Flying Club’s popular summer

Pancake Breakfast Fly-in happening Aug. 19

Gordon Edgar - Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com

The Moose Jaw Flying Club’s popu-tors from across the province and draws scores of visitors from the city, who come for the food, the planes, and updates on the airport — The next MJFC event is Saturday, August 19, from 8 to 11 a.m.

The MJFC is also the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA) chapter number 215. MJFC/COPA 215 is an inexpensive, low-obligation way to get pilots. Membership dues are only $25 a year, and the club is open for all enthusiasts. Club members are happy to show new members around the airport. When time and weather allow, members can go for free on special occasions. Being a COPA member provides the necessary insurance coverage and Transport Canada

“One of the things we want to remind people of on these occasions is that you don’t have to own a plane or be a pilot to be a member of this club,” Greg Simpson, a pilot and currently chair of the board of the Moose Jaw Airport Authority (MJAA), noted during a recent MJFC/COPA 215 meeting. “I mean, it isn’t an expensive membership, and its a great way to get out and have a look at things. Lots of people even love just looking at planes, and we all love talking about them.” - dition at airports across the country, although for anyone attending from other places (Prince Albert, Yorkton, Estevan, or even the US), the occasions are technithroughout each season to host them. child will win a free airplane ride ‘Discovery Flight’ just by attending, and MJFC members are contemplating other enterbombing event or a spot landing contest.

Prices for the pancake breakfast have can eat for $12, and kids for $8, so a family of four can get breakfast for $40 even.

Both contests are fairly self-explana- bombing run, and attempts to hit closest to the target. Spot landing competitions are to see which pilot can land closest to a marked position, with points deducted for stopping too far in front or behind.

“Those do sound fun,” laughed club president Roger Blager as members began debating the piloting techniques, air marshalling requirements, altitude restrictions, and more that would go into organizing such contests. “Let’s just keep in mind that this is all dependent on weather, and volunteers, and how many people that’s always number one.”

Skydive South Sask usually does a few jumps for the crowds at these breakfasts as well, although the past several MJFC/COPA 215 events have seen an exin had groups from other airports cancelling because their weather stopped them taking off, and the skydivers couldn’t jump because of rain.

The club, which currently has about 35 members, are thinking about hosting a full day of COPA Discovery Flights sometime this fall once school has resumed. And not just the for kids: There are plenty

“There’s a lot of general public in Moose Jaw who would also love to go club member who also sits on the MJAA board. “And that was very evident at our Ukrainian Rotary banquet. We put that -