Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - May 25, 1997, Winnipeg, Manitoba Canadian forces snowbirds pilots execute a dangerous three plane crossover yesterday. Stuntman Royce Barr tries to Transfer from Stearman aircraft below to helicopter top left snowbirds in formation above Canadian forces capt. Ivan Cyr who spent the past few weeks fighting the flood has some fun a towing and dumping a car that was a illegally parked top right spectators Are allowed to tour the . E-3 Azacs flying radar station right. Photographs by Ken Gigliotti / Winnipeg free press snowbirds thrill amaze at Winnipeg air show Aliet in the sky by Andrew Maxwell for the free press Ken Hryciuk offers some sound insulation to son Stephan 3. An audience of about 23,000 enjoyed the Ballet in the sky at the Winnipeg International air show yesterday with organizers hoping for even More today. A a Diamond in the sky in a amazed a said six year old Christian Tench As he watched Canadas world renowned snowbirds Fly in a Diamond formation As they closed the show with their first air show appearance in Winnipeg since 1985. The snowbirds performance was a thriller As they buzzed the crowds with thundering Low sweeps and death defying close encounters. A i think its one of the Best shows we be had since we started four years ago said show director Barry Lynds noting a record of 3,000 feet 910 metres was broken for a Wall of fire stunt. A Canadian air Force f-18 fighter piloted by Norm Gagne of the 410 Squadron based in cold Lake Alta successfully challenged the 400-foot flaming obstacle set up by pyrotechnics expert Rod gear. Gagne will try to top the Mark again today at the free press sponsored event said Lynds. The three hour show opened with two Cf-18 hornets and one f-15 Eagle Jet fighter performing a Victory Salute. Half the show is on the ground added Lynds urging the Public to show up before the air show begins at i p.m., to see first hand some of the worlds most advanced Aerial units. Highlights on the ground include a rare air show appearance by the Gulf War Veteran . E-3 Azacs flying radar station Complete with its radar dome. The Public can tour the technological Marvel Worth hundreds of millions of . Dollars. One of the worlds largest cargo planes the . Air reserves of Galaxy is also on the ground. Attendance at the event helps a worthwhile local Charity added Lynds. Last years show raised $27,000 for the Rainbow society. This years show will Benefit the children swish foundation of Canada. Admission is $11 for adults $5 for children aged six to 12 five and under free. On site parking is available behind the Eaton a warehouse at Wellington Avenue and Berry Street or at the Corner of Saskatchewan Avenue and Sherwin Road. Free shuttle buses to the site Are available for people dropping off cars at the Sherwin Road parking adept at exploiting photo Ops up photo Chretien mindful of cameras serves ice Cream during Campaign. By Dan Lett National reporter _ somewhere in southwestern Ontario a first free baseball Caps and hot dogs at the Henley Island Boathouse near St. Catharines. Then free wine and smoked fish at a Vineland winery. Finally free ice Cream sundaes and milk shakes at the Stoney Creek Dairy. No this Isnit a seniors tour of southwestern Ontario food and culture but Day 27 of prime minister Jean Chretien a Federal election Campaign tour and the beneficiaries of the food wine and headgear have been the National Media corps following him. While we reporters dined sipped and tried on our new hats the prime minister Shook hands served ice Cream and christened a new rowing Scull for the cameras. The Little gifts Are All part of an elaborate strategy that surrounds the election photo Opportunity a an event referred to merely As the political photo of a which forms the Backbone of most Federal election campaigns. For most journalists the photo Opportunity ranks somewhere Between a trip to the dentist and watching reruns of House of commons debates. But we participate in photo Ops for a variety of reasons. There is the death watch Factor. A you believe it but the prime minister was drowned after falling in a vat of Dan Lett there is the Clown watch Factor. A you believe it. The pm stuffed an entire doughnut into his Mouth while dancing the Hokey finally there is the Chretien watch strategy. After the prime minister grappled with a protester at a Hull Flag Day rally just Over a year ago journalists and photographers have shown a special interest any time he comes into Contact with the great unwashed. That image of Canadas senior politician Teeth gritted and hands wrapped tightly around the neck of a hapless protester from Hull was a defining moment in Chretien a first mandate. Unfortunately Only a handful of Media representatives were on hand proving once again that no matter How banal the Campaign event it pays to tag along. Of course photo Ops Are one of the most heavily managed events in a politicians life. For Chretien there Are dozens of Advance organizers who arrive hours before the photo of erect the requisite sound system television lights and backdrops. The event site is usually packed with Loyal supporters and if possible Chil Dren who Are Given Small Canadian flags to wave. Finally loud music with a heavy dance beat is pumped into the room and the stage is set for an Impromptu but Well planned election photo of. The photo Opportunity performs a Basic function for politicians. It takes them out of the Stuffy confines of parliament and into the Community. And the great irony of the photo of is that no matter How absurd or banal it can become the defining moment in a political Law consider the Fate of bloc quebecois Leader Gilles Dueppe who broke the first Law of electioneering a never Ever allow the Leader to put on a funny hat. While visiting a cheese factory Dueppe was required to Wear a White plastic hair net. He ended up looking More like a surgery scrub nurse than a High powered politician and his Campaign has never recovered. Chretien is notoriously careful about photo opportunities. This Campaign for example he refused to Don a pair of yellow cardboard 3-d glasses for a virtual reality demonstration. On the other hand Chretien has used photo Ops to his advantage. Prior to the 1993 election Campaign Chretien and his team were concerned the Public thought he was too old and sick to be prime minister. He had recently had surgery and the Rumour was spreading that he was not up to the Challenge. So the Liberal strategists organized a photo Opportunity of Chretien water skiing a Favourite pastime of the athletic Liberal Leader. The photo of a determined Chretien skimming the water on a single slalom ski with a Large plume of water behind him played in newspapers and magazines across the country and is considered a defining moment in the resurrection of his political Campaign. Since then Chretien has shown a flair for such photo Ops. Remember the infamous image of a grinning prime minister racing reporters up a set of stairs on the great Wall of China. Or the Impromptu Bike Riding episode in Shanghai. Both showed a healthy Active Chretien and have now been incorporated into his mythology. A a ;