Cold Lake Air Show an exhilarating aerial experience

“People haven’t been to an air show or even if you’ve been to one, but never seen an F-22 Raptor — that alone is worth the price of admission…”

At long last, one of the premier summer events is just a week away from returning to the Lakeland.

The 2022 Cold Lake Air Show is set to take off next Saturday and Sunday with aviation enthusiasts from across the province about to descend upon the area for a one-of-a-kind experience.

It’s the first Air Show since 2018 as the 2020 show was cancelled due to COVID, but the organizers have made a concerted effort to make the entire weekend a delight for the senses.

“Salute to our frontline heroes” is the theme of this year’s show and Cold Lake Air Show chair Major Kael Rennie said already the demand is high. Online ticket sales are already double that of four years ago.

“Everyone at the base is excited,” Rennie told Lakeland Connect.

“You’re getting a world class show in Cold Lake and you’re not getting to keep you’re not having to put up with 100,000 people crowds to fight through.” 

There is a myriad of activities to do at the base for the two-day event that includes not just airborne attractions, but static jet displays, a classic car show, over 30 food vendors, beer gardens, and a kid’s zone.

One of the key highlights of the air show is the F-22 Raptor Demo Team. The F-22 is returning to Cold Lake after receiving such a warm welcome in 2018. It’s a rare performance as the Raptor is only going to London, Ontario as its other Canadian date this summer.

“The most advanced fifth generation fighter in the world is the American F-22 Raptor. They enjoyed their time so much here in 2018 in Cold Lake that they specifically asked to come back, so people may not understand it, but that asset is one of the most sought after air show acts across North America,” said Rennie. 

“People haven’t been to an air show or even if you’ve been to one, but never seen an F-22 — that alone is worth the price of admission and I guarantee you that every frontline CAF team pilot we have will be out on the ramp watching the F-22 go through its maneuvers because it just can do things in the sky that other planes can’t.” 

The other air acts CF-18 Demo Team, who conduct and support operations at home and around the world every day, the RCAF Snowbirds, a Canadian icon comprised of serving members of the Canadian Forces, and the SkyHawks, Canada’s only military parachute demonstration team.

None military acts include Gord Price who is making his farewell tour on the circuit. At 80 years old, he will be flying his Yak 50 plane, a unique Russian aircraft.

Kyle Fowler will also navigate the skies in his aircraft, which has been described as looking like a yellow Lamborghini, and compared to the noise and power of the military jets, will be a graceful and artistic display. 

“It’s not just in the air, as I mentioned, we have Jurassic Attack. It’s a dinosaur themed monster truck that the crowd will pay 10 bucks, and you get strapped into a nice chair in the back and it’ll go and take you around in a little route,” said Rennie. 

“We’ve got the Kid Zone with the big inflatables, and all that type of stuff to keep the kids entertained, and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the classic car show as well. So we’ve got airplanes, but we’ve also got cars.”

Organizers are anticipating an even larger crowd than the 23,000 total who came to watch in 2018, and one of the reasons why has to do with the recent sequel to Top Gun.

Advertisements in several Alberta movie theatres featured the Air Show before they ran a screening of the latest Tom Cruise film. It’s created a ton of interest in fighter jets, just like in the mid-1980s, and brings generations together for a similar passion.

Of course, the weekend festivities kick off on Friday in downtown Cold Lake with the Full Throttle festival. It starts at 4:00pm, with Econoline Crush set to take the stage at 8:00pm.

Tickets can be purchased online at https://coldlakeairshow.com/. 

With the anticipation of a lot of out-of-town traffic, locals are encouraged to look at the Sunday ticket options, which are cheaper than Saturday’s.

There is also a FAQ page on their website that shows what is and isn’t allowed on the grounds during the show.