we have that good relationship with. Not only are they getting great shots, but they
come in and they integrate with the team. They’re kind of going above and beyond to
work with us.” Having that kind of relationship makes it much easier for the PAOs to get
on with all the other work they have on their plate during spring training.
The Snowbird and CF-18 Demo teams each fly their routine twice a day during the
roughly 3 weeks that they are in Comox with only one or two days off for rest.
Lt (N) Tremblay routinely participates in the full brief and debrief associated with each
Snowbird practice and in her role as the French language narrator for the team, she
is required to do participate when she is practicing narrating the show. Capt. Howell
is both the English and French language narrator for the CF-18 Demo Team and so
participates in all the team’s briefings and debriefings. Just working on the narration
of the show routines demands a lot of time. But the narration is a key part of the team’s
presentation and Comox is where the PAOs work to dial in their scripts and polish the
delivery of their narration. The PAOs also need to work with all their team members on
developing a comfort level for interacting with the public that is appropriate for being on
the national stage. An ability to deliver the teams message and speak about the theme
it’s celebrating are part of being a demo team member. Both the Snowbirds and the
CF-18 Demo Team are celebrating the 60th anniversary of NORAD this year and if team
members couldn’t answer basic questions about NORAD and it’s history, it’s not much
of a celebration.
But the most important role the PAO has on a team is to manage all the requests that
involve the pilot’s time for interviews and photos and other community interactions. It’s
their job to manage the pilots time so they’re able to do their primary job safely which is
flying their aircraft. It’s important that photographers involve the public affairs officers
in any requests they have. It’s the PAOs who have the overview of all the different
demands that are placed upon the pilots. They strive to help photographers get the
shots they want but not communicating requests can lead to unnecessary conflicts
when they’re unable to provide what you want due to schedule conflicts. The result can
be undue stress on the team when the PAO has to try to figure out at the last minute
how to accommodate requests with all the demands on the team’s time and result in a
photographer being labeled as a cat that’s difficult to herd.
Besides being given the opportunity to join the herd, the effort photographers put
into building their trust relationship with the teams can result in other exceptional
opportunities. Each year during spring training the Snowbirds and CF-18 Demo Team
work together to plan and execute a photo mission towards the end of spring training.
Typically, the mission involves photographers shooting from the open ramp of a CC-115
Buffalo aircraft from 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron. The teams fly in formation
behind the aircraft over British Columbia’s stunning landscapes creating some very
dynamic imagery. The Snowbirds are first on stage for shooting. After several passes
they’re joined by the CF-18 Demo Team demo jet for combined formation shots before
the Snowbirds head off and the CF-18 takes the stage by itself behind the Buffalo. In the
past the photo mission has been a very busy flight with more than ten photographers
filling the small cabin of the Buffalo taking short turns shooting out the back as air-
craft came and went. Coordination of a limited number of harnesses and connections
combined with the limited time the aircraft could fly made it difficult to give everyone
a chance to shoot. The results often weren’t what the teams expected from the flights.
For this year the decision was made to limit the flight to four photographers and a
Canadian Forces videographer. Those with a solid relationship with the teams and who
had proven they could deliver the imagery needed were invited to join the mission.
The westernmost coast of Canada near Tofino British Columbia was chosen as
the backdrop for the flight and the results were excellent. The limited number of
photographers meant everyone could settle into their position with only one change
of positions during the flight. The results were spectacular. The teams acquired
lots of shots to choose from for their needs and the photographers all agreed that
they came away from the flight with images that would stand out as some of their best
to date.