The star of the show was the privately owned AV-8B Harrier “Jump Jet” vertical/short take off and landing (V/STOL). This retired British earlier copy of an aircraft that is still in service with the Royal Air Force and Navy in Britain and the United States Marine Corps. The aircraft was designed in the early sixties with the feature that it can take off literally in vertical fashion. At the air show it hovered over water, then zoomed off.
Other aircraft were the L-39, Czech made Soviet era popular trainer, Beech 18, twin engine stunt plane, 6 T-28 trainers doing acrobatics, Canadian, Hawker Hawk basic trainer, CF-18 Hornet fighter, CH-146 Griffon rescue helicopter (rescuing a person from the lake), Air Cadet glider and tow plane and of course the Snowbirds.
Spectators are still thankful to the staff of the CIAS for putting on an interesting air show nonetheless.
Adu Raudkivi
