Four individuals and an iconic air demonstration team will be the 2020 inductees into the Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame. “This year’s inductees are Clifford MacKay McEwen, a fighter pilot from the First and Second World Wars; Joseph D. Randell, a leader in Canadian commercial aviation; Shirley Render, author, historian and champion of Canada’s aviation heritage; and Canadian astronaut Bjarni Trygvasson,” said Rod Sheridan, chairman of the board for the CAHF. I am also pleased to announce that the Red Knight, the Royal Canadian Air Force’s solo demonstration team between 1958 and 1969, will receive the Belt of Orion [Award of Excellence].”
The Red Knight was arguably the most famous of the demo teams that thrilled audiences in the 1950s and 1960s. The bright red T-33 would often perform its breathtakingly low level manoeuvres in a double bill with the Golden Hawks, guaranteeing a loud and memorable performance for air show crowds. Budget issues led to the team being disbanded in 1969. The Jet Air Museum in London has a Canadair T-Bird in Red Knight livery.