Snowbirds under fire
Plan to cut costs exposes pilots to ‘technical risks’
The safety of Canada’s Snowbird fleet has traditionally been a sore point for the air force, but documents obtained by the Toronto Star show these questions are indeed warranted. The documents reveal that plans are underway to keep the planes flying for 10 years past their lifespan despite “technical risks.” Officials say that $116 million in upgrades is significantly cheaper than replacing the fleet. Seven snowbird pilots have been killed since 1972.
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