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Ray Thwaites is our Chief Pilot and shares unforgettable rides in our T-33 Mako Shark. With over 31 years in commercial aviation for both major Canadian mainline and charter airlines, Ray has had the opportunity to fly a wide variety of aircraft ranging from the DC-3 to the Boeing 757-767 and more! When he’s not tearing up the skies in a blue jet, he works as a Contract Flight Instructor and Transport Canada Validator on the Boeing 767. Ray sat down with us to share some information on his aviation journey, his favourite aviation memories, and advice for aspiring aviators.

Members of the management team for the Waterloo Warbirds Air Show 2020 have met to discuss the impact of the current crisis on the Waterloo Warbirds Air Show, scheduled for June 26-27, 2020. In speaking with the various stakeholders involved in making such a decision, the impacts of the evolving depth of this global crisis cannot ensure a safe community event. As a result, the air show is postponed.

Waterloo Warbirds is flying into summer by offering a unique weekend of aviation that kicks off with a boutique-style air show at the Region of Waterloo International Airport. The aviation weekend will run from June 26th to June 28th, offers tourists a chance to come for one event but stay for the weekend; and explore Waterloo region. As a global aviation ambassador to this region, it was imperative Waterloo Warbirds approached the weekend’s independent events with the level of innovation this region embodies.

Whew, now where has the time gone!  This year seems to have blazed by, as our fleet has for many passengers and spectators.  2019 will be remembered as a special year for the Waterloo Warbirds. Among other things, our MiG-15 returned fully to the air following an extensive modification to the braking system that has elevated the safety of operating this aircraft to a new level. We also acquired a WWII veteran classic Harvard to enhance our pilots’ year-round training and bring the original training aircraft for warbird jets into the fleet. Some team members even traveled to EAA Airventure 2019 in OshKosh, and they caught the OshKosh fever! Our flying season extended this year with flights launching right to the end of November! And is showing no signs of stopping. Passengers continue to travel to us from far and wide to enjoy the thrill of flight in classic jets...

An appearance for Waterloo Warbirds at any show or event often starts long before attendees are preparing to leave their homes. Our venture to Air Force Day, at Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in Hamilton, this past weekend is a great opportunity to go behind-the-scenes for a look at what goes into an appearance, and how things don’t always go as planned! We started prepping for this event the evening prior. When their work day ended, some of our crew headed to CYKF to begin prep of our support trailer. In here, we carry everything from merchandise and booth supplies, to tools, and any specialized hardware, consumables or spare parts we may need for a short trip away from home (tow bars, battery cart, and so on). Trailer loaded, locked and ready to roll, we arrived early Saturday morning and focused our attention on getting the aircraft ready to fly. Saturday...