THE PATRICIAN June 2018
The Victoria Flying Club ~ Aviation Excellence Since 1946
"Beaver Bob"
VFC Alumnus Completes 50 Years 'Beaver Bob' tells about his long career since VFC days.
B-17 Bomber
Canada Day
It is coming! Mark your calendars for August!
Aircraft rental discounts all weekend!
THE PATRICIAN June 2018
Monthly Newsletter of The Victoria Flying Club - Aviation Excellence Since 1946
“To 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)
In This
Issue
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News Around the Club
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VFC's Open House
BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT Ramona Reynolds president@flyvfc.com VICE PRESIDENT Rob Shemilt SECRETARY Colin Williamson
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Alumni Profile - 'Beaver' Bob Contributed by Robert Bates
COPA Quadrant / Fly-Out Bug
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TREASURER Chris Peschke DIRECTORS Steve Demy Rolf Hopkinson John Ainsworth John Ryan GENERAL MANAGER Marcel Poland CHIEF FLYING Graham Palmer INSTRUCTOR 1852 Canso Road Sidney, BC V8L 5V5 www.flyvfc.com info@flyvfc.com Phone: 250-656-2833
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First Solos and Member Achievements
Social Media Picks
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Ground School Schedules Private Pilot Commercial Pilot
Editor: Katy Earl flyvfcmarketing@gmail.com
Front cover photo credits: 'Beaver Bob' operates Bates
The Patrician accepts unsolicited submissions.
Photo opposite, upper: Instagram: shakey_knees.
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.
Air's GSKY.
"Turning final at Penticton."
Connect with us and share your aviation stories!
VFC News
News Around the Club POKER RUN - JUNE 10 Due to rain, the BC Coast 99s Poker Run has been postponed until June 10th. See you then! CPL SPEAKER SESSIONS The public is invited to attend the Speaker Sessions at a cost of $30 per session. Please check the schedule on page 18 and RSVP to attend by calling Dispatch or emailing pilottraining@flyvfc.com. Please note that the schedule is subject to adjustment; stay tuned on our Facebook Page and Group for updates! SCHOLARSHIPS There are still scholarships
available to you from non-VFC sources. The BC Coast 99's have several scholarships with an application deadline of July 31st (https://bccoast99s.com/ scholarships/). The BC General Aviaton Association also has some as well, with a due date of June 30 (https://www. bcaviation.ca/awards.html). Be sure to check them out! Also, the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA) and the Air Canada Pilots Association (ACPA) unveiled the 2018 Aviation Career and Scholarship Guide, a one-stop resource aimed at promoting and facilitating new entries
into the Canadian aviation industry. The Guide includes a directory of financial resources available to help fund the training necessary for those interested in entering the industry, as well as a variety of career education articles and other insights. Over the next few weeks, the Guide will be distributed to high schools, colleges and universities across Canada as well as flight schools, flying clubs, and other aviationrelated organizations. Extra copies of the Guide are available upon request from COPA.
Images: The COPA and ACPA scholarship guide is available! Geoff S. catches a glimpse of an F-18 passing by on May 18th. The Sentimental Journey is returning! Aviation Excellence Since 1946
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June 2018
VFC News B-17 VISIT, AUGUST 13 - 19 Yes, it is coming back, as well as very limited opportunities to ride on the 'Sentimental Journey!' The Arizona Wing of the Commemorative Air Force is touring with their Flying Fortress. Some seats for flights have been released. Book in ASAP so as not to lose out (https://www.azcaf.org/location/ victoria-bc-tour-stop/). There will also be a chance to tour inside the aircraft and buy memorabilia.
NEWS AND EVENTS JUN 10
BC Coast 99s Poker Run (rain date)
JUN 17
Fathers' Day
JUN 24
Mountain Ground School at VFC
JUN 30
IMC Round Table at VFC
JUL 2
Aircraft rental discount day for Canada Day
JUL 2 - 8
Texada Island Aviation Week, Aerospace Camp and Annual Fly-In
JUL 3
COPA Flight 6 meeting and social
JUL 14, 15
Wings & Wheels, Teen Flight Campbell River
JUL 28
BC Aviation Museum Open House. Theme: "The 100th Anniversary of the End of WW1"
There will be a need for some volunteers during the week. Check in with Marcel at the Club to put your name on the list! TEEN FLIGHT CAMPBELL RIVER, WINGS & WHEELS, JULY 14 - 15 This event helps to fund raise for TeenFlight (www.teenflight.ca). On Saturday evening, there will be a BBQ. On Sunday, there will be a Fly-In and Drive-In lots of cars, airplanes and food, all in support of TeenFlight Campbell River. They will have some gorgeous airplanes coming Submarine Spitfire, Grumman Mallard, Beech
AIRCRAFT RENTAL DISCOUNT HOURS Monday to Friday, 1700–0930 $10/hr rental discount, or 0.2 simulator time credit per hour of flight (approximate value $20)
NEED ADVERTISING? Advertising in The Patrician is affordable! Contact us for more information. flyvfcmarketing@gmail.com
Saturday and Sunday, 1700–0930 and stat holidays $15/hr rental discount, or 0.3 simulator time credit per hour of flight (approximate value $30)
MOUNTAIN FLYING Ground School at the Victoria Flying Club
JUNE 24, 2018 13:00 - 16:30 June 2018
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www.flyvfc.com
News Women VFC in Aviation Staggerwing, and every other home-built or GA airplane that aviators bring in (IOW, they would love to see yours!). In previous years, they have also had over 130+ collectible cars come, plus various heavy lifting helicopters. Breakfast is from 0700 to 1000, lunch from 1100 to 1500. Camping is available. Contact Bill Alder (250-287-6259, bill@sealandaviation. com) to preregister. Check out www.crairport. ca or the Teen Flight - Campbell River Facebook Page for more information. TEXADA AVIATION WEEK The annual Texada Island Aviation Week is on, running from July 2 - 8. This will include an Aviation Art Camp for ages 10 and up (adults too!); AeroSpace Camp for youth; a "Fly-In Fling" (dance, airplane rides); a Fly-In, with breakfast, Show and Shine, simulator flights, Fraser Blues flying demonstration, vendors, a 50/50 draw, camping, and more! Check out texada.org for more information and pricing or contact Doby at dgart@telus.net. BOOK EARLY! As the season heats up, don't forget to book your flights, aircraft, or lounge rentals early on. These reservations can be made by calling Dispatch. Images: SAR demonstration at the Oak Bay Tea Party. Instagram: jimboul. Jim and Jackie go for a Discovery Flight. In VFC's Facebook Group, members share how long it took them to get their PPL.
Have news or a story to tell? Email us at flyvfcmarketing@gmail.com for a chance to have your news or story published in The Patrician.
VFC smile cards
print & imaging
Pick up your smile card today at the VFC office, and 5% of your grocery purchase will go towards creating scholarships and awards for VFC members. Since the autumn of 2005, the Victoria Flying Club has received over $18,600 from the Thrifty Foods Smile Card program. These funds have been appreciated by all members of the club. Thank you Thrifty Foods!
art & framing book printing Victoria: 905 Fort St., Victoria BC V8V 3K3 Tel: 250-385-9786 Sidney: 2411 Beacon Ave., Sidney BC V8L 2X2 Tel: 250-656-1233
www.islandblue.com Aviation Excellence Since 1946
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June 2018
Events
VFC's Open House May 26, 2018
On May 26, 2018, in keeping with long standing tradition, VFC opened its doors to the public to show what aviation and learning to fly is all about here at the Club! From young families to the well-seasoned,
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we were pleased to share our joy of flying with so many. The pilot information session at 1:30 PM was also well-attended. Several businesses came out to show-
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case their organization and otherwise support our event. Many thanks go to Theresa of Real English Victoria, Leslie and Graden of Sea & Sky Eco Detailing, Stephen of Helijet, Randy Mains, Bryan
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Events
Webster (the Dunker Guy) Nav Canada, Katherine with COPA and Canadian Aviator, Rob with COPA, Cathy with UVic Business, the full gang with CASARA, the crew from the BC Aviation Museum with
Aviation Excellence Since 1946
their Norseman, the friends from the Catalina Preservation Society and their 'Shady Lady', Geoff Steeves, and all the volunteers who came to help out! We greatly appreciate your support!
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The fun doesn't end in May though; we are just getting started! The BC Coast 99s Poker Run is on June 10th and a the B-17 bomber 'Sentimental Journey' is visiting in August. Stay tuned!
June 2018
Events
10th
June 2018
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Events
Aviation Excellence Since 1946
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June 2018
Feature Article
Alumni Profile - 'Beaver Bob' Robert Bates, 50 years as a pilot. VFC alumnus, 1968.
We caught up with Bob on Facebook after finding out that he was approaching his 50 year anniversary as a career pilot, and that he was a VFC alumnus! Congratulations Bob on your many successes over the years. Bob comments about his career progression:
"I joined Air Cadet 747 Terrace Squadron in its first year, 1963. So I am a member of its original alumni members. In 1968 I applied for and was awarded a flying scholarship, and was sent to the Victoria Flying Club for training. My instructors were Jack Shaw until solo, lyngard, Noel Ribout, Newton for pre-flight test, and
finally Ribout for the flight test. All our flights were in C-150 except one hour of aerobatic training in the Citabria. It took me a total of 35 hours to complete the licence and 30 days from beginning to end. Thanks to good VFC training, I have been a professional pilot since getting my commercial
Image: My friend Fred Bomford and I at the Victoria Flying Club, 1968. June 2018
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Image: Tra C-150.
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Feature Article
licence in '69 and instructor rating in '70. I got my first job in '71 instructing in Dawson Creek BC and did that for one year. I then started flying a variety of wheel based aircraft throughout northern BC from places like Chetwynd, Prince George, Ft. St. John, Ft. Nelson, and a number of hunting lodges in
aining at the Victoria Flying Club in a
Aviation Excellence Since 1946
the northern Rocky Moutains. A logging company gave me my first “bush� job flying his crew and supplies into Leo Creek, a logging camp at Takla Lake alongside the railway that was going to extend to the Yukon and Alaska (since abandoned). This job gave me a lot of experience over three years that essentially determined the pilot I would be for the future.
I flew C185 and C180 aircraft on wheels. Another job I did about the same time was flying loggers into Clearwater River, and Black Bear Valley, both of Williston Lake area BC, only this job was with a C206 and a BN2A Islander. I flew to dozens of air strips in the Takla Lake and Williston Lake areas, as well as the Dease Lake area. I also ran my own charter (cont.)
Image: We did one hour of aerobatic training in a Victoria Flying Club Citabria. 10
June 2018
Feature Article service with a C206 in '78 and '79 then worked for Columbia Airlines in Prince George for about three years.
"This career has been a blast and time has literally flown by." In 1987, just for fun I took on a job in Prince Rupert flying a seaplane for North Coast Air Services, but moved to Powell
River in '88 and flew for Pacific Coastal Airlines until 1998. After that time, I bought an amphibious Beaver from PCA and took over the seaplane base at Powell River from them. I subsequently bought two Piper Cherokees and a Seneca, but sold the whole thing in 2003. I worked at PCA in Port Hardy in 2004 for the summer, then Corilair from 2006 to fall 2008. I am now with Seair Seaplanes
in Vancouver (my retirement job) and hope to fly for about three more years. In the 50 years since my VFC training, I have accumulated 32,700 hours of flying to date. Thirty one years of seaplane flying, mostly Beaver. About 21,000 hours floats and the rest a variety of single and multi engine land planes. A wonderful career it has been! Bob Bates, or "Beaver Bob"
Image: Above left: Bob: "As I rapidly approach the 50 year mark of my career I am reminded of my first job in aviation in 1969: Servicing aircraft for the Shell Dealer, Columbia Airlines, a charter service and flying school in Prince George, BC. It paid for my commercial pilot training. This career has been a blast and time has literally flown by." Above right: Bob: "Bates Air, GSKY. 1999, 50 miles north of Powell River at 4,000 feet. I bought her from PCA in '98 and sold to Fiji in '03." Opposite top: Some of the terrain Bob landed on. Bob completing the Cadets program at the Victoria Flying Club. Opposite middle, left: Pacific Coastal Beaver on a foggy Port Hardy day in 2004. Opposite middle, middle: Bob on the job for Seair. Opposite middle, right: Bob as a cadet. Opposite bottom: Bates Air, GSKY. June 2018
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Feature Article
Aviation Excellence Since 1946
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June 2018
COPA Quadrant
FLY-OUT BUG COPA Flight 6
The COPA Flight 6 Board consists of: Flight Captain (President): Rob Shemilt Co-Captain (Vice President): Allan Rempel Navigator (Treasurer): Art Reitsma The May COPA meeting discussed the outcomes of three of our members participating in the Survival Shakedown in May. Art Reitsma, Brent Yager and Tom Vesey attended the BC General Aviation course, learning how to use their aircraft survival kit in a realistic setting. The following is reprinted from the bcaviation.ca website: "The fourth BCGA Survival Shakedown was held on April
June 2018
28-29, 2018 in Duncan, BC. This survival training event is designed to give pilots an opportunity to get acquainted with and practice using their on board aircraft survival kit. The group of 18 members and 6 Instructors met at the Duncan Flying Club on Saturday morning. At the pre-briefing the group was treated to a comprehensive presentation given by Shaun Glass, a retired Canadian Forces Search and Rescue Technician and current volunteer member of the Central Fraser Valley Search & Rescue Team. We were also fortunate to have the support of Dave and Theresa from CASARA as well as Dewi and Jamie from Cowichan Search & Rescue. The weather was perfect for the exercise. It wasn't perfect for
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the beach but when it comes to a survival exercise we call a little rain perfect. As they say, if it ain't raining it ain't training! The course participants endured some rain as they arrived at their simulated crash sites. Luckily it let up as they were completing their shelters but it was just enough to make everything wet and add a layer of realism to the scenario. Throughout the exercise the instructors made rounds to check on the participants' well being and to give hints and tips as to how to improve their set-up. Instructors worked in shifts throughout the night. The majority of the participants slept with little more than the clothes on their back and an emergency space blanket. The value of the Survival Shakedown is really what you make of it and we were impressed by the number of
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COPA Quadrant participants that held true to the minimalist approach. While the temperatures overnight dropped to a damp 6C and the participants were a bit chilly, they all found warmth and comfort around their fires which most kept going all night. One thing that the participants from the Mainland learned about was the woes of having to deal with Salal, an invasive ground cover that is thick and endless on the forrest floor. It also made life interesting for the instructors who had to bush whack through knee deep Salal to check on the participants in the darkness. This exercise was meant to introduce pilots to the contents of their survival kit and to have them put some thought into the contents of the kit. It was not an episode of survivor man where we withhold, starve and torture the attendees. It is for this reason that as the pilots emerged shortly before sunrise they gathered at the instructor camp to enjoy a snack and hot chocolate in order to warm up some chilly and weary bones.
Aviation Excellence Since 1946
After a warm drink and a snack the participants were lead in a walk through, where all the attendees as a group visited each and every camp to learn and discuss what went right and what didn't for each individual pilot. Once the walk through was complete, the group cleaned up and returned the forest to its original state ensuring that all fires were completely extinguished and all shelters were taken down. The group then gathered for a signal fire demonstration, fire extinguisher demonsration and prizes were awarded for best camp, and most ingenuity followed by the issuing of completion certificates. The BCGA is very proud and grateful to have had the support of Cowichan Search & Rescue, the Duncan Flying Club and CASARA. As a small token of our appreciation, the BCGA donated $600 from the course fees the volunteer Cowichan Search and Rescue Team. Lastly, we are very proud of our members that came to
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the event. Despite pushing their comfort levels not one person complained and every single participant embraced the exercise and truly brought nothing more than their typical survival kit. The next exercise is being planned for the Fall and will be held somewhere else in the province. We are also toying with the idea of having an Advanced course where select participants that have already completed and excelled at their first Survival Shakedown will be invited but will be left further afield in isolation and will have only the bare necessities after having much of their kit confiscated by the instructors." You neither need to be a member of COPA National nor the Victoria Flying Club to attend the meeting. As your local voice for the freedom to fly in Canada, we encourage your participation and membership. COPA Flight 6 copaflight6@gmail.com
June 2018
Member Achievements
First Solos and Member Achievements
"Without disruption of air traffic, these fearless, forthright, indomitable and courageous individuals did venture into the wild blue yonder in flying machines. Furthermore, these skillful individuals did safely land said flying machines at Victoria International Airport, incurring no significant damage to self or machine, thus completing first solo flights."
Alwaleed Aljurayyad Instructor: Sean Tyrrell
New Members Amin Soltani Annika Dawson Chia-Hua Lee Darrell Funk Don Louden Eduardo Marques Doug Stewart Gary Sorge Hui Chen Jafrul Nahin James Brady Jim Vike John Kavanagh Joshua Adams
June 2018
Mai Nogami Marek Gomolka Max Heard Oliver Cannon Ric Holl Roxanne Hu Ruhi Leach Ryden Emmerling Sean Reyes Stephan Sitka
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Member Achievements
Iwan Williams Instructor: Sean Tyrrell
Mert Dikbas Instructor: Sean Tyrrell
VFC CHARTER SERVICE
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. Please contact us for more information on destinations and costs.
Be there in minutes!
For more information or to book a flight Email: tedk@flyvfc.com Call: 1-778-350-3213
Aviation Excellence Since 1946
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June 2018
Social Media Picks
June 2018
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Ground School Schedule
Ground School Schedules June 2018 Private Pilot Classes run Mon. and Wed. from 19:00 to 22:00. DATE June 4 June 6 June 11 June 13
TOPIC Meteorology V Meteorology VI Flight Operations I Flight Operations II
INSTRUCTOR Sean Sean Mike Mike
June 18 June 20 June 25 June 27 July 2 July 4 July 9
Radio & Electronic Theory Navigation I Navigation II Navigation III No Class - Canada Day ATC Review
Trevor Andrew Andrew Andrew N/A Andrew Andrew
Ground School Course: $350
Ground School Kit: $275
Learn to Fly package: $675
Call Customer Service at 250 656 2833 to register for Ground School today!
Commercial Pilot Classes run on the following dates from 19:00 to 21:30. DATE June 7 June 9 June 14
SPEAKER Class rescheduled 10:00 AM Tour, Harbour Radio Speaker: Apoorv Chandra (Air Canada Rouge 767 FO). Theory of Flight / Navigation I with Andrew Kott
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Speaker: Simon Dennis (NAV Canada). Navigation II and Course Summary with Andrew Kott
Individual Speaker Sessions: $30 Ground School with textbooks: $750 Ground School without textbooks: $650 * Students who have pre-enrolled in the online program only pay $495 Aviation Excellence Since 1946
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June 2018
Diploma in Business Administration —Aviation Option Combine flight training with a prestigious university business diploma tailored to the aviation industry. If you’re graduating or have recently graduated from high school and want to become a commercial airline pilot, this program is for you! Employers recognize that good pilots do more than fly aircraft; they are active problem solvers, strategic decision makers, and superior communicators. The most successful are skilled in business management, leadership, team building, and crew resource management. Classes are held at the Victoria International Airport or at the University of Victoria campus over a nine-month period.
Offered in collaboration with the Victoria Flying Club
The unique program schedule means you can complete both your private and commercial pilot’s license and the Diploma in Business Administration. The only entrance requirements are successful completion of Grade 12, the desire for a career in aviation, and the motivation to complete an intensive business program.
To learn more or to apply, please contact: Business and Management Programs T 250-721-8073/8072 bmt@uvic.ca For information about flight training, contact the Victoria Flying Club: T 250-656-2833 info@flyvfc.com
continuingstudies.uvic.ca/aviation