High-flying dreams of young cancer survivor get Toronto Air Show liftoff
An Ontario boy who beat cancer three times before the age of six years old got the opportunity to get up close and personal with his dreams of becoming a pilot at the Canadian National Airshow Thursday.
“It was so cool,” eight-year-old speed enthusiast Marky Czutrin told CTV News after a tour of a CF-18 cockpit. “It made me think that I was in the air show and that I was controlling the plane, and it made me so happy.”
Czutrin was one of the first children in Canada to undergo CAR T-cell therapy back in 2019, following two and a half years with leukemia and two relapses before the disease went into full remission.
He was one of several highflyers-in-training – guests of Peel Regional Police who got up close and personal at Pearson Airport on Thursday with fighter jets and the stars of Canada’s largest air show, taking place this Labour Day long weekend.
“Our mission here is to get the younger generations and the next kids to replace us one day,” Maj. Kristin “Beo” Wolfe, United States Air Force pilot and Commander of the USAF F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team, told CTV news Toronto.
(CTV News Toronto)
The air show runs from noon until 3 p.m. on Sept. 3 to 5.
One staple of the event for years will be absent: the Canadian Forces Snowbirds confirmed last week the Tutor jets—which are nearly 60 years old—will not make the trip to the Canadian National Exhibition after being grounded following an accident on Aug. 2 in Fort St. John, B.C.
Little details have been released about the accident.
Other performers include the Canadian Forces Skyhawks: Canada’s only military parachute demonstration team. Members helped show the young enthusiasts on Thursday how to properly pack a parachute for deployment.
Canadian Air Force Capt. Jesse “Modem” Haggart-Smith will be the opening act, soaring in one of Canada’s legacy CF-18 stealth jets.
“It’s an absolute blast—it’s a dream come true I get to go up there,” said the CAF 401 Tactical Fighter Squadron pilot.
While Cuztrin says, like the Sonic the Hedgehog on his hat, he is fast—he says he isn’t sure just yet if he wants to fly a commercial airplane or something with a little more zip.
“Maybe if I practice a lot I could fly a million or a thousand miles per hour,” he surmised
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
Ontario to ban use of cellphones in school classrooms starting in September
Ontario is introducing a suite of measures that will crack down on cellphone use and vaping in schools.
Murder charge laid after man falls to death from Toronto apartment balcony
One person has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of a man who fell from a balcony following an altercation inside a Toronto apartment building.
Ukraine's army chief reports tactical retreat in the east, and warns of front-line pressure
Ukraine's troops have been forced to make a tactical retreat from three villages in the embattled east, the country's army chief said Sunday, warning of a worsening battlefield situation as Ukrainian forces wait for much-needed arms from a huge U.S. aid package to reach combat zones.
Dozens in Italy give a fascist salute on the anniversary of Mussolini's execution
Dozens of people raised their arms in the fascist salute and shouted a fascist chant during ceremonies Sunday to honor Italian dictator Benito Mussolini on the 79th anniversary of his execution.
'Do not consume': Gift Chocolate recalled due to undeclared milk, soy
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a recall for a specific chocolate brand sold in Ontario and Quebec.
Laurentian University to spend millions on recommendations in second budget post insolvency, but nothing new to reopen pool
Laurentian University's board of governors approved a budget of just over $201.7 million for the 2024-2025 fiscal year.
Here's where Canadians are living abroad: report
A recent report sheds light on Canadians living abroad--estimated at around four million people in 2016—and the public policies that impact them.
Zendaya tennis movie ‘Challengers’ scores at weekend box office
Zendaya and castmates Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor have been on a globetrotting press tour to get the word out about Italian director Luca Guadagnino's original film, which opened in 3,477 locations in the U.S. and Canada.