Second EAA/IMC Club in Canada Opens in Vancouver

May 2017 - EAA/IMC Club in Canada held their inaugural meeting at the Maxcraft Avionics Building — at Pitt Meadows Airport, Vancouver, British Columbia, on December 7. It is the second EAA/IMC Club group that formed in Canada. Almost 50 pilots from the surrounding airports gathered to initiate this Vancouver group of one of the fastest-growing EAA aviation proficiency programs. EAA/IMC is a proficiency program that creates a community of pilots willing to share experience, promote safety, and help improve each other’s IMC flying skills. The meeting was organized and led by Steve Nunn and co-chairman Rick Johnson. Both are local general aviation pilots.

Pitt Meadows Airport (CYPK) is a Canadian general aviation airport located in the southwest corner of Pitt Meadows, British Columbia. In 2011, it was the 15th busiest airport in Canada and is the third busiest airport in the Lower Mainland. Five flight training schools are located at the airport, which features three asphalt runways, two helipads, IFR approaches, and a separate float plane dock along the Fraser River.

Steve Nunn, a pilot and sales and business development director at Maxcraft Avionics, is the EAA/IMC Club program coordinator at this location.

The meeting, which started at 7 p.m., was preceded by a barbecue organized by Maxcraft Avionics.

At this inaugural meeting, prospective members were given the opportunity to meet and interact with IMC Club Founder and EAA IMC program manager Radek Wyrzykowski, who introduced them to the EAA/IMC Club, its history, philosophy, and mission objective. At the end of his presentation, one of the discussion scenarios was also offered. Then, the attendees had the chance to discuss how they would handle the situation presented. All participants of EAA/IMC Clubs, regardless of their flying experience, may express their views without reservations.

EAA/IMC Clubs provide organized “hangar flying” focused on building proficiency. It’s the only program of its kind. The EAA/IMC Clubs concept is to bring together IFR pilots who fly in the real world, “actual IMC,” and provide them an opportunity to share stories, network with the larger pilot community, and gain valuable insights and tips for their IFR flying. All stories and scenarios produced by the club for use during chapter meetings are real and based on submissions by members. EAA/IMC Club meetings provide a forum for promoting participation and discussion of IFR flying.