Not only was it the 150th birthday of our quaint province on the Prairies, it was also our day for Operation INSPIRATION (fun fact: apparently, Canadian Armed Forces operation titles are in capital letters BECAUSE THEY REALLY WANT YOU TO GET THE POINT, or something like that).
An initiative of the Royal Canadian Air Force to boost Canadian morale in the face of COVID-19, the air demonstration team is making a tour of the country, flying overhead in a number of cities in a bid to entertain us- a welcome change given how mundane the day-to-day seems lately.
Apparently, the flight path was tailored to ensure passes over hospitals within the city. Conveniently, I work not far from a hospital- and I just so happened to be at work at 9:40 am, right as the Snowbirds flew overhead.
And let me tell you: they were impossible to miss. At 9:40 on the dot, we heard a loud booming/engine noise above our building, and we ran to the window, just in time to see all 9 planes banking to make a pass over the nearby hospital. It was a sight I don't think anybody will forget anytime soon.
When all was said and done, they really weren't overhead long. Specific details of the flight path apparently weren't released, only the general plan, in an attempt to make sure people actually stayed home, instead of congregating at prime viewing locations. Thankfully though, I lucked out, and for those that didn't, it seems their brief flight over the city were well documented in the form of pictures and videos that will no doubt be posted for a long while.
Overall, operation inspiration was a success.
(Photo credit: r/Winnipeg)
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