The Patrician MAY-JUNE 2022
The Victoria Flying Club ~ Aviation Excellence Since 1946
THE PHOTOGRAPHY OF
AARON BURTON
NEED HANGAR SPACE?
The Patrician
Contact Marcel at the Club to see if a hangar spot is a good spot for your plane and to get on the waitlist.
“To “T o promote flying and aviation in general, and to teach and train persons in the art and science of flying and navigating and operating all manner of heavier-than-air aircraft.” (Victoria Flying Club Incorporation Bylaws, 1946)
BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT Don Devenney VICE PRESIDENT Colin Williamson SECRETARY Glen Rippon TREASURER Cal Mjolsnes DIRECTORS Iain Barnes Graham Palmer Adam Johnston Laurie Ingalls
TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 5 6 15 16 25 26
News around the Club Top Gun: Maverick A Year Out by Kat McGie Staff rofite9 P Russettraham G Ground School Schedule The Photography of Aaron Burton Member Achievements & First Solos Thanks for the Share!
GENERAL Mike Schlievert MANAGER
CONTACT 1852 Canso Road Sidney, BC V8L 5V5
www.flyvfc.com P: 250-656-2833 info@flyvfc.com F: 250-655-0910
PARKING AVAILABLE!
Editor: Kelly J. Clark vfcpatrician@gmail.com
The Patrician accepts unsolicited submissions. This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part with prior permission of the publisher or author. The opinions expressed are strictly those of the authors.
Interested in prime paved parking spaces forouy r aircraft5ood G ewN s9 there are spots available! Secure, pull-in/pull-out, easy access. Call Dispatch at 250-656-2833 to arrange a spot or to get on the waitlist for hangar spaces!
SUBSCRIPTIONS vfcpatrician@gmail.com http://flyvfc.com/subscribe-to-the-patrician
PHOTO CREDITS Front cover photo provided by Aaron Burton.
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MAY & JUNE 2022
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15% discount on Cessna rental rates and purchases in the Litt e Pi ot Shop; 10% discount for everyone who pays fully in advance for their annua aircraft parking fees for 0 0 on
VFC | Aviation Excellence Since 1946
y
NEWS
Around the Club To help you enjoy the long weekend, the Social Saturday scheduled on July 2nd has been moved to July 9th. Have a lovely Canada Day and sleep in! We'll see you the next week!
COMMITTEES NEED YOU! The VFC still needs members to join the Social Committee and the Marketing Committee! Please email gm@flyvfc.com.
HELP BUILD A BETTER VFC
The VFC needs a people skilled in trades to help us make some upgrades and improvements to the Flying Club. Are If you have these skills, don't hesitate! Send an email to gm@flyvfc.com today!
HAPPY NATIONAL INDIGENOUS HISTORY MONTH
June is National Indigenous History Month, and the VFC would like to take a moment to say to all our Indigenous members, pilots, and to the Coast Salish Peoples (and specifically the Peoplesseycum and Pauquachin bands) on whose ancestral lands the VFC now resides: thank you.! We celebrate you!
HAPPY PRIDE!
June is also LGBTQ+ Pride Month! To all of our members, friends, and family in the LGBTQ+ community: Happy Pride!
TELL YOUR STORY
Everyone wants to hear from YOU! Every member of the VFC has a story to tell, and the Patrician wants to share it! Email vfcpatrician@gmail.com to share your story.
News and Events
SOCIAL SATURDAYS
Social Saturdays are back on the first Saturday of the month, but with a twist!
THE VFC IS HIRING! Are you or someone you know looking to break into the world of aviation? The VFC is presently hiring Flight School Line Crew! This critical role ensures that aircraft are fueld, cleaned, and ready for takeoff, as well as other important duties. This is a fantastic summer job for students with opportunities that could extend into fall. For more informaiton: http://flyvfc.com/jobs
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VFC MENTOR PROGRAM
News and Events
Theregsnobetter giftthanknowtedge: Do you want other pilots to fly with, split flight cost, share knowledge, or get help getting to a new airport for the first time? Find potential mentors and their resumes posted on the Mentors bulletin board beside the Dispatch counter. Contact details are on each mentor's resume or you can email mentors^flyvfc8com for more information. nterested I inbecomingamentor5 There's always room for more experienced pilots! Send an email to mentors^flyvfc8com for more information on how to join up!
VFC CHARTER SERVICE Be there in minutes!
VFC Charter offers inexpensive, on-demand, and direct transportation to places not serviced by other commercial carriers in the lower BC area. The charter service is operational in day VFR conditions. Contact us for more information on destinations and costs or to book a flight at: Email: tedk^flyvfc8com Call: 1-778-350-3213
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VFC | Aviation Excellence Since 1946
Ask any pilot about Tony Scott's 1986 film, which starred Tom Cruise as high flying Navy pilot Maverick, and they'll probably say that it had a profound effect on their interest in aviation. Or at the very least that the film's theme song, Kenny Loggins's Danger Zone, is an absolute banger. With it's sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, in theatres right now, it's the perfect time for some Top Gun Trivia!
TOP GUN: MAVERICK
Benjamin Franklin once wrote: "nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." If Ben had lived another couple centuries he probably would have added: "Oh, and pilots love Top Gun."
Top Gun Facts Highest grossing movie of 1986. The original film featured F-14 jets from the VF-51 "Screaming Eagles" squadron. Reports estimate that Paramount Studios paid as much as $7,800 per hour (about $20k in 2022) for fuel and operating costs. It's unclear whether or not this is part of the $1.8 million the Pentagon charged Paramount for usage. The movie itself was quite the recruitment ad. Renting out planes to a movie studio might be risky, but it was worth it for the Navy. In the year after Top Gun's release, US Navy enlistment rates went up and applications to flight school shot up an astounding 500%. It probably didn't hurt that the Navy set up recruitment booths outside of theatres. Val Kilmer didn't want to be in the film, but was forced to by contractual obligations. Now it's one of his most iconic roles. The amazing airborne shots were made possible by special camera mounts attached to the planes. Paramount wanted the best, so they went straight to Grumman, who made the F-14s in the first place. Kelly McGillis stands at 5'10, which was a problem for the shorter Tom Cruise, who stands at 5'7. For their scenes together, Cruise's shoes were fitted with lifts. While 5'7 may not be ideal for shooting romance, it's the ideal height for fighter pilots. Tim Robbins, at 6'5, wouldn't have been able to fit in the F-14's cockpit. Anthony Edwards is the only actor who didn't lose his lunch after a ride in the F-14s. Being a fan of this movie could be expensive if you work for the real Top Gun School, where quoting the movie will earn you a $5 fine.
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Top Gun: Maverick Facts (no spoilers) Like the World War II P-51 Mustang? It's actually Tom Cruise's. After the original Top Gun, he's become quite the pilot in real life.
TOPGUN: MAVERICK
In fact, Cruise personally designed the threemonth intensive aviation training course for the other actors to get them ready to handle the F-18s. Cruise insisted on minimal green screen and CGI. This led to practical shooting that requires actors to undergo extensive G-force training. Speaking of practical training: there's a shirtless beach football montage that had to be shot twice because Cruise didn't think the cast was ripped enough. Afterward, the actors had a muchearned cheat meal. Practical shooting inside of fighter jets also forced the actors to learn some new skills. Between takes, actors had to reset shots, adjust their lighting, touch up their own makeup, and make sure the cameras were rolling. Miles Teller was allowed to pick his own call sign. He picked "Rooster" because it was in the same family as "Goose." Duck" would have been funnier. The Navy's oldest fighter pilot retired at 54, but if the time line is correct, Maverick is at least 58. Val Kilmer plays a small role in the film, but the actor permanently lost his voice during his struggle with throat cancer. In the film, Kilmer's dialogue is performed by an AI program.
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VFC | Aviation Excellence Since 1946
THE REVIEWS
THE GOOD "A perfect popcorn movie and an improvement on the original." - Kip Mooney, College Movie Review "Somehow Cruise's foray back into the danger zone will be remembered more than the original, setting a new standard in the era of reboots." -Maxwell Rabb, Chicago Reader " Tom Cruise is here to save cinema. He's here to save America. And I'm here for it." - Simran Hans, Monocle "If this sounds like hokum, it is. But the storytelling too reminds you of the best version of old Hollywood, broad strokes rendered with watchmaker care." -Danny Leigh, Financial Times "The sequel is still rah-rah about American imperialism, but who cares? Thirty-six years after the original, Tom Cruise is having the time of his life, the in-flight thrills are off the charts and— hot damn!—you won’t find more blazing action anywhere." -Peter Travers, ABC News
THE BAD Practically a beat-for-beat remake of the original with a non-existent screenplay that has so little interest in exploring the man of its title decades later that the film may as well be set in 1987. -Erik Childress, Movie Madness Podcast " This is basically just escapist authoritarian porn for white dads. If it were a sports movie, the 60-yearold coach of the football team would be called out of retirement to quarterback the Super Bowl." -Ryan Syrek, The Reader "It’s impossible to overstate how dramatically inert Top Gun: Maverick is." -Travis Johnson, Mr. Movie's Film Blog "Top Gun: Maverick is an uninspired, outdated retread of 1986’s Top Gun, but with more implausible scenarios and with no women in military leadership positions ... Top Gun: Maverick, just like its main character, is stuck in a rut of reliving past glories." - Carla Hay, Culture Mix "Is 'Top Gun: Maverick' the movie that will mark a generation? No. Its predecessor will always hold that title. Is it a fun Hollywood film? Absolutely. Does it have substance? Not really." -Catalina Combs, Black Girl Nerds 7
A YEAR OUT WHY AM I THE WAY I AM?
By Katrina McGie
A Year Out by Katrina McGie
relax my voice into my usual deeper (and much more comfortable) vocal register. And it is funny. After all, who in my line of work doesn’t have a customer service voice?
It’s been a year since Katrina came out to the VFC in the June 2021 issue of the Patrician. This article covers her life since then, as well as some insights she’s learned since. Content warning for depression and gender dysphoria. This is going to be a little different than my previous articles About a year ago, I wrote an article in the Patrician about being transgender in aviation. You all know me. I'm Katrina, that ever present, always-cheery face behind the Dispatch desk, who’s always happy to greet you with a friendly “Hello! How can I help you today?” When you call in, the feminine voice on the other end belongs to me. It takes work, and I’ve gotten my fair share of laughs when I answer the phone only to find out it’s a co-worker or regular member on the line and immediately
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This article is going to talk about some personal things in hopes that you’ll find them entertaining, enlightening, or maybe even, should you be questioning some things yourself, a little instructive.
I went by my dead-name* for twenty-nine years, and in that time I made of a lot of great memories. I got my PPL! I got married! I vacationed! But something was always a little off. I liked cars and planes, but also liked shopping and pretty things!
Over my life, I learned a valuable skill without realizing it: acting. But while I’ve always been good at making people laugh or smile, at some point I stopped being able to do it to myself. I started feeling like I was waking up every morning I’m pretty casual about being and putting on a costume. Over trans. But the truth is, I don’t time, the feeling got worse. I usually like to explain why I am lost motivation with life and quit the way that I am. And trust me: flying altogether. I told myself I’ve gotten endless iterations of it was too much work and that it questions like “But Kat, how do cost too much. Now, I can look you know?” or “What’s it like?” back and realize that this was the Everyone has a different story, start of my depression, but at but this is the story of my life and the time I had no idea. why aviation is so important to me now. Not exactly a fun topic, I know, but bear with me. I want to Our stories start when we’re explain a bit more about these born. It’s a pretty major part feelings and how I've moved of the process that ends in forward. you being put in one of two categories: boy or girl. The Have you worn a really problem is that sometimes uncomfortable Halloween they get it wrong. They called costume? One you just couldn't me a boy, and I grew up into wait to take off? Maybe the a man; a tall, broad one, with makeup was too heavy, or it nicely trimmed facial hair. I was pinched in weird places, or just handsome. I had a lot of features wasn’t flattering. Maybe your a lot of people want. And each friends told you that it looked one of those features felt wrong. great and that you’d get used VFC | Aviation Excellence Since 1946
And that’s depression. Subtle and insidious. It striped me of my motivation and left me exhausted and desolate. I didn't want to wake up in the morning. I didn't want to leave the house. I stopped liking anything about me. Then I stopped liking anything at all. Life itself became painful, and I’ve never felt so helpless. Worst of all: I couldn’t even talk to friends or family about it, because that would mean acknowledging it. But then something changed. I started figuring it out, because I started figuring me out. I discovered the term 'non-binary' and realized that I didn't need to use He/Him pronouns; I could be They/Them. I had no idea what it meant, but it felt good and things began to get better. But it was still Halloween every day, and even though now I was recognizing my depression, I still had no idea how to fix it. All I knew was that I was tired of being tired. Of feeling like nothing mattered. Then I slipped up.
first time, I heard someone say my real name out loud. I realized that I was real. That I wasn't just an actor anymore. That I was me. For the first time since I could remember, I wanted to get out in the world so everyone could see me. Things got better.
I started flying again, and it's been the single biggest helper with depression. Taking lessons towards my CPL and being around pilots every day brings entirely new meaning to my life. Starting to fly recreationally again was just what I needed! tried online dating after my The feeling of being in the marriage ended, so I griped air, the freedom, and just the back that I knew all about it. He feeling of flying is hard to emphatically assured me that, as describe. Up there, no one cares a girl, I had no idea. I laughed a about gender, no one sees the bit and reassured him that I had dysphoria, or the depression. some experience with it. There It's pure freedom. The smile was a brief pause on the voice I get on my face after a flight call, and then he asked “Are... almost hurts. It's the most pure, are you trans?” genuine happiness I’ve ever felt, and it never gets old! “Yeah, I’m trans!” I blurted out, happily and without thinking. My depression is far from Then I froze. What I had meant gone, and my anxiety about to say was “No, but I’m nonpresenting feminine is alive and binary.” My brain was screaming kicking. Sometimes it’s still hard at me. That. Felt. Right. I had no to wake up in the morning or idea what it meant to be trans, to find motivation, but little by but when I said it, I realized that little, day by day, it's getting that was what it felt like. For the better. And why wouldn’t it be? first time in my life, something I get to be me now. And I've felt like me me.. never been happier. After that I came out on one of my Twitch streams and announced my new name and pronouns, then soon I was coming out to friends left, right, and centre. Then I came out at the Flying Club, my job and a place I’ve loved for years. And it was good. Actually, truly good. For the first time in my life, I left the costume at home. For the
A Year Out by Katrina McGie
to it. They were comfortable in I had been using They/Them their outfits, after all. And it's just for a while, and even used She/ for one night, right? Her while playing as female characters in Dungeons & Right? Dragons games on Twitch and Then the night doesn't end. You even played a character named Kat. It was all experimental, but I wake up the next day and that knew that I liked it. I had started costume is still there waiting to use feminine pronouns in for you. Days turn to weeks other online spaces, including and then into years. Eventually, some games where everyone you become so accustomed just thought I was a girl. to wearing the costume that it almost feels comfortable. Then one day, a guy in an online Almost. Playing Michael become game was complaining over the only thing I could focus on voice chat about how hard and it was exhausting exhausting.. online dating is for guys. I had
Sincerely, your friendly, and honestly happy, neighbourhood dispatcher, Katrina. *For those not in the know, the term “dead name” refers to your birth name, which is usually tied to the gender you were assigned at birth. The use of someone’s former name can be distressing, so try to avoid doing it.
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Staff Profile: Russell Graham
STAFF PROFILE
RUSSELL GRAHAM
Dispatch / Flight Instructor It's no secret that the Victoria Flying Club has some of the best staff in the aviation business. Here's the first (of hopefully many) profiles that celebrate them and share their stories with you.Let's start with Dispatch's own Russell Graham! How long have you been flying for? What's an early or vivid memory of flying that jumps out at you? I started flying in April 2017. My initial instructor and I get along like a house on fire, and he used a lot of humour to make lessons memorable. One instance really stands out. We were practicing forced approaches, he was demonstrating. Everything is going according to plan, and upon reaching the passenger briefing he turns to me and says “Okay, a clown just hit the
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propeller. It was pretty funny, but now our engine is dead”. I’m probably the only person who finds that funny. Regardless, it stuck with me and I’ll never forget to brief my passengers on the day my engine decides to die. What made you want to become a pilot? I fell in love with airplanes when I was a kid. Some kind of gatefold or poster in a magazine, National Geographic I think, of the cockpit of either a 747 or 777, I can’t remember
which. It was my favourite toy for what feels like months (it may have been a day, hard to know for sure), I loved all the buttons and knobs and levers. Movies, airshows, and TV shows. All these things made airplanes seem even cooler. Near the end of high school I looked into a career as a pilot, balked at the cost, and didn’t pursue it. That wasn’t a mistake. I wouldn’t have wanted 18 year me to attempt to become a pilot.
VFC | Aviation Excellence Since 1946
I traveled to Uganda in 2016 as a participant in a Canadian government funded internship program. Being there cleared my head. While I was there I dreamt that I was flying a plane. Nothing more, not strange or difficult like dreams usually are. The organization that sent me, VIDEA, emphasizes developing their participants’ career, so the day after my dream I spoke with the Executive Director about becoming a pilot. She was intimately familiar with the process, one of her sons is a pilot. She encouraged me. I went for a Discovery flight later in 2016, was absolutely hooked, organized my
finances, and started flight training in April of 2017 What was your training like? And what licences have you earned? Which was the most challenging? I have a CPL and a Class 4 Instructor Rating. Becoming a Class 4 Instructor was the most challenging so far because of all the prep work for lessons. It’s surprisingly difficult to break down how one flies certain maneuvers into bite-sized chunks. What about becoming a pilot was the most surprising, challenging, or rewarding for you? Surprising and rewarding was how much I learned about things other than
handling and flying an airplane. When people ask about pilot training I say that part of it is flying the airplane and the other part is personal growth. There is a level of confidence, dedication, and fortitude that must be developed during flight training. I think it’s absolutely impossible to be a professional pilot without going through that development. What's your favourite plane (or any vehicle) of all time? Fictional is fine. T-65B X-Wing spacesuperiority starfighter. I’m stretching the definition of “air vehicle” here, but you did say “fictional is fine”. In terms of real airplanes,
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Staff Profile: Russell Graham 12
my favourite bounces around between a selection of classics. Spitfires, Mosquitos, Q400s, CT-114 Tutors - I’ll have a different favourite depending which day of the week you ask me. Do you fly for a living? Would you want to? I do! I’m an instructor at the Flying Club. Next stop, work my way through the airlines, and then return as a part-time instructor in the far-flung future. What is the most important thing for a pilot to possess? Two things: the ability to self-reflect and the will to be humble. Looking back at successes is easy, looking back at non-successes is more challenging, and is a necessary part of
MAY & JUNE 2022
becoming a pilot. Humility is essential because the pilot needs to be ready to learn whenever the opportunity presents itself, especially when they make a mistake. A private license will keep you safe, and at the same time it is a license to learn. I made mistakes during the 100 hours of PIC time I flew while working toward a CPL, and I learned more about myself as a pilot and as a person because I spent time reflecting on them. What's your favourite flying animal? The goose? The duck? The bumblebee? Eagles or parrots. Different ends of the spectrum, I know, but they’re both fascinating. That said, parrots make for easier pets.
Tell us a joke. It doesn't have to be about aviation, but we can't deny that those jokes have wings. How do you know you’re in a room with a pilot? Don’t worry, they’ll tell you. Why do you think people become pilots? What draws us to the skies? I think it’s fascination with the unknown or seemingly impossible. We aren’t born with wings (or SCUBA gear, so that matter), so we are drawn to the air just like we’re drawn to water because we want to experience what we can’t naturally do. What do you enjoy most about flying? Is there anything you don't love or that gives you trouble about it? I love the mental acuity
VFC | Aviation Excellence Since 1946
pilot? Is there anything you don't like about it? The hardest part is the mental attitude and honest self-reflection. Gotta’ be capable of 100% honest self-critique without being selfdeprecating. How has flying changed your life? Allowed me to prove to myself that I can follow through on the things I want the most. Do you have any advice you’d pass along to other pilots? Share your wisdom with us! Go for a check ride with an instructor once in a while! Most of the members are really good about annuals or 30/60 day recurrency training, and it would be awesome if every member was really good about them. Flights with an instructor
Staff Profile: Russell Graham
required. It’s a challenge, every time. What I don’t love is some of the attitudes I see in other pilots. It’s easy to get used to the relative safety of the flight training environment, seeing little real danger or misunderstanding what danger one does see. So many lessons about flying are written on tombstones, everything from how and why we conduct pre-flight inspections to specific radio phraseology, come at the expense of human life in preventable accidents. What is your favourite place to fly / aerodrome to visit and why? I like Qualicum Beach for the restaurant. Basic, I know. Sooke training area
is great, too. I like how much space there is out there. If you could fly or visit anywhere (and I mean anywhere) where would it be? Any plans to head there soon? Why that destination? Antarctica and Uganda. The former because it would be an adventure, and I hear penguins are pretty neat. The latter because I enjoyed my time there so much and I owe the country for getting me started as a pilot. What is your favourite club aeroplane? Toss-up. WLY because I did my PPL flight test in it, or BMO because I like the way it flies and it has a nice GPS. FGIM is a nice one, too, being the youngest in the fleet by total air time. What was the hardest thing about becoming a
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are some of the most valuable. There is always room to improve, so get out there with a qualified instructor and improve! Tell us a memorable flight or experience you've had. The first time I flew over BC’s coastline on board
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what I think was one of Pacific Coastal’s planes. It became abundantly clear why most of BC’s coast is uninhabited: the mountains begin almost immediately from where the ocean ends. How do you think aviation is changing? Where do you think it's going? Is this a good thing? Bad? Mixed? Aviation is trying to change toward a more efficient model, whether that’s fuel efficiency or time efficiency. That isn’t a bad thing on its own, it’s the execution that matters most.
What's your favourite part about belonging to the VFC? Co-workers and members. We have a delightful little community here. There are many members with whom I’m on a first name basis. The staff are great people to me too, every one of them has stories to tell and there’s a lot we learn from one another. Thanks for letting us get to know you a bit better, Russ! The next time we're at the VFC, we'll be sure to say hi if we see you at Dispatch or are looking for a flight instructor!
VFC | Aviation Excellence Since 1946
GROUND SCHOOL SCHEDULE
Ground School Schedule
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THE PHOTOGRAPHY OF
AARON BURT INTERVIEW BY
TON KELLY J CLARK
f I ouy greanywhereinVancouer v standgs I ontineaviaDon spacedouy gveseenhisphotography: Aaronurton B isaouy ngaviatorwithakeeneyefor visuattystrikingimagery:Thismonthdew satdownwith Aarontodiscussflyingdhisphotographydandhisadvicefor newcomerstoboth4 eyH AarondthanksfortakingtheDmeforthis:Whathave ouy beenupto5 Hey, thanks. I just got back from a trip to California to take some photos. Then in May I headed off to do my first flying job working for River Air in Kenora, Ontario. Flying a 185 on floats. They have a great fleet. Everything from a 180 all the way up to Turbo Otters and Caravan amphibious. They pretty much have all the float planes covered that you can have. Youmusthavedoneatotoffloatptanetraining: It’s kind of strange how the whole float plane thing works. The only thing transport Canada gives you is a float rating, which is about 7 hours, which consists on water takeoffs, landings, and maybe a docking or two depending on circumstances. Down in Pat Bay, if we want to train we have to pick the plane up from the concrete pad they sit on and take it down into the water. It’s only in already at the dock if the instructor has
The Photography of Aaron Burton
another flight that day.
defined me getting into it was when they retired the The float rating isn’t really Sea King back in 2018. I related to commercial had whatever the family flying. Some companies camera was— will take you at lower hours. I did a professional Waitdsoouy ontygotinto 50 hour float course thisfourears y ago5 — which is what I did. Yeah, I’ve only done it I’m over 80 now. I also seriously for four years. have my private and And even then I was commercial license, and only serious about the was going my Multiequipment about two-ish IFR when all of the IFR years ago. I was running trainers went down for an old Nikon D90. It’s maintenance. Multi-IFR great and I still have it. is already hard, but it’s It has a twelve-year old harder without an engine. camera body and the lens re A ouy movingoutthere is 18-105mm, which is futtDme5 more for close ups. No, it’s just a seasonal thing. I’m here from May to October. I’m keeping a place in Victoria and looking for something at the airport when I come back, but it’s hard to find. It’s funny: companies outreach ask if there are flying jobs out here on the west coast, but there really aren’t for new people. Even places like Harbour Air are seasonal. Youfreanamazing photographer:Whatgot ouy intoitphotography5 Wasthereaspecific event5 I don’t have an exact moment. The only thing I can remember that
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I flew over the 2016 Abbotsford Air Show with some guys from the VFC back in 2016, but I didn’t have the camera for it. Then I went back in 2018 and found that Nikon did a photo booth there where you could rent different bodies and lenses for the day. I went and rented their 200500mm lens. That thing is a workout. It weighs a ton and takes three different hand motions just to zoom in. I use an 80-400 now, which I wished I’d used them. ikonfs N ouy rbrand5 Pretty much. It’s what I started with. Good range
and their upper range lenses are a bit cheaper. They’re all exchangeable, but you have to be careful with some of the older lenses that don’t come with focus motors. You must havetoretyon autoJfocusatotgiventhe speedsoftheseptanes: VFC | Aviation Excellence Since 1946
The Photography of Aaron Burton
Absolutely. I use autofocus all the time. I have to. nd A howmanycameras doouy havenow5 Oof. Two… three… four? My brother and I share cameras, but I guess I use three that I take with me
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when I go to shoot.
storywiththeSeaKings5
Wheredoouy bufrom5 y
The 2018 Sea King retirement was my last day in cadets. I was there with that start out camera and noticed that all the photographers were walking out to the apron out the door, so I walked out too. The supervising
I go back and forth between Kerrisdale Cameras and Camera Traders in Victoria. ack B tohowouy gotstartedasa photographer9whatfsthe
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officer told me that I could take all of the photos I wanted to. So I was there standing right next to idling Sea Kings, getting photos with the crew, and watching the press conference with the high-ranking military officers. And after the ceremony when they were doing the flyby after the press conference one of the officers saw me with my camera and she told me I could step over with the rest of media so I could get out of the crowd and get better
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shots. Thatmusthavefettgreat: owH otdere w ouy atthe Dme5 Like 17 or 18. I was in my cadet uniform at the time so I think that helped. I even got a couple of seconds to talk with Al Meinzinger, the Commander of the Air Force, and get a quick photo with him. It’s funny: there’s so much going on to take photos of that you don’t realize until afterward that you’re surrounded by all of these influential people. You
don’t think to freak out until it’s over. Whendidouy start flying5 I did a bunch of discovery and fam flights back in cadets around 2010. I think it was around 20162017 I started going into PPL training, but I didn’t have the time or money for more than a few courses. After I graduated from high school I was looking at going into the military, but they had so many delays and issues that it
VFC | Aviation Excellence Since 1946
hour professional courses available, so I focused on private flight training. WettIguessitattorked w outintheend:Youseem pretthappy y about whereouy endedup:
Oh yeah, I’m excited. But you get so used to the non-flying life. There’s a big difference between occasionally flying with friends at the airport and doing all that work by After three years of yourself and flying every waiting, that was pretty day. You have to get on frustrating. That was what the inside of the industry made me call up Ocean with a real flying job to Air about float training. appreciate all the time And then because of and money you spent. covid there were only 50
And then at the end it’s probably completely different than what you thought going in. oD ouy thinkthatbeinga pitottakesoverouy rtife5 It depends on what you’re doing. The one I’m going to in Ontario will be six days a week, with no set day off. That works for me. As a pilot, you have to be willing to relocate and do as you’re told until you have the experience. You have to sacrifice your personal life until you work your way up in the company. It’s only the pilots with seniority who
The Photography of Aaron Burton
ended up getting dragged out. I went to Trenton for training, but I didn’t quite make the pilot cut-off so I came back and did my PPL. Just killing time until I could retake it. Then with covid, I kept going with my CPL. When I finally got the phone call from them it was the end of 2020, and it was to tell me that the program had been cancelled.
really have control over their schedule.
The Photography of Aaron Burton
ack B tophotography9 outofattofouy rphotosd whatareouy rfavourites5 It’s all the air-to-air work. But that’s a hard one to answer. Air shows are where all of the photographers flock to. A hundred people all taking the same shots, which are great, but
and pick your moment, because you only have a couple of seconds to get your shot.
want to have your camera set with a good exposure and a shutter speed around 1:500.
sA aphotographer ouy fremosttysetf taught:Whatfsthemost importantthingfor acDonshots5re A there anytricksorthingsthat ouy wishedouy fdknown whenouy ere w starDng out5
Thatfsprettfast: y Yeah, for those who don’t know the closer you get to 1:1 the more it blurs. And it all changes when you’re taking pictures of something moving that fast: unless you’re exactly at ninety degrees the back of a plane and the front are moving at different speeds. At 45 degrees, you’ll get the nose in crisp focus and the tail blurred out. It’s something you have to consider. Whatfsouy r favouriteptane5 Yourdreamptane5
I love to fly anything they’ll give me. Float wise, the Beavers or they’re all the same shot. You have to know the the Otters. But I’m not I like taking different basics of apertures and shots. Action, motion, exposures so that you can pushing for any particular and different angles. I get the right lenses. With type of airplane. I just want something that I can usually try motion shots, the cheaper ones, you fly often and get lots of because anyone can take can get image warping a picture of a plane sitting or softening. With action pictures of. on runway, but to get a shots you have to take a For photography? plane in motion; take offs, compromise. You’re not in Warbirds and the older landings, you know. With control. These pilots are ones, or F-18s with the those you have to have up having fun — they’re afterburner. But even all of your settings ready not doing it for you. You 22
MAY & JUNE 2022
VFC | Aviation Excellence Since 1946
general aviation airliners can be great on days where you get the wing vapour.
without a camera. A few years ago we went to the Okanogan. We were near a vineyard when three Snowbirds oD ouy domuchtouchJ come screaming down p5 u the Penticton runway. I use Adobe Lightroom to Then another three. touch-up. Worth every They were coming down penny. I used to hate how from Alberta to go to the Photoshop was laid out, Boundary Bay Air Show. but this is great. So we stood at the end of the highway that runs ny A storiesabout between the runway and photographyonthe the beach. It’s like the St. road5 Martin of BC. Great shots. I’d never go anywhere
The Snowbirds all took off down the taxiway, formed up, turned around, and blasted over us in their diamond at 300 feet over our heads. And that wasn’t even a show; it was just them transiting through. ny A finatadvicefornew pitots5 A lot of people I know floated between university and flight training. Don’t float. Pick one and finish it. Make 23
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your pick, because if you get past the age of 25 and you’re still only thinking about flying that only puts you further down the retirement list later on. Get into the airlines as quickly as possible and get that seniority. They say that the first flying job is the hardest, so get that out of the way while you’re still young.
24 MAY & JUNE 2022
owH aboutadvicefor newphotographers5
ThanksAaron4
YoucanfindAaronfs Clean your lenses. photographyon nstagram I athttps9FF I learned that the hard :instagram:comF w way: if you don’t, the dust burtonader: will collect and your shots will look like someone threw a handful of pepper onto your lens. You do not want that.
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