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Bob Singleton
Bob Singleton has held the microphone at the Abbotsford International Airshow for 41 of its 48 years. Initially, he was assistant to Abbotsford's first announcer, the one-and-only Toby Trowbridge. Bob's first solo announcing job was in 1972 in Penticton. From that humble beginning, he went on to become one of North America's most sought after airshow announcers. He became Abbotsford's primary announcer in 1977. In addition, he's announced hundreds of airshows across Canada from Victoria, B.C. to Shearwater, Nova Scotia. He's travelled north to the Whitehorse Airshow and to southern Oregon for the Medford Flightfest. For 10 years Bob announced the three day Rose Festival Airshow in Portland.
Bob learned to fly at Abotsford's Coastal Pacific Flight Centre in the late 70s. In 1986, EXPO 86 chose him to announce all the World's Fair aviation events. In 1996, 431 Air Demonstration Squadron welcomed him into the elite company of 'Honourary Snowbirds'. He's worked with every team since the Snowbirds formation in 1971. Bob entered the radio broadcasting industry as a disc jockey when he was 19. 38 years later, in 1999, he retired as co-owner of a group of AM and FM radio stations. In 2004, he completed 8 years as Vice-Chair of the Abbotsford Airport Authority, and prior to that served 6 years on the Matsqui (now Abbotsford) Police Board. At present, he is Chair of the Abbotsford Salvation Army's Community Advisory Council. In addition to his love for aviation, Bob is a little 'car crazy'. His 1963 Nova Super Sport has been featured in several magazines and is a regular at local car shows. He also recently added a Shelby GT500 to the collection. Bob spent his first 15 years of life in Winnipeg, but has been in B.C. since the late 1950s. He and his wife, Corinne, reside in Abbotsford.
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Roy Hafeli
As an on-air radio personality and long time airshow announcer, Roy Hafeli provides the other voice of the Abbotsford International Airshow. While still in elementary school, Roy was an avid reader of aviation books and built countless model airplanes, some of which survive to this day. Roy made his first solo flight when he was just 16 and a year later he earned his private pilots licence. Soon after qualifying as a private pilot, Roy received his floatplane endorsement and then moved on to aerobatic training in a classic AT-6 Harvard courtesy of his good friend Tony Swain. During his time in the aviation industry Roy has worked with a floatplane company and as an aircraft painter for Conair Aviation at the Abbotsford Airport.
In 1987, Roy began his air show career announcing the Merritt Air Show. Since then he has been at the microphone for airshows in Lethbridge, Rocky Mountain House, Terrace, Comox, Fort St. John, Peace River, Langley, Chilliwack, Ottawa, and of course, Abbotsford. Roy is a recipient of the North West Council of Airshows Showmanship award and the Eric Beard Spirit of Flight Award. He now serves on the council board. Roy has also recently became an avid motorcyclist. He can often be seen riding his big Yamaha Road Star Silverado around the valley.
This year Roy has joined forces with Ken Hildebrandt to create Hafeli and Hildebrandt Air Show Announcing, Canada's only two man air show announcing team! Check out their website at www.H2A2.ca and on Facebook.
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