About Us
Precision Aerobatic Formation
Drawing on their heritage as veteran RCAF pilots, Brent Handy, Todd Farrell and Greg Hume-Powell are the Northern Stars. Flying the classic Pitts Special in tight, precision formations and wringing it out with exciting freestyle maneuvers, the Northern Stars are getting great reviews!
The show starts off with a dramatic opposing pass followed by Brent's fast paced, surface-level aerobatics before being joined by Todd & Greg for precise loops, rolls and much more in tight, military style formation with billowing airshow smoke.
Let The Good Times Roll
At the end of the day, we fly because we love it and we love to share this passion with our fans. The airshow community has given us deep friendships and connected us to other aviation lovers around the world.
Partnership Opportunities Abound
Our long term plan is to expand the team to 4 airplanes performing at 10 to 15 events across Canada and the USA each year - offering a unique platform to associate your energetic and growing business with our team. Our values all revolve around balance - living a healthy lifestyle, enjoying time with friends and family, and wringing every last drop of joy out of the blessings we call life!
Our Pilots
Team Lead - Brent Handy
From Wyevale, Ontario, Brent started flying gliders at 17 years old and never looked back. After graduating from Sault College's Aviation Technology program, Brent enrolled in the RCAF where he served as a CF-18 fighter pilot and Hawk instructor pilot before being selected to fly as Opposing Solo for the renowned Canadian Forces Snowbirds in 2012/13. After a year sabbatical living aboard a small sailboat and travelling the Bahamas and Cuba with his family of four, Brent re-enrolled in the RCAF and continues to serve as an instructor pilot on the CT-156 Harvard II.
After flying with the Snowbirds, Brent has remained on the airshow circuit performing surface-level unrestricted aerobatics in the Pitts S-2B and is now an accredited Aerobatics Competency Evaluator with over 11 years in airshows.
Brent is taking a 2 year leave of absence from the Northern Stars to return to the Canadian Forces Snowbirds to be the Team Lead for the 2024/2025 show seasons.
Right Wing - Todd Farrell
Todd joined Brent on the airshow circuit in 2017 when the Northern Stars were born. Also beginning his flying career in gliders, Todd has logged thousands of hours in over 40 aircraft types and built the foundation of his aerobatic flying in the RCAF. He served as an instructor pilot on the CT-155 Hawk and flew humanitarian support and combat missions around the globe as a pilot of the C-17 Globemaster. Todd is currently an airline Training Captain on the Airbus A320.
Not only does Todd have an impressive flying resume, but he also brings a touching story of determination to the show. Early in fighter pilot training, he was diagnosed with stage four cancer but emerged victorious after doctors told him he may never fly high performance aircraft again. Today Todd flies airshows to demonstrate that anything is possible, no matter what the odds. His goal is to inspire all to reach for the "impossible".
Interim Team Lead / Left Wing - Greg Hume-Powell
Hailing from West Vancouver, British Columbia, Greg joined the Northern Stars in 2021. Continuing the theme of a lifelong passion for flight, Greg also earned his first set of wings in the Royal Canadian Air Cadet program in 1997. A 20 year veteran of the RCAF, Greg flew the venerable Sea-King helicopter where he participated in several multi-national deployments, highlighted by Counter-Piracy operations off the coast in Somalia in 2009. He then was posted to the Big 2 in Moose Jaw, SK, as a CT-156 Harvard instructor pilot in 2011 before joining the Canadian Forces Snowbirds as the Outer Right Wing for the 2016 season, moving to the Opposing Solo and Lead Solo positions for the 2017 and 2018 seasons.
Greg currently flies the Boeing 787 Dreamliner with Air Canada, now having amassed over 8000 hours throughout his career. He lives in Cookstown, Ontario with his wife and 3 awesome kids.
Left Wing - Mario Hamel
Mario’s first steps in aviation were made at the helm of a Schweizer
2-33 glider 42 years ago. A graduate from RMC in 1989, Mario
obtained his RCAF pilot wings in 1990. After 3 years as a flight
instructor, Standard pilot and maintenance test pilot on the CT114
Tutor, Mario joined the world-famous Canadian Snowbirds
demonstration team as Snowbirds #2 for the 1994 and 1995 seasons.
Having tasted airshows, Mario left the Canadian Forces and cofounded
the Northern Lights Aerobatic Team flying for six seasons in
the Extra 300, then moving on to the Aero Vodochody L39. After a 10-
year hiatus Mario rejoined the Airshow industry in 2012 performing in
the YAK52W with Yak Attack Airshows until 2021. Now with Time Flies
Airshows flying the Pitts Model 12 and the Salto aerobatic glider, Mario
is part of this most unusual dual act flying aerobatics and formation
behind and along side the CJ-6A.
Mario has logged well over 500 airshow performances in various
locations as Canada, USA, Mexico, El Salvador, Germany,
Thailand and China. He even flew an airshow for a moving cruise ship
somewhere in the Caribbean sea 50 miles from the nearest shore.
Returning to his love for precision formation aerobatics Mario began flying
with the Northern Stars Aeroteam in 2024.
Married since 1989, he has two grown children, one grandchild, and
makes Montreal his home.