Great Canadian Adventure

October 2017 - We’ve had some amazing weather this September. Temperatures in my haunts north and south were the same yesterday — 31°C. Sustained highs might bring warm weather, but they also tend to promote relatively stable nonconductive air when the humidity drops at this time of year. It’s a spectacular time to fly with the fall colours.

As I wrote last month, we had a great trip to Prince Edward Island, and my buddies Doug and Carrie Martin were excellent company. Doug was invited to accompany Bits and Pieces contributing writer Jay Davis on a trip across Canada from Burlington Executive Airport in Ontario to Victoria, British Columbia, to help relocate his Zenith CH 750. That means that within the space of a couple of weeks, Doug flew the entire breadth of this great country in small aircraft. What an achievement. What a great Canadian adventure. Congrats, Doug. Hopefully Doug or Jay will submit an article for the next issue of Bits and Pieces.

Did you know that if you fly Young Eagles as an EAA member, you will need to order forms from EAA before you fly? You will have to fill out a form and order the starter pack that parents need to sign. You can order the starter pack here. There are several other constraints, but most of them are covered if you and your aircraft are current. The one difference between flying Young Eagles in Canada and in the United States is that, presently, the Youth Protection Policy doesn’t apply north of the border.

It’s worth the little time it takes to order the forms in advance. There are so many benefits to signing your young aspiring pilots up that it’s a shame not to take advantage, and you can’t do it after the fact. Just as a reminder, you need to carry passenger liability, too. Order your starter pack now, even if it’s just for that one niece or nephew whom you take for a ride. One of my nephews is now a commercial pilot. I regret not having had the foresight to sign him up for Young Eagles when I took him for his first-ever ride. Young Eagles get a free EAA student membership and online ground school courtesy of Sporty’s Pilot Shop. Young Eagles also qualify for a free first flight lesson at an approved flight school and, yes, that applies in Canada. Sign up for your Young Eagles pilot supplies now!

When I became a pilot, like many, I was in my 50s, had kids who had made it through university, etc. There is a program for men and women like us who express an interest in aviation later in life. It’s called the Eagle Flights program. You can play a similar role to that of the Young Eagles program in becoming a mentor for older folks with a new or renewed interest in flying. If you have an interest in this program, you can order your Eagles Flights mentor package here. As a bonus, Eagle Flights candidates are offered a six-month free EAA membership, which is a great way to keep the pot boiling. Being a mentor is not only a fulfillment in itself, it’s a great way to expand your community of aviators.