Dear editor,
Re: Snowbirds set dates for spring training (The Record, March 22)
Through the years we鈥檝e all heard or read varied opinions about the Snowbirds practising in the Valley鈥檚 skies. It鈥檚 clear that many people enjoy watching the aerobatic manoeuvres. For some, it鈥檚 an annual sign of the arrival of spring.
Other residents have expressed their dislike of the deafening noise, or object to the military training planes burning volumes of jet fuel right overhead. To immigrants in the Valley from war zones such as Afghanistan and Syria and Ukraine, the flights must come as an awful reminder of their previous lives.
Despite unfortunate mishaps in recent years, the aging Snowbirds have continued to fly formations at low altitudes over the Valley鈥檚 urban areas. One notable morning last spring, the jets rattled the roofs of central Courtenay in three passes before 9 a.m. From purely a public safety angle, these overflights present a potential danger.
Perhaps there鈥檚 a decent compromise available here between the pro and the con: the RCAF limits the Snowbirds鈥� activity to flying over the Georgia Strait. Those who enjoy watching the jets could continue to do so from good viewpoints at the beaches. And many other residents could then experience more peaceful spring weeks.
Tom Pater,
Courtenay
