Snowbird pilot posting not quite a dream come true - but 'pretty awesome'

Growing up in Delta, Arpit Mahajan never dreamed of one day becoming a Snowbird.

“I’d be lying if I said yes. I never saw myself being a Snowbird pilot,” said Mahajan, who flies Snowbird 10 in the Canadian Forces 431 Air Demonstration Squadron which arrived Monday afternoon. “I actually wanted to fly a Buffalo, a fixed-wing search and rescue platform, but I got pushed down the jet route.”

He couldn’t be happier about where he landed career-wise.

“This opportunity came up when I was doing training and I took it and it’s pretty awesome being a Snowbird pilot as my first posting. It’s the first time it’s happened so I consider myself lucky,” said Mahajan, who has been with the squadron for almost two years.

The Canadian Armed Forces Skyhawks parachute team and the Snowbirds are performing Wednesday, the opening day of the 72nd annual Penticton Peach Festival at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. respectively.

The team arrived Monday afternoon from the north and after a couple of spread-out passes over the Okanagan Lake show box where they will perform, they did a formation flight and a low, smoke on, turn over the Penticton Regional Airport before landing.

According to Mahajan, because of the tight confines of the hills on either side of the lake, the Penticton show is always a bit more of a challenge.

“When we’re inside the (show) box there’s no issue but when we’re out of it I think the pilots have to have a sixth [sense] or the hills have to be in their cross-check to make sure you don’t hit them,” he said, adding the smoke from nearby forest fires can also be a concern. “We typically need about five miles to fly a high show, so smoke sometimes prevents that from happening.

“So we have to fly what’s called a low show in which essentially the formation doesn’t split, they stay close together and that way there’s no possibility of hitting each other.”

During the show, he estimates the CT-114 Tutor aircraft are within three to four feet of each other and cruise generally about 340 to 250 miles per hour.

Don Kendall, Peach Festival president, said the Snowbirds are a huge draw for Canada’s largest free festival but are just part of the five days of family fun.

“Every year our entertainment director Bill Kolter and I talk about how we’re going to top the previous year. It’s a real challenge but I think top to bottom this is the best line up we’ve ever had,” said Kendall. “I think we’ve accomplished our mission in trying to get something for everybody.”

That includes the musical entertainment line up for the Peters Bros. main stage featuring the likes of the Crash Test Dummies, Emerson Drive (Tim Hortons country night), Barney Bentall and the Legendary Hearts and the New Jersey Boys Jukebox.

Other events include four days (Aug. 8 to 10) of the incredible Canadian Tire Mega Motocross demonstrations, back for the fourth year and the hilarious show put on by hypnotist William James.

Opening day includes the Rona Kids’ Zone starting at 9 a.m. in Gyro Park (also on Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to noon), the Peach Bin races at noon featuring teams from the Snowbirds and Skyhawks, Seniors Day and the 66th annual Square Dance Festival, held annually in conjunction with Peach Festival. The Re/Max tribute night is on Saturday with High Voltage, Heart Tribute, Bad Company Tribute, Eagle Eyes and more. There is also a ton of local performers over the five days from the Black Widow Rope Spinners, Jack N Jill, Get Bent Belly Dancers, Boundless Belly Dancers, Yard Katz and so much more.

Shooting Star Amusements midway will also be set up in Rotary Park, the Miss Penticton crowning will be Friday at the Cleland Theatre with Peters Bros. Grand Parade Saturday at 10 a.m. and the McDonalds Kids Day and Minuteman Press Kiddies Parade Sunday at 11:30 a.m.

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Mark Brett | Reporter

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