JANESVILLE — Attending a Canadian air show as a child changed Capt. Steve Thompson’s life.

“I saw the Snowbirds for the first time and thought, ‘One day I want to part of that team,’” he recalled. “That’s what I’ve worked for since age 12.”

Now, at age 33, Thompson has fulfilled his dream. He is one of 11 team members who will perform Friday and Saturday with the Canadian Forces Snowbirds demonstration team during the 2008 ABC Supply Co. Southern Wisconsin AirFEST.

The Snowbirds perform more than 50 formations and maneuvers in nine Canadair CT-114 Tutor planes.

Bringing the team to Janesville is something of a coup for AirFEST officials.

“They’ve never been here, and haven’t been in the northern Illinois or southern Wisconsin region in over a decade,” said AirFEST Executive Director Julia Dacy. “Each year, they perform only a limited number of U.S. visits.”

The Snowbirds generally stick to Canada, functioning as a recruiting and retention tool for the Canadian Air Force. About 20 percent of the team’s shows are in the U.S.

Day-to-day life with the Snowbirds is thrilling, Thompson said.

“It’s a fantastic job,” he said. “I don’t think I’ll ever have the opportunity to experience anything like what I’m experiencing with the Snowbirds.”

The team performs from May through September, and practices 12 times a week during the offseason.

Thompson, who is Snowbird No. 10, is one of the team’s two safety pilots. During shows, he remains on the ground and communicates with the nine team members in the air.

“There is an element of stress involved in it,” Thompson said.

Training, however, provides reassurance.

“The amount of training that gets done really helps to mitigate the amount of stress for the safety pilots on the ground,” Thompson said. “We get a chance to fly with them quite a bit in the offseason; we know exactly what they’re doing and what they’re thinking.”

Dacy was impressed the first time she saw the Snowbirds perform.
“This is my 21st season in the air-show business, and I’ve seen everything, but they are really amazing,” she said. “Nine aircraft doing maneuvers at the same time is pretty spectacular.”

Janesville resident Lad Vrany, a member of the World War II Warbirds group, is excited about this year’s AirFEST. Most Warbirds served in U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy or Marine Corps aviation.

“I’m looking forward to the main attraction, which is the Snowbirds,” Vrany said. “Their airplanes are painted red and white, and if the weather is nice and you have a nice blue sky, what could be prettier?”

Thompson said the team is excited to perform in front of a new audience.

“The team is definitely looking forward to coming to Janesville,” he said.

The decision to perform in Rock County was an easy one.

“It was a no-brainer for us to come down to the Janesville area,” Thompson said, adding that the team includes a few Green Bay Packers fans.

Also new to AirFEST this year is a demonstration performance by a team of U.S. Air Force F-15s. The planes are larger than the F-16s that flew in previous shows, Dacy said.

“Air superiority and air domination have always been the words linked with the F-15,” she said. “It’s been our Air Force’s premier fighter.”

AirFEST has increased the number of aircraft displayed on the ground this year, especially Canadian planes. Dacy advised aviation enthusiasts to watch AirFEST’s Web site for updates about aircraft confirmed for the show.

This year’s show again will feature the Boeing 727 Aircraft Pull. During the Saturday show, groups of 20 people compete to pull a plane to raise money for charity. Participants can sign up for the event by calling the AirFEST office. The $25-per-person entry fee includes show admission, VIP parking, access to the hospitality tent and a T-shirt.

During Saturday’s opening ceremony, a local group will stage a performance to honor Vietnam veterans.

“No matter how much we grow or how much we bring in as far as performers and displays, it’s an up-close-and-personal event,” Dacy said. “The whole thing is really to provide people with just a tremendous community event that they can take pride in.”