STAY CONNECTED: Have the stories that matter most delivered every night to your email inbox. Subscribe to our daily local news wrap.
By Justin Dionne

Memorial project planned for late Snowbirds pilot Gord de Jong

Feb 13, 2019 | 11:08 AM

A life-sized Snowbird plane is planned to be mounted on a pedestal at the Grande Prairie Airport.

The plane would be dedicated to the late Snowbirds pilot Gord de Jong who passed away in a plane crash close to Grande Prairie just over 40 years ago. 

President of the West Peace Aviation Association Lloyd Sherk has asked for the city’s help in completing the project in the form of $50-thousand during Tuesday’s Community Living Committee meeting.

“Gord was a member of the 1978 Snowbird team,” says Sherk. “His aircraft, there was a metal fatigue in one of the components of the tail and his airplane crashed and he was killed at that airshow. Our aim is to have the tutor painted in Snowbird colours on a pedestal. We want to dedicate it on the third of May, 2020. It’ll be the 42nd anniversary of Gord’s death.”

Currently, the plan is to mount the tutor north of the parking lot in late April of next year to have it ready for May 3.

Sherk says the budget for the project is about $228-thousand. He explains the project has received plenty of support.

“We’ve got a huge amount of support from local businesses. We’ve got transportation covered, engineering, design, building of the pedestal, putting the airframe on the pedestal. The other thing is that the airport itself has supported us and would have equipment for landscaping and that sort of thing also.” says Sherk.

He explains that plans have been in the works to erect a plane on a pedestal at the airport for about three years, and that the project’s completion won’t be dependant on whether it gets support from the city.

“It’s going to go ahead whether we get funding from the city or not. The difference is going to be the surplus that we’re expecting to accumulate will be put into an air cadets scholarship.”

The topic will be brought up at the next City Council meeting.

by Justin Dionne