Abbotsford International Air Show
Description
The Abbotsford International Airshow is always the 2nd full weekend in August. The Abbotsford International Airshow is held annually on the second Friday, Saturday and Sunday in August at Abbotsford International Airport in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada.
It is Canada's largest airshow. In the mid 1970s, Abbotsford was designated as Canada's National Airshow by Prime Minister Pierre E. Trudeau. It features both military and civilian aircraft from Canada and the United States, and on occasion military aircraft from other countries such as Britain, Germany (2000), and Russia.
The average annual attendance of 125,000+ people makes it the largest air show on the West Coast of North America.
History
The Airshow was started in 1962 by the Abbotsford Flying Club. The show is now operated by the Abbotsford International Airshow Society.
The show experienced continuous growth through the 60s and 70s.
The 1986 show was conducted in conjunction with Expo 86, the Vancouver World's fair. This saw the inclusion of several European teams like the Patrouille de France and the Frecce Tricolori to the traditional participants.
In 1989, the show set a three-day attendance record of 321,000 people. Post Cold War defence cuts affected the attendance of military teams and aircraft throughout the 1990s. Poor financial management resulted in the annual show being canceled in 1998 and returning in 1999.
In 1994 Dan and Loretta Newall got married before the start of the show, the first wedding in the 33 year history of the show. The "I do's" were almost inaudible due to the Harriers taking off 6 minutes ahead of schedule. The wedding cake was shared with people around the wedding site. CTV gave them 5 minutes of air time on the news.
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