2007 was my second trip to Brantford. The organizers brought in an excellent collection of civilian performers and military demonstrations to dazzle the audience. The bulk of the profits are donated to the local United Way. The community benefits with an excellent airshow and the money raised is used in Brantford County.
The Snowbirds returned to headline the show. Originally, the team was scheduled to be at another show, but the other show had to cancel. It worked in Brantford's favor! The USAF brought in the F-16 Viper demo, and it also participated in the Heritage Flight with Jim Beasley's P-51C Mustang, "Princess Elizabeth." A complete surprise was the arrival of a B-52 Stratofortress. It had flown all the way from North Dakota, and made one smoky pass. Very cool! The Canadian Armed Forces were also well represented. Their parachute team, the Sky Hawks performed an impressive display to open the show. The Griffon S.A.R. helicopter demonstration showed the crowd a glimpse of the challenge of their job. The CF-18 Hornet provided high-energy tactical display with a surprise ending. The Hornet trapped on the emergency arrestor wires. It was a non-emergency situation, and very interesting to see in person. Prior to landing, the Hornet performed with one of the Canadian Harvards in a Canadian Heritage Flight.
The civilian performers were also plentiful. The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum brought over several of their aircraft, including the Lancaster heavy bomber. Patty Wagstaff and Rick Volker also performed mind numbing solo routines.
