Snowbirds set to return to skies over Vancouver Island this April and May

If you see nine jets soaring in the skies trailing white smoke over eastern Vancouver Island in April, don’t be alarmed: it’s just the Canadian Forces Snowbirds.

As in past years, the Canadian Forces Snowbirds have announced that they will be conducting their spring training in the skies of the Comox Valley this April.

Look to the skies between April 19th to May 11th and you might be able to spot the iconic aerobatics team practicing for their upcoming season.

While no flyover is scheduled for the Greater Victoria area this year, you just never know what they may surprise us with. Though Snowbirds are regular sights in the Comox Valley, trips down island are more rare but not unheard of.

Last year, the Snowbirds conducted a flyover over southern Vancouver Island hospitals to show support for front line workers.

Their flight path saw them soar over Victoria General Hospital, CFB Esquimalt, the downtown core, Royal Jubilee Hospital, Saanich Peninsula Hospital and up to Sidney.

The Snowbirds will depart the island on May 11th ahead of their first shows of the year.

Here’s their full schedule this year:

May

• 21-22 Titusville, Florida, USA
• 28-29 Wantagh, New York, USA

June

• 4-5 Geneseo, New York, USA
• 8 Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
• 18-19 Canadian Forces Base Borden, Ontario
• 25-26 Brantford, Ontario
• 29 Moncton, New Brunswick

July

• 1 Ottawa, Ontario – non-aerobatic display
• 16-17 Cold Lake, Alberta
• 20 Terrace, British Columbia
• 23-24 Calgary-Springbank, Alberta
• 30-31 Fort St. John, British Columbia

August

• 3 Penticton, British Columbia
• 5-7 Abbotsford, British Columbia
• 13-14 Edmonton-Villeneuve, Alberta
• 27-28 Debert, Nova Scotia

September

• 3-5 Toronto, Ontario
• 9-11 London, Ontario
• 14 Tillsonburg, Ontario
• 17-18 Gatineau, Quebec
• 24-25 Mirabel, Quebec

October

• 1-2 Huntington Beach, California, USA
• 8-9 San Francisco, California, USA
• 15-16 Santa Maria, California, USA