FTF: OceanCloud
As a kid I looked forward to the Shearwater International Air Show (SIAS) every September. It was always a two day show, and I would usually go to the show at Shearwater one day then watch from somewhere on Caldwell road, or the roof of my house the next day. A lot of people watched the air show from the area around the cache location. I was at the last air show held in Shearwater in 2003, but have not been to the show since moved to the Haliax International Airport.
The cache is along a trail in an area near the end of the long runway. The long runway is now abandoned, and the area will likely be developed as a residential area in the next few years.
The area is a bit of a maze of trails, many of them used by mountian bikers. I recommend you mark you car, and follow your track out because all the trails look the same.
Parts of the trail are very wet at certain times of the year I recommend boots. The tree coverage is also very heavy at the start of the trail, and GPS coverage may be spotty. Near the cache,GPS signal should be no problem. I DO NOT recommend doing this at night. Cache should be winter friendly.
The long runway is now abandoned, and the area will likely be developed as a residential area in the next few years.
Trail head & Parking at N 44° 39.557 W 063° 30.994
Cache is an ammo box with the standard swag. I also started the cache off with a geocoin and a TB. There is also a FTF prize.
Happy Caching!
NOTE: There is an access road to the Refinary Water Pumping station just south of the cache area. I recommend not approaching this area, as it is private property. Other cachers have had run-ins with security on the access road.
History of the Shearwater International Air Show
On 15 August 1918, Lieutenant R.E. Byrd, United States Navy, (later an Admiral renowned for his polar exploits) established United States Naval Air Station Halifax at Baker's Point on the Dartmouth side of Halifax harbour. The USN Curtiss flying boats patrolled the western Atlantic approaches for the evasive German U-boats. The Armistice led to the cessation of flying boat operations five months later, after which the airspace over what had been called Naval Air Station Baker Point would remain silent for 15 years. Military aviation began again in 1934 with the resumption of coastal patrol operations, this time by the RCAF. However, the demands of World War II afforded little opportunity to organize a stimulating public display. Then, in July 1948, RCAF Station Dartmouth, soon to be renamed HMCS Shearwater, hosted the very first air show and static display of naval aircraft in Canada. Over 15,000 people witnessed a superb demonstration by the world's two fastest piston engine aircraft, the Sea Fury and the Sea Hornet.
Shearwater International Air Show (1981-1995)
The official Shearwater International Air Show began in 1981. Air displays equalling any in the country and over 75 different static aircraft from as many as seven countries. In addition, over 80 high-quality ground exhibits were displayed. These air shows regularly drew over 100,000 spectators to the two day show. The over the years, the air show hosted the Blue Angles, Sky Hawks, and numerous other civilian and military aircraft and air acrobatics displays from all over the world, but the perennial favourite of the Show, the Canadian Forces Snowbirds, performed the air shows finale every year.
Nova Scotia International Air Show (1997-2010)
The NSIAS took place annually between 1997 and 2003 still at the military base in Shearwater, with the exception of 1998 when the Show was cancelled only 5 days before the event due to the crash of Swissair Flight 111, where the hangars at the base were used for the massive crash investigation that followed. In 2004, the beginning of the multi-year renovations in Shearwater in preparation for the new helicopter to replace the Sea King saw the base become unavailable for hosting an air show for a number of years.
From 2004 until 2006 and again in 2008, the Show moved to the Halifax International Airport located in Enfield, Nova Scotia. The venue was especially an excellent location in terms of fans having great places to sit and proved a great home for the Show while there. However, between runway renovations in 2007 leading to the Team's decision to cancel that year's Show and after the great success of the expansion at the airport after the 2008 show, it was decided that the Show was no longer able to hold an Air Show at the venue. This was mainly due to the lack of having long-enough available stretches of "sterile time" when it would be safe for performers to fly in the same airspace with commercial flights arriving and departing.
The Show slowly began its trend towards travelling away from its traditional home in Shearwater when it staged the full Show in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia in 2009. This venue showed the Team both the potential benefits and challenges of "taking the Show on the road".
With the completion of the vast majority of renovations at the base in Shearwater and the central theme of the Centennial of the Royal Canadian Navy, the Show was invited back to Shearwater to host its 2010 Show. With the conversion of the base's runways to being used strictly as a heliport, static displays were limited and performer departures and arrivals were staged primarily out of the Halifax International Airport with the flying taking place over the crowds at the military base.
ATLANTIC CANADA INTERNATIONAL AIR SHOW (ACIAS)
In 2011, a decision was made to re-brand the Air Show. The change in name from the NSIAS to the ATLANTIC CANADA INTERNATIONAL AIR SHOW (ACIAS) was done to reflect the permanent change in our business model to start moving the Show between different communities each year. Since this official change, the Show has been held in Summerside, PEI, Miramichi, NB and Dieppe, NB.
If you missed your annual snowbirds fix, you can get it here (30MB File)!
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