NORAD celebrates milestone with Canadian Forces Snowbird flyover

A milestone for NORAD Saturday as the only bi-national military command turns 60 years old.

If you looked up at the sky Saturday, chances are you saw Lieutenant Colonel Mike French, the commanding officer of the Canadian forces snowbirds in action during NORAD’s 60th anniversary.

“This is my sixth year as a snowbird. I did six years previously on the team as a wing pilot,” he said.

French is just one of nine in the squadron. He says being a part of NORAD’s 60th celebration is an honor. “NORAD has been basically my life since 9/11,” he said. “I was a junior fighter pilot on 9/11 and for the better part of the last 8 years, I’ve been doing NORAD duty.” NORAD tracks missiles and threats in the air, sea and space. They’re skills proving versatile according to pilot Scott Benton.

“We can see who the bad guys are or at least help see who the bad guys are and provide information to the fleet,” Benton said. While NORAD was created during the cold war, when there was division in the nation, Saturday was about unity. “It represents more than a friendship between Canada and the United States. What it says is Canada trusts the United States to protect its territories and vice versa,” Lt. Col. French said. NORAD works hard to help avoid disaster and hopes to continue for more years to come.