issues with one of the planes.

You can make a donation to the program by visiting their website, or if you spot a QR code when you’re at the Air Display on the weekend, you can use your cell phone and it will take you directly to the donation page.

SATURDAY, JUNE 17 SCHEDULE
From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.: Military Equipment Display on Downing Street in Moncton
12:30 p.m.: Music performance by Ivan Daigle on the Riverfront Park stage
1:30 p.m.: SkyHawks Parachute Team jump—Riverfront Park
2:30 p.m.: CF Snowbirds performance over the Petitcodiac
3:30 p.m.: Music performance by Eric et Pierre Luc on the Riverfront Park stage
4:30 p.m.: SkyHawks Parachute Team jump—Highland Games at the Hal Betts Sportsplex
4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.: CF Snowbirds signing autographs at the Military Equipment Display on Downing Street
SUNDAY, JUNE 18 SCHEDULE
9:30 a.m.: SkyHawks Parachute Team jumping at the Three Fathers Memorial Run, a poignant tribute to RCMP Constables Douglas Larche, Dave Ross, and Fabrice Gevaudan on Father’s Day
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.: Military Equipment Display on Downing Street in Moncton
12:30 p.m.: Music performance by Jean-Marc LeBlanc on the Riverfront Park stage
1:30 p.m.: SkyHawks Parachute Team jump—Riverfront Park
2:30 p.m.: CF Snowbirds performance over the Petitcodiac
3:30 p.m.: Music performance by Maude Sonier on the Riverfront Park stage