Abbotsford Airshow touts sold-out weekend as RCAF celebrates 100th anniversary

A United States Air Force F-22 Raptor flies by at the Abbotsford Airshow on Sunday, Aug. 11. (CTV News)

Organizers of the Abbotsford International Airshow celebrated a sold-out weekend as thousands descended on the Fraser Valley to take in the sights and sounds provided by vintage aviation machines and modern military aircraft.

This year's event focused on the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force and featured a number of planes dating back to the Second World War.

Major Cameron Lowden, an RCAF officer deployed to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) in Colorado, talked the audience through a tactical scenario where an F-16 intercepted and re-routed a civilian plane flying in restricted airspace.

"I use Washington, D.C., as an example. There's an airspace around Washington. The president, when he is travelling, always has a 30-mile ring around him," Lowden said. "So, if somebody flies in there and NORAD doesn't know who he is, our mission is to find out his intent and to defend the centre of that airspace."

RCAF crews also demonstrated a hoist rescue using a CH-149 Cormorant helicopter based at 19 Wing in Comox.

The family-friendly event also had a variety of activities for children, including a STEM Zone where they could learn about science and technology.

At one station, children used paper and cardboard to build rockets which they could then launch by using a bicycle pump to build up pressure.

Under supervision at another station, kids could use soldering tools to attach working lights to toy jets that also doubled as pins they could attach to their shirts or jackets.

Many of the aircraft featured in the static displays offered tours, giving people the opportunity to go inside and see the cockpits up close.

"I think it's pretty cool. I know a lot about military aviation history and I'm sort of keen to teach him about it and let him see all the different planes on display," said Ryan Benson, who was at the air show with his son Griffin.

An aerial display by the Canadian Forces Snowbirds on Sunday afternoon brought the show to a close.