HAWK ONE — The Choreography
The pilots of Hawk One - Left to Right Chris Hadfield, Tim Midas Leslie, Dan Dempsey; Paul Rose Kissmann, Steve Swill Will. Photo: Janet Trost
After more than two years of planning and thousands of hours of hard work, Vintage Wings of Canada, the Canadian Armed Forces and Discovery Air are set to bring to centre stage, the flying tribute to the first 100 years of aviation and space exploration. Hawk One will thunder and sparkle across Canadian skies at dozens of air shows and celebration events from coast to coast in Canada this summer and fall. For most of those events Hawk One will be escorted on stage by the nine aircraft of the Snowbirds, sweeping in from stage right.
After a sweeping turn back across the field, The Snowbirds will "drop" the Hawk One Sabre at show centre and thus begins a five minute dance with a golden angel. The Snowbirds will leave the stage to set up for their own show after Hawk One's. The full show has now been officially approved by the Canadian Forces and we can show it to you via drawings that were created for the presentation to top brass. So enough talk, let's dance.
In accordance with B-GA-100-001/AA-000 (National Defence Flying Orders), the Hawk One High Show will be flown when the minimum weather is a cloud ceiling of 5,000 feet AGL or greater, and a visibility of three statute miles or greater. All aerobatic manoeuvres will be conducted no closer than 1,500 feet from spectators – and 500feet for a non-manoeuvering Dirty Pass. Maximum g will be 3G and maximum speed will be 400 knots. This F-86 Sabre air display has been designed anticipating a nominal 9,000 foot showline; however, it can be modified as required. These constraints are depicted in the following diagram: . Illustration Dave O'Malley
Stage One (Above) - the Heritage Flight Flypast. The show will begin with a Heritage Flight top side flypast with the Snowbirds in Palm formation, the Sabre being in the slot position two to three aircraft lengths behind Snowbird 1. The flypast will originate from dead side, stage right, and apex at stage centre on the 1500 foot showline. A climbing right-hand reversal will be executed to live side, stage left, to culminate in a bottom side flypast from stage left to right on the 1500 foot show line, after which the F-86 will be dropped and the Snowbirds will exit the stage for their shakeout and warm-up prior to commencing their normal show. Illustration Dave O'Malley
Stage Two (above) Reposition with an oblique reversal to bottom side pass. At approximately 45o off show line, the F-86 will be dropped from the Snowbird formation and will extend 45º upwards. The aircraft will then commence a slicing reversal to the right to align pointing >45º to stage left to allow for recovery to level flight with no energy directed at the crowd. The aircraft will be accelerated to 300 KIAS and at 1000 feet AGL the aircraft will begin recovery to level flight at 300 feet AGL. The aircraft will perform an arcing bottom side pass at stage centre; then reposition with an oblique 420º rolling reversal to live side, stage left; Illustration: Dave O'Malley
Stage Three (above) Racetrack Slowdown to Dirty Pass. Following the oblique rolling reversal a left hand racetrack turn will be initiated. The aircraft will be slowed and configured with gear down and flaps extended. A non-manoeuvering Dirty Pass will then be executed at 300 feet AGL on the 500 foot show line from left to right. Illustration: Dave O'Malley
Stage Four (Above) Oblique reposition and top side pass. After the dirty pass, a left-hand turn will be initiated, full power selected, and the aircraft configured clean, to achieve 45° nose up, 20° off show-line. A slicing right-hand reversal to position the aircraft dead side, stage right will be executed. The aircraft will accelerate to 300 KIAS and at 1000 feet AGL the aircraft will begin recovery to level flight at 300 feet AGL with no energy directed towards the crowd. The aircraft will execute an arcing top side pass from stage right to left. The aircraft will continue the top side until pointing 30° dead side then pull up for an oblique reversal to the right. Illustration: Dave O'Malley
Stage Five (Above) Aileron roll and reposition. After the oblique reposition the aircraft will accelerate to 300 KIAS and at 1000 feet AGL will begin recovery to level flight at 300 feet AGL, then further accelerate to 350 KIAS. An aileron roll will be initiated just prior to stage centre. Upon completion of the aileron roll a left-hand turn to achieve 45° off show line to live side, stage right and 45° nose up will be initiated, an oblique 420° rolling reversal will be executed followed by a slicing right-hand reversal to reposition to show line. Illustration: Dave O'Malley
Stage Six (Above) Barrel roll to pitch out . Following the oblique reposition the aircraft will accelerate to 300 KIAS and at 1000 feet AGL the aircraft will begin recovery to level flight at 300 feet AGL and further accelerate to 350 KIAS at which time a climbing left-hand Barrel roll will be executed. The aircraft will immediately pull into a right hand turn to set up for the pitch to land. Illustration: Dave O'Malley
Pitch to land. Depending on wind direction a left or right hand pitch will be executed to land. Illustration: Dave O'Malley
This summer, Canadians will be able to look back in time, to an era when the Royal Canadian Air Force dominated the skies in Europe as well as Canada. In doing so, they participate in a celebration that comes only once a century. Photo: Janet Trost
