CF-18 Hornets wow onlookers in Vancouver during NORAD training
Fighter jets from Cold Lake, Alta., were completing routine training
Two CF-18 Hornets wowed and startled Vancouverites on Tuesday afternoon as the fighter jets flew over the city for a training exercise.
The Canadian Armed Forces confirmed in a statement the aircraft flew from Cold Lake, Alta., to Comox, B.C., as a part of routine training with NORAD, the North American Air Defense Command.
The forces said the fighter jets completed airborne testing of radios over Vancouver to support the Canadian Air Defence Sector, and that the training activities ensure the region is prepared to respond to threats and emergencies.
The aircraft followed all speed and altitude restrictions, according to the statement.
The sights and sounds of the fighter jets over Vancouver prompted speculation and jokes alike.
Just heard what sounds like a fighter jet scream overhead in Vancouver. The opening scene in the 1984 movie Red Dawn comes to mind.
—@WawmeeshInteresting fighter jet flyby in South Vancouver a few minutes ago... <a href="https://t.co/OQrlPkdBvx">pic.twitter.com/OQrlPkdBvx</a>
—@_Joseph_Lam_Fighter jets overhead in downtown Vancouver, is this a new cloud seeding vaccination routine?
—@craigminiellydid anyone else in vancouver think there was a glitch in the simulation with a long thundering sound just to end up seeing fighter jets?
—@levifriesssen