It was another successful year for Airshow London and the future is looking brighter than ever, according to the show’s organizers.
More than 30,000 people made their way to the London International Airport over the weekend, for what’s currently described as the largest military air display in Canada.
“We are going to be the largest military airshow in North America in the next three to five years,” Airshow London board chair Jim Graham told 980 CFPL.
“We are going to make sure the aerospace industry understands that London is going to be a national and global leader in civilian and military airspace.”
Graham says 400 crew members and their planes rolled into the city over the course of the weekend, with highlights including the Candian Forces Snowbirds, the United States Air Force Viper Demo Team, and the Super Hornets.
“There are a lot of kids who now want to be aviators and again, that achieves one of the goals of our board in bringing this airshow to London,” said Graham.
Airshow London is not for profit with proceeds supporting Fanshawe College’s School of Aviation, the Children’s Hospital at London Health Sciences Centre, and veterans, according to its website.
This year, the air show also took part in the Katie’s Bear initiative, which is supported by the Children’s Health Foundation and Siskinds law firm in London. The project was named in memory of Kaitlin Vanderhoek who loved planes and air shows and it involves teddy bears being taken on as part of the flight crew.
“We had 300 bears that we sent out with the crews,” Graham explained.
“The crews are going to take them around the world on the flight decks, on the ramps, bases all over the globe, and take pictures and post them to the website. The kids at the Children’s Hospital are going to be able to follow those adventures.”