UPDATED SUNDAY, MAY 17, 10:35 A.M.:
Rain 1 Snowbirds 0.
The inclement weather has forced the Canadian Forces Snowbirds to postpone their planned flypast from Kamloops to Merritt, then to Penticton, up to Vernon before landing in Kelowna.’
“We know some areas are starting to clear up, however transit through some of the mountain passes have very low cloud cover which is unsafe for flying nine jets,” said the Snowbirds on its Twitter page. “We are going to preposition to Comox to start working our way west. Don’t worry, the longer term forecast looks better and we plan to be back on our way home to Moose Jaw. Keep watching our page for updates and enjoy your Sunday! #opinspiration”
ORIGINAL STORY
Mother Nature is putting a damper on a planned Okanagan flypast Sunday, May 17, by the legendary Canadian Forces Snowbirds.
The organization had hoped to leave Kamloops at approximately 10 a.m. and fly past Penticton and Vernon before landing in Kelowna at around 11 a.m.
A Tweet sent out Sunday over the organization’s Twitter feed shows those plans have been delayed due to weather.
DELAY: Rain and low visibility in the Okanagan right now. We're looking at options. Standby for updates. https://t.co/eqdbT68oIZ
— CF Snowbirds (@CFSnowbirds) May 17, 2020
The flypast is part of the Forces’ Snowbirds Operation Inspiration, a Canada-wide salute to salute Canadians doing their part to fight the spread of COVID-19.
The unique mission will see the team’s signature nine-jet formation, with trailing white smoke, flying over cities across the country starting in Nova Scotia and working west.
The Snowbirds soared across the Shuswap Saturday, May 16, en route to Kamloops.
Should Sunday’s flypast go as scheduled, the Snowbirds are encouraging people to watch the scene from the safety of their own homes, and refrain from travelling to see the flyover.
They’ve also asked people to maintain physical distancing practices to keep everyone safe.
You can monitor the delay and schedule on the Snowbirds’ Twitter (@CFSnowbirds) and Facebook (Canadian Forces Snowbirds) pages.
Flyovers will occur at an elevation no lower than 500 feet above all obstacles.
@VernonNewsroger@vernonmorningstar.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
