The Snowbirds — formally 431 Air Demonstration Squadron, based at 15 Wing Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan — have performed for Canadian audiences since 1971, flying the CT-114 Tutor jet trainer that the squadron has retained long past its training service life precisely because its slow speed and tight turning radius make it ideal for close-formation aerobatics. The coin was issued the year after Captain Jennifer Casey was killed when a CF Snowbird aircraft crashed in Kamloops, British Columbia during the "Operation Inspiration" cross-country tour flown to raise morale during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Snowbirds — formally 431 Air Demonstration Squadron, based at 15 Wing Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan — have performed for Canadian audiences since 1971, flying the CT-114 Tutor jet trainer that the squadron has retained long past its training service life precisely because its slow speed and tight turning radius make it ideal for close-formation aerobatics. The coin was issued the year after Captain Jennifer Casey was killed when a CF Snowbird aircraft crashed in Kamloops, British Columbia during the "Operation Inspiration" cross-country tour flown to raise morale during the COVID-19 pandemic.