A local man is now the top dog on Canada's premier flight team.
On Monday, the Canadian Forces Snowbirds aerobatic demonstration team announced Wyevale's Brent Handy will be taking over Snowbird 1 for the 2024 airshow season.
Handy, formerly a Northern Stars Aeroteam pilot and Snowbirds lead solo pilot, will take over the team lead position from outgoing pilot, Maj. Brett Parker.
The announcement was made official Sunday night at a banquet in Moose Jaw, Sask.
“I’m super excited! It’s the best flying job in the air force, in my opinion,” Handy said.
When asked what was going through his mind as he embarks on this new journey, Handy talked about the skill and professionalism of the Canadian Forces Snowbirds.
“The responsibility is to do well by the high standards we have for the team. And I’m really excited to have a team of top-notch folks to take care of. I’m glad to be in a position to advocate for them as they grow in experience,” explained Handy.
Handy who grew up in Wyevale, just outside Midland and about 30 minutes northwest of Barrie, joined the local cadets at the age of 12, where he first became interested in planes and gliders. He obtained his pilot’s licence by the age of 16.
After graduating from Elmvale District High School, Handy attended Sault College and studied aviation where he later joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1999 and started serving as a CF-18 fighter pilot.
His aviation skills continued to get better and in 2012, he caught the eye of the Snowbirds, and later got the opportunity all young aviation enthusiasts dream about to join the Snowbirds team as the lead solo.
After flying a few years with the Snowbirds and then leaving the team, Handy founded the Northern Stars Aeroteam along with friend and fellow RCAF veteran, Todd Farrell.
The Northern Stars Aeroteam, based out of the Huronia Regional Airport in Tiny Township, has been performing at airshows across Canada and the United States since their founding.
However, Handy has dreamed of reliving his experience with the Snowbirds, and that dream came true Sunday night at an end-of-the-year banquet where he was given the prestigious team lead helmet.
Parker, the outgoing Snowbird 1, joined the Snowbirds again in 2021 as Snowbird 7 and then transitioned into the team lead position for the 2022 airshow season. He continued his role as the team lead for the 2023 season. He will continue his military career in Cold Lake, Alberta.
Handy will have big shoes to fill on a big stage. The 2024 season happens to be the Royal Canadian Air Force’s (RCAF) 100th anniversary, and the Snowbirds are set to perform at a variety of celebration events and airshows, including one at CFB Borden. More details will be released on that show next year.
It is unclear right now whether Handy will visit his hometown during the Snowbirds' airshow stop next year in our region, but many are hoping Handy, and the rest of the team will do a flyover of his hometown.
