Darren Campbell
Northern News Services

NNSL (Aug 21/98) - It is show-off time in Yellowknife for the Canadian Armed Forces.

On Sunday, the Yellowknife International Airshow and Armed Forces Day is set to take off.

Featuring the likes of the Canadian Forces Snowbirds and Skyhawks and civilian aerobatics performers Bill Carter and Kirk Calvert, the show should be a good one.

The public affairs officer for the Canadian Forces Northern Area Headquarters, 2nd Lieut. Mark Gough, said the show also gives the Forces a chance to show the public what they do.

"We get a chance to show our stuff," said Gough. "It's for exposure, particularly in Yellowknife where we don't have a large military presence. We get a chance to show what we use and what we do."

Along with the various airplanes, Gough said some military equipment is also being shipped up for the show. Some of the equipment includes Leopard tanks, a Coyote armored reconnaissance vehicle and an armored personnel carrier.

Luckily for the spectators, the airshow is being held in late August. The first international airshow in Yellowknife was in May of 1996 and the weather was cold. Approximately 3,000 people showed up that day in -10 celsius weather.

Gough hopes that warmer weather brings out a crowd of close to 9,000 people.

"We pushed it back further to take advantage of the nicer weather," said Gough. "Also, most people will be in town because its the last weekend before (Labor Day weekend)."

The gates open for the show at 10 a.m. and close at 5 p.m., which will be held at DND/RCMP hangar.