Announcing Operation Revival - June 19, 2021
On Saturday, June 19, 2021, Waterloo Warbirds will take to the skies for Operation Revival, a formation flyover recognizing the role all Canadians have played over the past year in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. Our flight will also pay special honour to all the essential workers who have worked tirelessly on the front lines to keep society running and to keep our communities healthy and safe.
We will be flying a 3-ship formation with our T-33 Silver Star “Mako Shark”, de Havilland Vampire, and L29 Delfin. The formation will first fly to Brampton before flying over Toronto, Vaughan, and returning over the Region of Waterloo and Guelph. A plane from Flite Line Charters will also be towing a banner around the Region of Waterloo with a message of support.
More detailed flight plans will be released on Waterloo Warbirds’ social media platforms later in the week of June 14th.
“The fight against COVID-19 has taken the combined effort of all Canadians along with the hard work of those facing the crisis head-on in essential and front-line roles,” said Derek Hammond, Waterloo Warbirds’ President and Director of Flight Operations. “With this flight, we want to honour everyone who has been impacted by the pandemic over the last year. It’s important to us to use our unique platform to share our message of support, and we hope it helps raise people’s spirits as we move toward the new normal.”
The formation will depart from the Region of Waterloo International Airport on Saturday, June 19, 2021. Specific timing will be announced later later in the week of June 14th. Should inclement weather ground the aircraft for this planned flight, we will continue with their mission on a different date, to be announced separately.
Waterloo Warbirds will be practicing health and safety protocols by having only pilots and essential personnel on site to launch the aircraft, and following recommended social distancing measures while on the ramp. We ask the public to watch from their homes, follow local directives on social distancing, and refrain from coming to the airport.
Additional updates on the days leading up to the flight will be shared on our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter feeds. Videos and photos captured during the flyovers can also be tagged with @waterloowarbirds and #oprevival on all 3 platforms.