Why you’ll see fighter jets over Stanley Park this weekend | Daily Hive

Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 Hornet fighter jet. (VanderWolf Images/Shutterstock)

If you catch sight of fighter jets roaring over Stanley Park this weekend, don’t be alarmed–it’s part of a tribute to Canada’s aviation history.

The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) said in a news release that two CF-18 Hornets from 410 Tactical Fighter Operational Training Squadron at 4 Wing Cold Lake, Alta., will fly over the park on Sunday, Sept. 14, at around 1 p.m.

Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 Hornet fighter jet flying overhead, similar to those that will soar over Stanley Park this weekend. (Doug McLean/Shutterstock)

An RCAF helicopter will also join the flypast, held in honour of the Battle of Britain Parade.

In the news release, the Department of National Defence said the aircraft will fly “at an altitude no lower than 500 feet above the highest obstacle on their route.”

Officials added that the display is “carefully planned and closely controlled for public safety,” and will depend on weather and flying conditions.

The CF-18 Hornet is Canada’s frontline multi-role fighter jet, used in everything from air defence to tactical support, according to the RCAF.

Canada’s changing fleet

Canada’s fighter jet fleet is also going through a big change.

In 2018, the Auditor General of Canada reported that the Royal Canadian Air Force had 76 CF-18 Hornets in operation.

Fast-forward to January 2023, when the federal government announced it would buy 88 new F-35A Lightning II jets to replace the aging Hornets, a move Ottawa called a “generational investment” in Canada’s air defence.

And it’s not cheap.

The Parliamentary Budget Officer has estimated the total cost of the F-35 program, including buying the jets and keeping them flying for decades, at about $73.9 billion.

Remembering the Battle of Britain

This weekend’s flypast is timed with the Battle of Britain Parade, which remembers Canadian and Allied airmen who fought in the pivotal 1940 campaign.

Canadian pilots of No. 242 Squadron with Wing Commander Douglas Bader at RAF Duxford in 1940. The unit played a key role in the Battle of Britain. (Imperial War Museum/vintagewings.ca)

More than 100 Canadian pilots flew alongside Allied forces, and 23 of them were killed in action, according to the Department of National Defence.

Their efforts helped turn the tide of the Second World War, and parades are still held every September to honour what Winston Churchill called “the Few.”

So if you hear the roar of engines over the city this Sunday, look up — it’s history flying by.

You might also like:

Want to stay on top of all things Vancouver? Follow us on X