Sunday is “pretty laid back,” as Air Show Atlantic’s two-day annual flying weekend hits is stride, says executive director Colin Stephenson.
“The Wednesday, Thursday before a show? Tensions are pretty high and, on an air force wing, you have operations, standards and rules for everything. We recognize what we ask for – and the wing says, ‘Yes, we’ll do it.’”
Stephenson visited 14 Wing Greenwood headquarters February 20 to thank base units and personnel for their support of 2024’s August show, but also the relationship that’s developed through shows in 2017 and 2019.
“In our shows, we really try and highlight four things: honour, educate, inspire and entertain. Honour, educate and inspire – that resonates with you, the air force; and the veterans and the Greenwood Military Aviation Museum – all people steeped in what’s happened here in Greenwood since the 1940s, and you help us celebrate that.
“Entertain – that’s us: we burn fuel for entertainment. There is a lot of work that goes into that, and it fell on your shoulders.”
Air Show Atlantic has a small army of volunteers that come into the show’s rotating locations year after year to help with site set up, vendors, communications, ticketing, performers, traffic, special events and more. Stephenson says the team is “amazing,” but, in Greenwood, in particular; the military expertise offered by fire services, air traffic control, security units, meals and accommodations all adds up.
“The public responded. The air show is extremely grateful.”
Stephenson had a stack of plaques as thanks, including one presented to 14 Wing Colonel Luc Vachon, for the entire Defence Team’s support. Other recipients included
-base/ air show liaison Major Dan Conway
-413 (Transport and Rescue) Squadron, which adjusted its search and rescue posture during the show’s presence on base
-14 Operations Support Squadron, involved from early planning days and “tolerant” of the many differences involved in an air show presentation versus military operations
-air traffic control tower personnel, for support for “all our non-standard operations”
-the Greenwood Golf Course, which sits under the air show’s performance space and closes during the event
-14 Mission Support Squadron, Wing Accommodations and the Annapolis Mess for myriad logistics, food, accommodations and ground supports
-14 Fire Emergency Services
-Commissionaires, for staffing all the temporary access airfield gates
-the Greenwood Military Aviation Museum, “who are fantastic to us, and we try and bring as much attention to them as we can with our show fans
Vachon thanked Stephenson and the Atlantic Air Show team for its appreciation of 14 Wing’s hospitality, and for “making the wing shine.
“The show went extremely well, it was an outstanding air show and it reflected well on the wing. A lot of good work was done. Greenwood stepped up.”
