Airshow performers begin arriving to share the thrill of flight
By Lethbridge Herald on July 26, 2023.
Airshow performer Carol Pilon’s plane is unloaded Wednesday at the Southern Aero hanger at the Lethbridge Airport.
Herald photo by Alejandra Pulido-GuzmanAlejandra Pulido-Guzman – LETHBRIDGE HERALD – apulido@lethbridgeherald.com
With the Lethbridge International Airshow fast approaching, aerial performers have already begun to arrive at the airport so they have enough time to put their aircraft together and practice before the big show.
Always a crowd favourite, 79-year-old Manfred Radius will be showcasing his glider’s aerobatic abilities one last time as prepares to retire at the end of the season.
Radius, who was at the Lethbridge Airport Wednesday, said he was first introduced to gliding in 1961 as a teenager when he stumbled across a gliding club in Hamburg, Germany one day during a leisurely bike ride.
“By coincidence I found the gliding club in Hamburg; I didn’t know it was there,” he says. “I happen to find it and a member of the club came over and saw me standing there with a bicycle watching the action. He told me I could take a ride in a glider for 10 Deutsche Marks, but I had no money with me. I came back another time, it was a lady pilot, it was a very short flight, but I enjoyed it so much I joined the club.”
Once in Canada at the age of 25, Radius was introduced to glider aerobatics and he has been performing in Airshows for nearly 40 years.
“In 1985 I performed at my first air show, that was the year when I got my glider, my H101 Salto. Salto is the German word for somersault, indicating it’s aerobatic capabilities.”
Radius said his glider, which was designed and built by a lady in Germany, was way ahead of its time. It is made of fiberglass and epoxy resin, and it is fully aerobatic.
“I had my longest flight in this glider, the very same glider I’m flying here at the Lethbridge International Airshow. I had a flight once lasting 8 hours and 45 minutes, where I flew a distance of a little over 500 kilometers.”
He said that flight was a roundtrip flight, where he flew a little over 250 kilometers out and then returned, and landed back at the glider port where near State College in Pennsylvania, along the Appalachian Mountains.
“That was my personal longest flight in distance and in time.”
During Lethbridge show this year, Radius will be flying loops, rolls and tail slides, among other aerobatics.
“I’m going to do an outside loop, the normal loop is an inside loop, where I’m pulling up and I’m exposed to up to four positive G’s, which means I’m going to get pressed inside the seat, but I’m going to do an outside loop, where the forces go in the opposite direction towards my head, so it is my seatbelt which keep me in the glider.”
He said he is happy to be back in Lethbridge, as he has been taking part of the Lethbridge International Airshow since 1992, and this year will be his eighth performance.
“I’m delighted to be back, but it would be probably my last time as I will be 80 years old next year and this will be my last season performing at airshows.”
He said he is hoping the wind co-operates, and worries it could damage his glider during landing and make it difficult to perform if he gets pushed away from the performing area.
“My glider is going to get towed by John Mulder, a member of the Central Alberta Gliding Club out of Innisfail, and he tows me with his Bellanca Scout airplane. He towed me last year in this airshow and he did a superb job.”
Another performer that will take part in the Airshow is Carol Pilon who is coming from Quebec to showcase her wing walker routine along with her team.
“We have options at this airshow; we’re going to get to see the fully aerobatic routine and we’re also going to get to see the dual wing walker which highlights a lot of the transfer passes,” said Pilon.
She said they will be performing in the air and will be on the wings from takeoff.
“We take off on the wings in between the javelins,” she said.
Pilon, who had a rough start as many people turned her down at the beginning, persevered, and after seven years of hard knocks she eventually acquired her own plane to become a wing walker.
“I developed a plan to become a wing walker that was kind of contradictory to the standard in the industry at the time. I bought my airplane and I established the first wing walker-owned team in North America. I hired pilots to train and this is going to be my 24th year doing it.”
She said the Lethbridge International Airshow has a special place in her heart because organizers were among the first to hire her as a novice performer after many rejections.
“Their support meant the world to me at the time and their continued support means the world to me presently.”
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This is going to be a great airshow this year, with a great lineup and lots to do on the grounds. It is local and you can even jump on a bus at the college if you have ticket, which are on sale at that location and ride the bus out for free.
They cannot get the Snowbirds because our runway is too short for the Canadian Forces new policies for the Snowbirds, due to recent accidents. but there are many great acts which will be worthwhile and the weather is going to be cooler than past years. I am excited! I may even spend the money to drive the Lamborghini on the runway since I have never had the opportunity to open one up and burn some rubber.
It has been years since I saw a wing-walker as well!