Flying to new heights: Canada Day in the capital to feature one of the RCAF’s largest flypasts

Tourists and Ottawa residents will get a special airshow on Canada Day as the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) marks its 100th birthday.

The Canada Day centennial flypast is being described as a “parade in the sky.” The roughly 20-minute show highlights aircraft throughout the Air Force’s history, including the CT-156 Harvard II, the CC-177 Globemaster and CC-330 Husky. Smaller aircraft include the CT-114 Tutor, which is flown by the Canadian Forces Snowbirds, as well as CF-18 Hornets.

The director of capital celebrations at Canadian Heritage, Melanie Brault, says this flypast is a huge part of the noon-hour Canada Day celebrations.

“It’s so important because what we are doing is paying tribute to this amazing, our amazing, Canadian history, these airplanes that have been flying and protecting Canada for so long,” she said. “To really be honoured with the presence on Canada Day is something I think Canadians are going to be happy to be a part of.”

A CH-149 Cormorant helicopter seen ahead of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s Canada Day flypast. (Annie Bergeron-Oliver / CTV News)

On Wednesday, less than one week before the show, media were invited to watch as Air Force members practised for the big day.

The event is a tribute to 100 years of the RCAF. While the Air Force has roots dating back to the early 1900s, Canadians served and fought with the British until the Royal Canadian Air Force was created in 1924.

Capt. Drew Turton is the aircraft captain aboard the CH-148 Cyclone helicopter that will also take part in the flypast. Normally he and his team are out at sea, hunting and killing submarines, not flying over Parliament alongside other aircraft.

“We are planning on flying with the door open and our crew waving to everyone down below,” Turton said. “Up front, we will be busy flying the aircraft and meeting our timings because everything is pretty strict with that many aircraft moving through, but it is pretty exciting.”

A vintage biplane seen ahead of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s Canada Day flypast. (Annie Bergeron-Oliver / CTV News)

The Air Force says this July 1 flypast will be its biggest in at least 20 years and potentially it’s biggest ever. More than 45 aircraft are expected to take part in the show, including one from every fleet. Turton says that fact alone makes flying in the parade more challenging but also more exciting.

“It is certainly a big endeavour, there are a lot of aircraft involved in this,” Turton said. “I have never seen as many aircraft organized in one big long line going past one spot in my life. That took a lot of coordination and a lot of organization.”

The flypast will take place over the National Capital Region at around 12:45 p.m. ET on July 1. The aircraft are expected to fly from Ottawa’s east end near Petrie Island before heading west over Parliament and LeBreton Flats, where the main celebrations will take place again this year because of construction in and around Centre Block.

Capt. Luke Larson flies aboard the CH-149 Cormorant, one of the RCAF’s primary search and rescue helicopters. He says while the day is a little different from what the crew normally does, operating a helicopter is fairly similar no matter the assignment.

“It will look a little bit normal,” he said when asked what he will see on Canada Day. “We are going to be focused on our timings and route of flight and everything like that to make sure we arrive on target, on time.”

A Fleet Finch seen ahead of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s Canada Day flypast. (Annie Bergeron-Oliver / CTV News)

While he won’t be spending too much time looking down at the crowds, Larson says he is confident the flypast will still look “pretty cool” from the point of view of spectators on the ground.

“I think a lot of Canadians don’t realize how many aircraft we have in the RCAF and all the different roles that they do,” he said. “To see them all operating at the same time should be pretty neat to see where we have come in 100 years.”

This year, Canadian Heritage and the RCAF have decided to mount a camera inside a Griffon helicopter so Canadians across the country can see the celebrations from roughly 2,000 feet.

“We know that we have usually around 360,000 people that come to the National Capital Region to celebrate Canada Day,” Brault said.

“So to see that visual from the sky, to see the Parliament building, our iconic Peace Tower, and then to come over to LeBreton Flats where everyone is celebrating, I think, is going to be a truly special moment.”