One of the special events taking place on Remembrance Day each year is the Williams Lake Flying Club members taking to the air over the Cenotaph in the Missing Man Formation during the ceremonies.
“It is with great respect that our team had the honour of performing the lost man formation for the Remembrance Day ceremony,” says club spokesperson Sheila Gruenwald.
As the formation flies over, one plane breaks away by rising quickly out of the formation as a symbol of loss, Gruenwald says.
“The plane you may not see is called the “high bird,” Gruenwald says.
“This plane flies above the formation as a coach to ensure the safety of those flying in the formation and to keep the formation configured correctly.
“It is also the position that takes all of the great pictures.”
They practice the formation before the actual show.
This year the skilled pilots flew their practice flights with thick cloud cover and low visibility, but that is their commitment to our fallen soldiers.
The pilots that you see in the picture in this edition of the Weeken Advisor on Page A13 have flown this formation for many years.