Family Day at 408 THS
2Lt Catie Keyser, 408 THS
14 September 2013
This past Saturday, 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron (THS) hosted their annual Family Day. The day honoured the family of current 408 THS members, and allowed them to tour the workplace of their loved ones.
Saturday’s event was host to a variety of events and activities, including demonstrations and tours of various sections of the unit.
Attendees were granted access to the Air Traffic Control Tower, were given demonstrations of the use of night vision goggles, and close family members were flown in the squadron’s CH146 Griffon Helicopter over the city of Edmonton and the South end of the base. There were stations featuring sea survival equipment and military first aid. The children visiting the squadron were especially enthralled with the robotic miniature vehicles, the inflatable castle, getting their face painted, and climbing all over the many vehicles brought to the event.
Many units on base participated in 408THS’ Family Day, and the squadron would like to thank them all for showcasing their equipment and various vehicles. 3 PPCLI set up a para display, 1 PPCLI gave Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV) rides, LdSH(RC) brought a Leopard tank and a Bison armoured support vehicle, and 1 Fd 
Amb brought a Light Support (LS) ambulance. The Military Police also brought a police patrol car, the Fire Hall drove over a fire truck, and 1 CER brought a vehicle from the new Afghanistan fleet called a Cougar as well as their Improvised Explosive Device (IED) robot.
Another thrill added to the day was the 2008 Z06 Corvette driven up by Davenport Motorsports of Calgary. The vehicle was primarily built by Bryan Szasz, Nephew to 408THS Maj Phil Shilling, and he answered many questions by eager families throughout the day.
Capt Chris Filiatreault and Capt Krista Cascun were the Officer’s of primary influence (OPI’s) for the event. It was mentioned by many attendees that it was one of the best Family Days at the unit in recent memory. In the words of MWO Dan Campbell, the Senior Aircraft Maintenance Supervisor at 408THS, “The LAV rides, Helicopter rides, static display and professionalism and courtesy of all the volunteers made for a memorable day by all.”
