Performers

  • Jon Melby: Jon flies a gorgeous black Pitts Special. His performance just gives evidence to my claim that the Pitts Special is still an exciting air show performer 50+ years after its design!  Jon's mastery of the aircraft makes for a great performance well worth watching!
  • Kent Pietsch: Kent and that little Interstate Cadet covered in jelly beans are so loved and they have become a tradition at Abbotsford now. His comedy routine is so well known now that everyone has fun with it!
  • Bud Granley: What else can I say about this truly superb performer?   His partnership with his son Ross is a natural.
  • Eric Hansen: Since the loss of Ken Fowler a couple of months ago we haven't heard from Eric.  I hope that changes in the spring.
  • Kyle Fowler: Ken’s son Kyle has joined the air show family in a smart looking yellow Long E-Z!  This is a very unusual aircraft with the propeller at the back with the main wing and the stabilizing canard at the front.  Kyle wrings this little bird out with a very impressive performance!
  • Ross Granley: Flying with his legendary father Bud must have its difficulties but Ross makes it work so easily!  Those who watch that big Yak 18 carve up the sky have learned to appreciate Ross on his own merits.  He is a superb air show pilot.
  • John Mrazek: Something John introduced to air shows a few years ago was the onboard camera with the video stream put live onto a jumbo-tron!  At Chilliwack in 2011 he sat it out while other pilots took up the cameras.  This could really be something for the future of air shows!   And NO, in my opinion you can never have too many Harvard-Texan-T6-SNJ performances!
  • Bill Carter: I haven’t seen Bill fly for a few years now. My loss!  He’s still got to be one of my all-time favourites.
  • Gene Soucy and Teresa Stokes: I love that big old noisy Show Cat.  Gene’s smoke has got to be one of the best in the business, too!   Teresa is an amazing wing walker and an awesome artist!
  • Ken Hildebrandt and Roy Hafeli; These two announcers have teamed up to form an air show gab fest duet! Watching and listening to these two work is amazing.  They pass the description of an air show act back and forth like a couple of NBA players. Roy may start it, then pass it to Ken while he looks for an anecdote in his notes.  When he has it he signals to Ken who passes it back.  Poetry in motion!  The Abbotsford Air Show would lose a lot of sparkle without Roy and Ken up there in the Singleton Tower!
  • Ken Hildebrandt:  Ken has been announcing shows solo for a while now!  This is good too!
  • Ken Fowler:  We lost a great one a couple of months ago in rural Alberta, Canada.  There will be only one Ken Fowler.  Ken was the personification of air show flying.  He was designing, building and flying planes all the time!  He flew with Eric Hansen in Team Rocket! He organized and hosted the Rocky Mountain House Air Show! He mentored other air show pilots.  He did it all!  He is already missed and will be forever!  Clear skies Ken.

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