Snowbirds to Honor Pilot with Flyover in Whitby

The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will conduct a ‘flypast’ at a school in Whitby on Tuesday to pay tribute to former pilot Michael Vandenbos.

A special ‘flypast’ by the Snowbirds aerial team is set for Tuesday afternoon at Captain Michael Vanden Bos Public School in Whitby, honoring the pilot after whom the school is named.

If the weather cooperates, the flyby is planned for 1 p. m. as students head back to school following the Labour Day weekend.

The school is named after Captain Michael Vanden Bos, a local who dreamed of becoming a Snowbird since he was a child. Sadly, he lost his life during a routine training flight near Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan in 1998 at just 29 years old.

The school opened its doors three years later.

Snowbirds’ pilots are highly skilled professionals with extensive flying experience in the Air Force. They are recognized for their expertise, professionalism, and teamwork, but formation flying carries inherent risks. Eight Snowbird pilots, along with two crew members and an information officer have tragically died while serving.

Each performance by the Snowbirds honors these individuals and all aviators from the Canadian Forces Snowbirds dedicated to excellence.

Captain Michael Vanden Bos Public School serves grades K-8 and provides both English and French Immersion programs for students in Whitby. It first opened on January 22, 2001.

The aim of the school is to help each student become a cooperative and productive member of society while embodying the Snowbird motto: ‘Flying High for Excellence.’

Vanden Bos was the sixth pilot from the Snowbirds to die while on duty and was also the first since Captain Shane Antaya lost his life during the CNE Airshow in Toronto back in 1988.

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Captain Michael Vanden Bos

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