Did our annual pilgrimage to Regina over the weekend to visit my wife's family. Never at the top of my list for favorite trips but we almost always go around July 1. This year the B17 that was just in Springbank spent the long weekend doing the same thing in Regina. The in laws live just off the extended centreline of Rwy 13 so we got to watch the beast doing many, many flights over the city. What an awesome sight and even better sound. Also, being that Regina is only about a 15 minute flight from 15 Wing in Moose Jaw you are treated to frequent visits from the Hawk trainers. Being July 1 they spent a little more time than usual beating up the airport and generally putting on a pretty decent impromptu airshow in between the civil traffic. Watched them doing multiple low level high speed passes along the runway, formation flying, etc. etc. Pretty much having fun. They opened the first Sunset Ceremony of the season (July 1) at the RCMP Depot by doing a high speed pass over the parade square. Notable here is the Depot is literally immediately north of the airport so they were flying opposite direction to the traffic pattern and pretty much right over the airport too so some nice coordination with ATC to make it happen. And when they say the ceromony starts with a fly past at 6:45 they mean 6:45 to the minute.
So not a bad way to make an otherwise hum drum trip much better.
Side note, if you ever spend time in Regina during summer make a point of going to the RCMP museum and attend the Sunset Ceromony if you get a chance. Both are well worth the time.
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