Miramichiers tour big yellow bird during surprise visit
Families out shopping and motorists passing through all stopped to look at the bus-sized search-and-rescue helicopter that landed at Boston Pizza Monday.
The helicopter, a Canadian Forces CH-149 Cormorant from 413 Squadron in CFB Greenwood, N.S., was on its way to a hoist-rescue training exercise with the Coast Guard in Shippigan. The seven men aboard — pilots and aircrew in olive green jumpsuits and search-and-rescue technicians in bright orange — took a few minutes to show off their aircraft to passers-by. Children and adults peered into the cockpit, sat with their feet dangling out the rescue door on the side or stared up at the huge rotors.
"That was the coolest part of my whole year," she said Yasmin Ahmed after being shown through the helicopter.
Trish Reynolds of Nelson said she took her five-year-old son, Colby, to see the helicopter because he loves the Rescue Heroes TV show.
"That was amazing," she said after the tour.
"I liked the buttons," commented Colby.
A substantial crowd gathered to watch the Cormorant take off, holding on to hats and young children as the jet-powered rotors whipped debris into the air as it rose almost vertically into the air and thundered over the parking lot, leaving a shower of dry leaves and bits of grass to float down like confetti on the watching crowd in its wake. Then the pilots turned back and flew low over the restaurant again, to the delight of the onlookers.
Boston Pizza general manager Loreen McGrath said Cormorant crews from Greenwood frequently stop by the Miramichi restaurant.
"They're regulars here," she said. "This is probably their sixth time here."
She added she often jokes that she is going to put down a landing pad for them on the grassy area outside, where the helicopter lands on almost every visit.
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