Flying home: Local pilot living his dream
Windsor is home base for the Canadian Forces Snowbirds this weekend, and it’s a special landing spot for one of its pilots.
Since a young age, Bassam Mnaymneh has always wanted to be a pilot.
“As a child, going to airshows in Windsor, I’d see Snowbirds and fighter jets and airplanes fly over I always wanted to be a military pilot,” he says.
After graduating from Vincent Massey Secondary, he attended The Royal Military College in Kingston, Ont.
“I ended up flying helicopters in Victoria British Columbia and then moved to Moose Jaw,” Mnaymneh says.
The 43-year-old is now a pilot for Snowbird 5, which flies in the back of the formation.
“So I was able to focus my attention on being a military pilot. The snowbirds is the cherry on top,” he says.
The Snowbirds signature nine-jet precision formation will be featured at an air show in Ypsilanti, Michigan this weekend.
They’re using Windsor as a platform for take-off and landing.
“It’s just great to come home and see my family from a distance and just to say hello,” says Mnaymneh.
The show is divided into three parts.
First an opener with nine planes flying in formation together doing loops and roles.
“Then we split and do integrated so it’s a series of passes. We have our solo pilots who do crosses,” Mnaymneh says.
And then a finale.
“Sit in your backyard or front yard have a look up and say hello from there and that would be awesome,” he says.
Mnaymneh says residents will be able to see the Snowbirds in the air around 5:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.