Snowbirds returning to Vancouver Island next month
The country's national aerobatics team, the Canadian Forces Snowbirds, is returning to Vancouver Island in April to train for its upcoming season.
The snowbirds will be in the Comox Valley from April 18 to May 12 for the training.
The aerobatics team says it will post a more detailed schedule on its time on the island closer to the training start date.
The Snowbirds' official season runs from June 3 to Oct. 8.
The team has shows scheduled from coast to coast, as well as two stops in California.
However, its B.C. stops are limited this year, with only one official show stop in the province taking place in Abbotsford from Aug. 11 to 13.
The Snowbirds' 2023 season comes after a turbulent showing last year.
In late June, the team's aircraft were briefly grounded after an issue with the planes' parachutes was detected.
Then, in August, one of the team's CT-114 Tutor aircraft crashed in Fort St. John, B.C., cutting the 2022 show season short.
No one was injured in the hard landing on Aug. 2 after the pilot made an emergency landing shortly after takeoff.
On Sept. 21, the Department of National Defence said the crash was caused by an oil filter that was incorrectly assembled onboard the plane, according to initial assessments.
The oil filter then caused one of the jet's engines to fail shortly after takeoff.
The Royal Canadian Airforce maintains a fleet of 20 Tutor jets used exclusively by the Snowbirds aerobatic demonstration team.
With files from CTV News Vancouver Island's Todd Coyne.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.