First Ever Bushcaddy Factory Fly-in

The first annual BushCaddy Fly-in in 18 years of manufacturing is now scheduled for the weekend of July 14 and 15, 2012 at Lachute, Quebec (CSE4).

Camping on airport will be arranged for those wishing to do so and will be set up at the rear of the Bushcaddy Hangar.

Arrangements are also underway to provide toilet and shower facilities.

RSVP: Anyone intending to camp are asked to confirm with Tony by email as soon as possible.

All meals will be catered for at minimal cost. As well as the usual burgers there will be some international cuisine available for people wishing to try something different.

Activities will be arranged such as a short take-off and landing competition and flour bombing closest to the target. The evening will see a little music and perhaps a karaoke contest for our pilot wannabe rock stars.

All breeds of aircraft are welcome to attend, the more the merrier!

• BushCaddy website

Impromptu Fly-In Held at Morrisburg

Here is some good news about pilots making use of Morrisburg Airport, which owned by the St. Lawrence Parks Commission

Mr. Darren Dalgleish
GM and CEO
St. Lawrence Parks Commission
13740 County Rd. 2
Morrisburg, ON K0C 1X0

Dear Sir,

I would like to refer back to a meeting at your facility last summer between local aviators and yourself arranged by COPA VP of Operations Patrick Gilligan. As a group we discussed the potential of the aerodrome at Upper Canada Village.

Attached are a few photos taken yesterday at the Upper Canada Village airstrip.

This was an impromptu fly-in started by some pilot emailing a friend to "let's do lunch".

The result was that 15 aircraft carrying about 25 people flew in to your airstrip and dined at the restaurant at the golf course. Everyone enjoyed themselves and expressed a wish to do this again.

Food & service was terrific! Staff even transported us back to the aircraft via golf carts.

More photos can be seen at our website in the "Gallery" section.

Small planes fly in regularly during the season that you are open and both the golf course restaurant and the Village are favourite attractions. The planes in the photos came from the St. Lazare Flying Club and the Cornwall Flying Club/COPA Flt. 59.

I remember that in the past, fly-ins to visit Upper Canada Village were planned by different flying clubs, COPA Flights and even the International Flying Farmers. Hopefully this will continue in the years to come.

Thanks again for the hospitality of your facilities.

Cheers,

Barry Franklin
President
Cornwall Flying Club/COPA Flt 59

Kevin Psutka, CEO of COPA added the following:

Barry:

Thank you for bringing the fly-in to Mr. Dalgleish's attention. I would like to add my comments in support of this aerodrome, which continues to support area tourism, making aviation a mode of transport to both Upper Canada Village and the golf course and bringing revenue into the local economy. I viewed the additional photos on the COPA Flight web site and would like to emphasize that this sort of activity occurs frequently during the summer flying season. With some minor upkeep, such as removing vegetation from the cracks in the pavement, this aerodrome can continue to serve as a tourism destination for years to come. And if Mr. Dalgleish needs some statistics to show that our sector of aviation is alive and well, and consequently demand for this aerodrome will continue for years to come, I have attached a series of PowerPoint slides derived from Transport Canada statistics, which clearly show that the number of aircraft in Canada continues to grow and that the growth is primarily due to small, privately registered aircraft like those depicted in the photos.

I am aware of the discussions that have occurred concerning retention of the aerodrome. I strongly support its retention and hope that the recent demonstration of its use as well as the statistics I have provided will help in Mr. Dalgleish's efforts to ensure that the aerodrome remains available for many years to come.

Kevin Psutka
President and CEO
Canadian Owners and Pilots Association

• Morrisburg Places to Fly Listing

Aerobatics with Jonathan and Jean-Pierre

COPA Flight 8 invites you to our June meeting. All welcome.

Very few pilots actually take aerobatic training. This meeting will detail what is involved. Is it fun or just hard work, is it worthwhile, will it make you a more skilled and better pilot or will you just spend the airtime barfing? JP Seguin and Jonathan Rotondo present all the answers from their own experiences learning aerobatics.

JP Seguin took Jonathan Rotondo's aerobatic course at Rockcliffe Flying Club and has since done some aerobatics in an Extra 300 and a Harvard. He has videos from both experiences which he will show.

Meeting Details

28 June 2012 at 19:30

Rockcliffe Flying Club Classroom

No Canada Day Fly-In in 2012?

The Rockcliffe Flying Club has traditionally held a fly-in on Canada Day, July 1, each year, but this year it looks as if it has been cancelled.

The Rockcliffe Flying Club calendar doesn't show the event this year and neither does the club list of flying activities.

I have been to the fly-in the last few years and it doesn't come as a surprise that it does not seem to be on this year. In the past three years it has barely drawn half a dozen aircraft. In 2011 only ten aircraft attended, even though weather conditions were perfect, with a warm, but not hot, sunny day and no significant wind. I think a lot of people have other plans for long weekends in the summer and that the event just petered out from lack of interest.

• Rockcliffe Flying Club website

Update: As described in the comments below it looks like the fly-in is actually "on", it is just that the RFC website has not been updated to reflect that, however it is mentioned on the RFC's Facebook page.

WACO UPF-7 Flips At Rockcliffe

The 1940 model WACO UPF-7 biplane used by Wetaskiwin, Alberta-based Central Aviation to provide tourist flights from the Canada Aviation and Space Museum flipped on landing at Rockcliffe on Sunday 17 June 2012.

The aircraft was flying two tourists at the time. The pilot was uninjured, while the two passengers were sent to hospital. One, a 64-year-old man, was listed in stable condition with spinal injuries. The other passenger, a 66-year-old woman, was in stable condition with an arm injury and a possible spinal injury.

The cause of the accident is not known at this time. It is also unknown what the extent of the damage is and whether the aircraft will be repairable or not.

Central Aviation has operated tourist flights in Ottawa for the past twenty years without incident and has owned the WACO, registered CF-LEF, since 1996.

• 2 injured after biplane flips on landing - CBC
• Ottawa biplane crash survivor recounts nosedive - CBC

Smiths Falls Flying Club Hangar Survey

By Anne Barr

COPA Flight 100, Smiths Falls Flying Club, is conducting a feasibility study for a series of T-hangars and has prepared an anonymous, on-line survey to help guide this initiative.

The survey is very short, does not collect any personal information, and participation does not imply a commitment in any way, shape, or form.

Many thanks in advance for your assistance with this endeavour!

• Survey

Obstructions Near Airports Survey

by Patrick Gilligan, COPA HQ

Our goal in doing this survey is to provide valuable input from our members to Transport Canada with regards to cellular telephone and communications towers, wind turbines and other obstructions that are proposed to be constructed within close proximity of an aerodrome.

The survey should take less than 5 minutes to complete. Thank you.

• Survey website

Hawkesbury East Airport Hangar Fire

By Steve Farnworth, COPA Flight 131, The Hawkesbury Flying Club

There was a fire last night at the Hawkesbury East Airport. The big hangar was completely destroyed. Thankfully no one was injured. The cause presently is unknown.

Our sympathy goes out to Michel and Natalie. They lost many irreplaceable personal things that were stored inside. Fortunately two aircraft normally stored in the hangar were in other hangars, but Michel lost his aircraft as well as many parts and tools and souvenirs.

The Farm Next to Pontiac Airpark Has Been Sold

By André Durocher

The 80 acre farm adjacent to the Pontiac Airpark, that was previously mentioned, has found a buyer and will be developed into an equestrian facility. Residential lots will be available for this project.

Ladies and gentlemen come and play!!

Next step: the golf course, hotel, restaurant and the spa!

• Pontiac Airpark Homepage

Ninety Nines East Canada Section

Wow, Gail and I had a great time last night at the 99s banquet. Thank you all involved!
The Eastern Ontario Chapter hosted the East Canada Section Meeting in Ottawa Friday and Saturday. The banquet saw a good crowd, even several COPA Flight 8 Members attended.
We learned a lot about Canadian heroes and the BCATP from the presentations by the flying Flecks, Rob and daughter Heather Fleck.  They told the Vintage Wings Canada story of Heroes. That’s right, Vintage Wings dedicates their planes flown to the true Canadian heroes, the airmen and solders who flew in them.
Another highlight was dedication by the 99s of a new Canadian stamp honouring the long time 99s member Isabel Peppler for her tireless work educating pilots through up dating the most common Canadian pilot training guide, From the Ground Up, Aviation Publishers Co. Limited. Isabel Peppler’s husband, Bill Peppler, and her son Graeme were presented with plaques displaying the stamp.
Gail and I were honoured to be seated with Martha Phillips, 99s International Inc. treasurer and her husband Mark, Cathy Fox, Governor of Eastern Canada Section, Lisa Bishop (incoming secretary for the 99 East Canada Section) and Bill Reed (COPA Flight 8), and finally Jean-Pierre Seguin and Maria de Sousa (Flight 8 Members). Also present from COPA flight 8 was Dennis Pharaoh. Thanks 99s Eastern Ontario Chapter for a great evening.

Tom Smith Golf Tournament 20 June 2012

There will be a golf tournament and dinner in memory of Tom Smith, former Captain of COPA Flight 132, Embrun. All proceeds from the event will go for liver cancer research.

The event will be held at the Anderson Links Golf and Country Club, 4175 Anderson Road, Gloucester, Ontario 613-822-9644 or 613-822-0337

The dinner is open to everyone, regardless of whether you play in the golf tournament or not.

Please contact Sharon Armstrong for further information or a donation at 613-913-0721

Pontiac Airpark To Have Ferry Access

By André Durocher

We have been awaiting this news for a number of years, the Quyon ferry will now be operating twelve months a year! The boat will accommodate 90 tons of vehicles, including tractor-trailers and motor coaches, instead of the previous 10 ton limit.

The ferry will make car access from Pontiac Airpark on the north side of the Ottawa River to Kanata and Arnprior easy all year around!

99s First Canadian Chapter Poker Run Coming Up

The First Canadian Chapter of the 99s, the women pilots association is coming up in two week's time, on 16 June 2012. The rain date is 17 June 2012.

The event is open to anyone who flies.

Each Poker hand costs $5 or $20 for 5 hands. Hands can be sold to anyone. Pick up some for your friends.

Start at one of the designated airports and buy the hands. Draw the first card at the starting airport.

An aircraft may 'fly' as many hands as they wish. The person to whom the hand was sold does not have to fly in the aircraft to be eligible for a prize.

Fly in any sequence to four more of the designated airports (including the terminus).

At each airport give the hands to the attending 99 and then draw one card per hand. The 99 will randomly staple a card (in two places), to each of the hands, then will stamp and initial the card.

CARDS MAY NOT BE INTER-CHANGED BETWEEN HANDS.

Fly to the terminus airport by 2:30 p.m., draw the last card and hand in the poker hand for judging.

Judging will be according to standard Draw Poker. The judges’ decision is final.

The person who ‘flies’ a winning hand is responsible for picking up the prize at the terminus and delivering it to the owner of the winning hand.

The participating airports are:

• Burlington CZBA
• Brampton CNC3
• Buttonville CYKZ
• Lindsay CNF4
• Greenbank (grass) CNP8
• Peterborough CYPQ
• Lake Simcoe Regional CYLS
• Oshawa CYOO

Complete information