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Cold Lake Airshow soars with 21,000 attendees, despite weather hurdles
July 31, 2024 By Chantel Downes, Local Journalism Initiative, Lakeland This Week
Cpt. Melanie Klusner, (MACH) the F-35A demonstration team pilot and commander from Memphis, Tennessee, shared her excitement about the event. (Photo: Chantel Downes, Local Journalism Initiative, Lakeland This Week) The performers remained upbeat throughout, adding to the show’s vibrant atmosphere.
Cpt. Melanie Klusner, (MACH) the F-35A demonstration team pilot and commander from Memphis, Tennessee, shared her excitement about the event.
“[I’m] Feeling great. It’s going to be awesome. It’s going to be a great weekend,” Klusner said, before the show.
She recalled her journey to becoming a fighter pilot, stating, “I knew I wanted to be a fighter pilot from when I was six years old, thanks to my parents, and I have a really big military family background. So, I was striving towards that goal from a really young age.”
Klusner appreciated the scenic views of Cold Lake, noting, “We loved flying over the lakes, we loved seeing the landscape, it was awesome flying low.”
S/Sgt. Bacilio Godinez, the aircraft structural maintenance specialist on the F-35A demo team from Utah elaborated on the significance of the aircraft.
“We only have three stealth fighters in the fleet right now, the F-35, the F-22 Raptor, and the B2,” he explained. Godinez, who has been with the team for a season, explained his role in maintaining the aircraft, saying, “I’m here to maintain the structural integrity of anything that can go wrong in the aircraft.”
Cpt. Jesse Haggard-Smith (Modem), who was the pilot of the CF-18 demo team in 2022, emphasized the importance of showcasing the aircraft’s capabilities.
“It’s important to be out here, show the community a little bit of what we do, kind of show off some of the capabilities of the CF-18,” he said.
Reflecting on the airshow experience, Cpt. Haggard-Smith added, “There’s so many good parts of it. Sometimes, it’s just the absolute thrill being up there by yourself, having the control of such a beautiful aircraft.”
Major Stephen Daniel Kim, the left inner wing pilot for the CF Snowbirds, shared his enthusiasm for the event.
“The best part is meeting all the kids at the air show. It’s very cool to be on the other side of that conversation now and to get to see those bright eyes and looking up to the sky,” he said. Kim also reflected on his past flying experiences in Cold Lake, stating, “It’s very special coming back to where I got to do a lot of my previous flying in the Royal Canadian Air Force.”
Cold Lake Mayor Craig Copeland praised the scale and impact of the airshow. “The airshow is going to be amazing. The static air display is going to be amazing. It’s just unbelievable the lineup of aircraft they’ve done,” he said.
Copeland estimated the turnout to be 20,000 to 25,000 people on Saturday and Sunday and anticipated a significant economic boost for the area.
“The airshow is going to be just a massive injection of revenue into our business and hotels and restaurants.”
