| As it comes closer, excitement stirs and soon a small
aircraft is bounding down the makeshift runway toward the small group of people eager to
greet this knight of the air. The image is straight out of the 1930s or
‘40s, just modernize it a little and you soon realize things don’t really
change. The excitement, the colour, it paints its own picture.
Last week, staff of the ultramodern Country Junction welcomed acrobatics pilot
Daryl Lowey to their door to promote this Wednesday’s exciting air show culminating in
a performance from Canada’s Snowbirds.
The event, the brainchild of the Wetaskiwin Airport Authority, was
fuelled by
community participation by businesses like the Junction who sponsored civilian pilots like
Lowey for the event.
“The Wetaskiwin Co-op is always pleased to sponsor large events that draw
attention to our city,” said Junction general manager Bert Horvey.
“We’re particularly happy to have Lowey here today. He’s a small
aircraft, not the big flash like the jets will be, but at the same time he illustrates a
major amount of safety.”
After landing, he spun his light aircraft around by hand and, with a little
extra muscle, pushed it across the Junction’s subsidiary parking lot, across the
street and nestled it comfortably in the store’s main parking area which led to a few
curious stares from customers and even the joking comment, “What happened? Ran out of
fuel?”
Lowey took all in stride. After all, when did you last see an airplane pull up
to a store?
Lowey is gearing up for this Wednesday’s performance. Experienced in a
battery of visually stunning aerial displays he said this is a show the public does not
want to miss.
Performing stunts like spins, hammerheads and a myriad of highly technical aerial feats,
Lowey admits his favourite is still the avalanche, an exciting manoeuvre for his small
craft as he executes a loop complete with a snap role at the very top of the loop.
“People think that this is nuts, crazy, dangerous, but I’m a health
and safety consultant. In a way (performing) is my workplace,” explained Lowey.
Lowey uses his craft and his own experiences to educate people about safety.
“When I’m flying acrobatics I cannot be more relaxed. My mind becomes
so focused on the show line and the manoeuvres … it’s just relaxing.”
|
