The Rick Mercer Report

Monday, September 14, 2009

2009 Merchandise Available

The 2009 T-Shirts for the Century of Flight are still available but once they are gone they are gone.
The CF-18 Century Hornet Shirt was so popular we have asked permission to make some more of these available and they are now available in ladie's sizes.

Remember this aircraft will never be seen flying again after this year. It is to be mothballed and placed in a museum. Too bad because it was such a gorgeous sight to watch fly and having it immortalized on a t-shirt is a gift to have or give for Christmas.
We also have some Challenge Coins and there isn't many left. These were minted for the 100th Anniversary of Flight and the Coins will never be made again.

We also have the Windsor International Air Show picture CD coming out. It has tons of pictures capturing some of the best flyers on the planet along with the Hornet Century Paint scheme, it's a must have.

Just wait for this one....
We have a High Definition DVD coming out in December. Please PRE-BUY this one. It is a collection of the air show with arrivals, show days and departures all covered in eye watering colour like you have never seen. This is the best of the show captured and since it is the 100th Anniversary of Flight, this one should be in your collection. Get it in time for Christmas because after the Holidays the price will go up.
Scroll down the side for your items on the secure PayPal site.
Don't miss out on these items, becuase it's in very limited quantities.

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Thank You To The Spectators

On behalf of the Windsor International Air Show and the volunteers, I would like to thank the spectators for coming out and supporting our show. It was a long year and a half of preparation and work, however it turned out to be an absolute stunning success.
We have received congratulations from all over North America.
I have been flooded with emails so much it has taken a week to answer them all. If you watched the show from outside the airport, we are elated that the spectators paid attention to the aircraft. We had reports of people all around the airport and some watching from nearby shopping centres that were on the flight line. We got your attention.
The Snowbirds are an absolute marvel to watch as they zip across the sky. They never get boring nor do the spectators get tired of watching them.
We hit our goals by providing the veterans with a weekend of enjoyment and hospitality for which they are entitled to, not just recognition, but camaraderie, respect and acknowledgement for their time efforts and patriotism. Our Veterans enjoyed the show immensely and we would do it again in a heartbeat just to see the fun and smiles emerge if at least for one weekend. I believe the spectators who met these brave men and women, enriched the lives of not only the vets, but learned a little history while enjoying the show. I say these are our Vets because we should take the ownership and the responsibility to never forget and pass the history down to the youth with all respect and dignity befitting fallen soldiers memories.
The service men and women in the current forces were also treated to a VIP weekend in Windsor and as they were leaving, many asked if they could be invited back as our volunteers catered to them and showed the hospitality deserving of their job. Meeting these pilots became a thrill of a lifetime for many spectators. Seeing the inside of these behemoth machines gave many an indescribable awe as they looked, touched and took pictures of some fantastic machinery.
We gave the Veterans the thanks, a few meals and the opportunity to watch some impressive machinery in action from the old to the newer technology. We shouldn't forget, that just because an aircraft can streak across the sky, it still has to have someone doing the job that gives us all our rights and freedoms.
Without the Veterans of the past, present and future, our society could never say we have freedoms. Freedom comes at a cost and the service men and women are there to make sure we all have the choices, rights and freedoms, we enjoy today.
We thanked the Vets, but it can never be enough. It was a show celebrating 100 years of Powered Flight in Canada and we think we hit a home run. I can just imagine the next 100.
We hope to see you next year, bigger and better.

Friday, August 28, 2009

First Arrivals

They started arriving. What an awesome sight as Windsor was again playing host to an Air Show.
The A Channel, CBC News, Today's Windsor and Blackburn Radio were there for the beginning of the biggest event in Essex County this weekend.
The First to arrive was the Kc135. Good thing because parking is at a premium this weekend at YQG Airport. The first one is always the special announcement they are coming. An hour later two Snowbirds, F-15's, our own CF-18 Hornet, Mike Goulian and then the 9 formation Snowbirds flew over the airport. If Windsor hadn't heard of the Air show, then the display of the CF-18 sure woke them up.
The F-15's from Mountain Home AFB flew over and did a break over the field. Awesome to see and they announced their arrival with flying grace to let us know who's in town. Pete McLeod, Canada's Red Bull pilot came in, Jacquie "B" Warda, and the Manfred Radius.
Mike Goulian decided to get airborne to burn of a little fuel and boy did he ever.
The hardest part of the show was making sure we are working while being awed by fantastic displays. Then as if almost out of nowhere the Sea Dragon Helicopter from the US Navy touched down with a landing that had the ground handlers cheering. The Sea Dragon was taxied with an escort truck and the driver reported having to stand on the brakes because the rotor wash just pushed the truck. It is big and powerful and the sound was deafening......
A Huey from Andrews Air Force Base planted itself on the grass with it's very distinctive sound.
Rick Volker and then a P51 Mustang touched down. Activity was heavy and exciting as only an Air Show can bring. The crowds were lined up outside the airport to get a glimpse of these aircraft and the kids were thrilled at the sights.
These machines are awesome to see, yet the men and women who fly them are the personalities to meet. Every single one of them was glad to arrive in Windsor.
The excitement is being throttled up at the Airport, so come on out and meet these pilots and get a chance to actually get inside of one of these behemoths.

Tickets are very affordable and the entertainment is priceless.
Don't be on the outside looking in, it's just not the same.
Today should see more of the same landing at the airport so get your tickets now and come early for the best spots on the field.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Chris Hadfield

Sometime on Saturday the Canadian Astronaut Chris Hadfield will be joining us at our show.
He is scheduled to take a check ride in the F-86 Hawk One Sabre after the flying show, as rumour has it he will be demonstrating at the Toronto Air Show.
You can find out more about him at,
http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/biohadfield.asp

Just to make it a little more noteworthy, Chris will be celebrating his 50th Birthday while he is here in Windsor.

Don't be on the outside looking in, it's just not the same.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Tentative Show Time Schedule

We have drafted up a show performance schedule. This schedule WILL BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE right up until the show begins. Due to weather, mechanical and other problems out of our control there is no guarantee the performer will go on as scheduled, however we will do our best.
The Sunday show only will have the OPP Golden Helmets performing on the runways at YQG. There will also be aircraft leaving during the day which makes them part of the show and extends the performance.
The aircraft buffs know that is a perfect day to catch departure pictures of the aircraft.
Please be patient coming into the airport with traffic. Free shuttle buses will be running but not on specified schedules. They will do a bump and run service which is when they are full they move.
It's going to be an awesome show

Friday, August 21, 2009

Our Commercial Showing Daily



Playing Daily on the A Channel!

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Another reason to CELEBRATE!!

BUDAPEST, Hungary – American Michael Goulian won a thrill-filled Red Bull Air Race in Budapest on Thursday while Britain’s Paul Bonhomme grabbed second place and knocked Austrian Hannes Arch out of the championship lead in a thrilling battle over the Danube River in front of a national holiday crowd of 650,000. American Kirby Chambliss grabbed third place, which dropped Arch into fourth and off the podium for the first time in over a year. German rookie Matthias Dolderer took a career-best fifth place.
“It feels amazing,” Goulian said after clocking a winning time of 1:12.51 on the 6.6km course on a scorching hot day with temperatures over 30 degrees. It was his first career victory and moved him up to 8th place in the overall championship with 18 points. “This has been four years in the making. It’s been so hard to get the right machine, to get the engine working the right way. After four years of hard work this is amazing. I knew we had an airplane that could do it. It’s a great win.”

Mike's time is right here, right now and the air show industry considers him the finest available.
YES he will be here come August 29 & 30 2009.
Don't miss out on Mike's performance, it's a thriller......Catch The Experience!

Sunday, August 16, 2009

It's Happening At YQG

The Windsor International Air Show promises to be one of the biggest shows in Ontario. We have over 60 aircraft attending with some of the best pilots in their field.
It's the 100th Anniversary of Celebration of Aviation and starting on August 27, it's going to start making noise and the value we are giving our spectators has no comparison.
We have the Canadian and US Air Force solidly supporting our show and boy are they bringing some hardware with them.
Let's not forget the Auto Show inside the Air Show and the Antique Military Vehicles coming out in full force support.
ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE SUPPORT!
The Air Show will be the biggest attraction in Windsor to end the summer. There is none like it nor any comparison.
Just try to go anywhere in Essex County without hearing us. It just won't happen.
We have special guests like Chris Hadfield attending. We have National Magazine coverage.
We have the Discovery Channel doing a show segment. Yes, you read that right.
Aircraft from all over North America are asking to be a part of our show.
We've worked hard to bring the best and now it's almost upon us.Check Spelling
Get ready for the news, they're back!
Don't be standing on the outside looking in, YQG is the place to be on August 29 & 30!

Thursday, August 13, 2009

KC-135R Tanker

Ok this one delivers. Seriously.
The crew from the 101 ARW in Maine will land in Windsor for the Air Show. Spectators will be allowed to get inside walk around and see some very exciting details inside the aircraft.
Just another reason to be on the field.
The KC-135 Stratotanker provides the core aerial refueling capability for the United States Air Force and has excelled in this role for more than 50 years. This unique asset enhances the Air Force's capability to accomplish its primary missions of Global Reach and Global Power. It also provides aerial refueling support to Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps and allied nation aircraft. The KC-135 is also capable of transporting litter and ambulatory patients using patient support pallets during aeromedical evacuations.
Four turbofans, mounted under 35-degree swept wings, power the KC-135 to takeoffs at gross weights up to 322,500 pounds (146,285 kilograms). Nearly all internal fuel can be pumped through the tanker's flying boom, the KC-135 's primary fuel transfer method. A special shuttlecock-shaped drogue, attached to and trailing behind the flying boom, may be used to refuel aircraft fitted with probes. An operator stationed in the rear of the plane controls the boom. A cargo deck above the refueling system can hold a mixed load of passengers and cargo. Depending on fuel storage configuration, the KC-135 can carry up to 83,000 pounds (37,648 kilograms) of cargo.
It's a serious aircraft for a serious show.

Sounds of Freedom. Coming this month.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

The Challenge

It's the challenge of the year happening at the Windsor International Airport on August 15, 2009.
The winner will get bragging rights for the next full year. The challengers have measured up and fear no opponent in this battle.
$2 dollar parking fee with a canned good for an entrance fee to support the Goodfellows. Come on out enjoy some wings from some of Windsor's best "winged" restaurants.
Hey, it's aviation related and we will be selling Gala Tickets and Air Show tickets for the August 29&30 air show. The line up for the show is immense. They must have heard something.
We will have a table set up inside the CH2A hangar playing some video of the performers coming to our airport. Get a glimpse of what they do the best, fly.
Rides will be available.

The Wing Off is going to be tasty and challenging, not only for the competitors but the hot wings could produce some excitement all it's own.
It's all part of the fun happening at Your Quick Getaway this sumer. Fun and education for the whole family. Don't miss out. Seen our billboards?
Wait for the commercials.
At the Air Show, let's not forget to mention the bounce castles, Canadian Recruiting Office complete with camo face painting, and vendors from the local community. Vintage war birds, and the list is endless.
Check out the possibilities of our Armed Forces.
Say hi to some of the veterans that made sure we have our freedoms here in Canada, today.
Vintage cars on display with each show day being different. Military vehicles like we have never seen before.

Watching from the outside is just not the same.
Sounds of Freedom.... soon, Catch The Experience.