Wings and Wheels Charity Show attracts thousands to Brantford airport

A few thousand people flocked to the Brantford municipal airport Wednesday to fix their gaze on classic cars and exciting aviation performances.

The Brant United Way staged the Wings and Wheels Charity Show after the pandemic grounded such events for a few years.

“It’s a nice, fun, family activity,” said Kyle Griffin of Brantford as he, his wife Summer Gamble, and their daughters Jaelynn, age four, and 10-month-old Addilynn sat in comfortable lawn chairs on the tarmac, bundled up against a strong breeze and cool temperatures.

“It’s something different after a number of years that the airshow has been absent,” he said, noting he was a regular attendee to airshows prior to COVID.

Tom Niedoba and his children Dariusz, age nine, and Gosia, 11, had a front row position to watch the aerial performances.

“The summer is ending, and it’s not really beach weather anymore,” he said. “So, the airshow was well-timed, and the show was interesting with the planes and cars. The kids are at an age where they can appreciate things more.”

Wings and Wheels featured dozens of classic cars, muscle cars, and hot rods that show-goers could get a close look at, and the opportunity to chat with owners.

The airshow was supposed to be launched by the Canadian Forces Skyhawks skydiving team, but low cloud cover scuttled their flight.

“The cloud ceiling is 2,100 feet that is way too low,” explained Skyhawks public affairs officer Lt. Rebecca Garand. “We need at least, for a show, 4,000 feet, but ideally 6,000 feet.

“Sometimes a miracle happens, and the clouds go away. Our team is always ready.”

Instead, Skyhawks team members sat at a long table, talking to people, autographing photos, and giving out swag.

“It was a really great day and exceeded our expectations,” said Brant United Way executive director Dan Rankin. “We knew it was going to be a rebuilding year, so we wanted to keep it a small, fun event.”

Rankin praised the performers, an army of volunteers, and support from the City of Brantford and County of Brant who made it possible for his team to step in and create a fun event.

“We’re not calling it an airshow per se because it’s getting more of a festival feel,” he explained. “We tried some new things that hadn’t been tried in the past with the inclusion of the car show and jet truck. We see where we could make some improvements and build on some best practices that we found this year.”

A challenge that organizers now face to put on an airshow in Brantford is the types of jets that can land here so pilots and crews interact with the public.

Airport manager and Brantford Flying Club general manager Shawn Broughton acknowledged that the Canadian Forces Snowbirds will likely not perform again in Brantford.

“They now require 6,000 feet (runway length) instead of the 5,000 feet we have here,” noted Broughton. “And due to concerns about crew rest time, they are no longer doing mid-week shows.”

Acrobatic pilots Mike Tryggvason and Trevor Rafferty wowed the crowd with their daring rolls, turns, climbs, and dives.

Rafferty, who hails from York, Ontario in Haldimand County, put his Pitts Model 12 biplane through the paces Wednesday in his 12th year as an airshow performer.

An aerobatic pilot for 20 years, Rafferty said the overcast conditions were good and the planes performed well in the cold air.

“This is actually a great site,” he said. “The aerobatic box is fantastic, it’s flat and square, and the runway is a perfect straight line for lining up.

“It’s always a good crowd,” he noted, recalling attendance reaching 30,000 in pre-pandemic times. “It’s a Wednesday. Who comes out on a Wednesday? Brantford does.

“If they’d have me, I’d be glad to come back.”

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