A Project with The Royal Canadian Mint

Report by Katherine Simunkovic
CAHS Newsletter Editor
posted May 2023
Starting in July 2021 and throughout 2022, Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame, worked closely with The Royal Canadian Mint on a special coin commemorating The Red Knight, the Hall’s 2020 recipient of the Belt of Orion Award for Excellence.
Images from the Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame.
The RCAF Training Command’s solo aerobatic performer between 1958 and 1969, the Red Knight flew over 600 air show appearances – making it second only to the Snowbirds for the number of performances flown by a military aerobatic display team. Seventeen different pilots flew as the Red Knight, either in the venerable Canadair CT-133, ‘T-Birds’ or the Canadair CT-114 Tutor. Often decked out in Day-Glo red, the team is best remembered for performing at smaller venues unable to accommodate larger established teams with each manoeuvre performed within the airfield’s boundaries. The Red Knight was awarded the Centennial Medal in 1967. In recent years the team’s distinctive paint scheme has been revived by civilian operations across North America.
 
For this special project, Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame pulled in Hall historian Jonathan Scotland, historian and Red Knight expert John Corrigan and former Snowbird and author of “A Tradition of Excellence, Canada’s Airshow Team Heritage” Dan Dempsey. Careful work was taken to ensure the design correctly portrayed the T-Bird and Tutor and the team’s famous logo, with its distinctive golden plume. Special attention was also paid to the coin’s colouring.
 
The result is a 2 oz silver coin that expertly captures the history of The Red Knight. The coin’s bright red and the subtle, laser-engraving of the team’s emblem on its obverse really stand out! If you would like to order a Red Knight commemorative coin, please visit the Royal Canadian Mint. We at the Hall think it a fitting tribute to The Red Knight and a special reminder of the powerful stories told by Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame.
 
“The moment I learned about the Red Knight, I was immediately intrigued and excited to learn more. Being a person who is naturally drawn to vintage subject matter, the Red Knight’s story and imagery captivated me. I also grew up near the Hamilton airport and our family would watch the airshow every summer in our backyard, I’ve always loved planes! It was a true honour to bring this story onto a coin and I believe the team did a great job telling it!”
  • Matt Eggink, Production Manager, Royal Canadian Mint.
 
Video provided by the Royal Canadian Mint.
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