The Patrician OCTOBER 2019
The Victoria Flying Club ~ Aviation Excellence Since 1946
Inside: Read about our new booking policy, club bursaries, Wings Banquet
Airbus pilot shares humorous anecdotes from his upcoming book
www.flyvfc.com
Modernizing our airspace - read about some of the changes in discussions for our region
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The Patrician
HANGAR SPACE Contact Marcel at the Club to see if a hangar spot is a good spot for your plane.
“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)
BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT Colin Williamson VICE PRESIDENT Don Devenney SECRETARY Jennifer Zadorozniak TREASURER DIRECTORS Iain Barnes John Ainsworth John Ryan GENERAL MANAGER Greg Matte CHIEF FLYING Mike Schlievert INSTRUCTOR
CONTACT
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News Around the Club
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I Learned about Flying from That General Manager, Greg Matte
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Many Thanks, Kathy and Ramona!
8 NavCanada Starts Process to Modernize Vancouver & Southern Vancouver Island Airspace Contributed by Bruce Burley and Henry Ilg, BC General Aviation Association 10
JJ on Top Contributed by Grant Corriveau
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Alumni Memories Contributed by David Dickins
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VFC's New Booking Policy
Editor: Katy Earl flyvfcmarketing@gmail.com
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Flight Training Awards Application Form
The Patrician accepts unsolicited submissions.
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First Solos and Member Achievements
1852 Canso Road Sidney, BC V8L 5V5
www.flyvfc.com info@flyvfc.com
P: 250-656-2833 F: 250-655-0910
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.
SUBSCRIPTIONS
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
PARKING
flyvfcmarketing@gmail.com http://flyvfc.com/subscribe-to-the-patrician
If you’re interested in prime paved parking spaces for your aircraft, we want to hear from you!
PHOTO CREDITS
Secure, pull-in/pull-out, easy access.
Front cover photo: Adam Johnston. Instagram @pilotguy_ adam. “The sky is always there for me, while my life has been going through many, many changes. When I look up to the sky, it gives me a nice feeling, like looking at an old friend.” Yoko Ono
Please call Dispatch to arrange a spot, or get on the waitlist for hangar spaces at 250-656-2833
OCTOBER 2019
VFC | Aviation Excellence Since 1946
News Around the Club
The Club has hired a new manager onto the team to handle finances. Adrian Sudbury has been a recreational flyer for some time and has also been a member of the VFC Board of Directors. Welcome, Adrian, into this new role!
WELCOMING NEW ASSISTANT CFI
We wish to welcome Trevor Hulme as new assistant CFI. Trevor has been very dedicated to his Flight Instructor duties over the years, with lots of positive feedback from his students. Furthermore, and as most of you know, he’s an experienced Cat 2 Flight Instructor with a wealth of commercial flying experience as well. As such, VFC is very fortunate to have someone like Trevor take on these additional responsibilities. Feel free to stop by and say hello to Trevor and get to know him better!
HANGAR SPOT AVAILABLE
There is a hangar spot available on one of the aircraft lifting machines.
Contact Marcel at the Club to see if your plane is a good fit with the restrictions to size and weight.l
OCTOBER 26, IFR ROUND TABLE
Join the IFR Round Table at 2 PM on October 26th in the upstairs classroom, then come on downstairs to the Pilots' Lounge for BBQ and beverages, put on by our social committee!
16:42
They said 16:42 and they did 16:42. At precicely that time hundreds of spectators who were gathered around the Inner Harbour and the Parliament Buildings got to observe a flypast from the on time RAF Red Arrows during their North American tour.
WINGS BANQUET AND BURSARIES
Save the date on your calendars for January 25th for our annual Wings Banquet! We will celebrate the achievements of VFC members and staff and also present awards,
including the new Top Flight Instructor award. Stay tuned in following Patricians for more information. Our General Manager is also accepting bursary applications, so please submit them soon! Ask Dispatch for application details.
NEWS and EVENTS
WELCOMING NEW COMPTROLLER
BCAC PRESENTS EXPLORING AVIATION AT VFC, OCT 17
The BC Aviation Council Youth Engagement Committee proudly presents 'Exploring Aviation' in collaboration with our Club on October 17, 2019 from 18002030hrs. This fun and engaging session will include an exciting tour of Victoria Flying Club, a short informative presentation about what's happening at nearby Viking Air, and a screening of the feature film, "As the Crow Flies" - a 1.5 hour documentary showcasing an inspiring 7-week aviation journey of Royal Canadian Air Cadets. This is an all-ages event; EVERYONE IS WELCOME!
Light dinner will be served (small sandwiches and/or pizza). To honour a Zero Waste commitment to (cont.)
MONEY Now that we have your attention, it is time to submit your bursary applications! Ask Dispatch for application details, with winners to be announced at the Wings Banquet. Images: Top: @RAFRedArrow's perform a flypast, reaching the Parliament Buildings at 16:42. Above: Trevor Hulme has accepted to become Assistant CFI. Another successful Capital City Toy Run rolled in at the Club on September 29th. www.flyvfc.com
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NEWS and EVENTS OCT 1 COPA Flight 6 meeting and social
NEWS and EVENTS
OCT 5 Monthly brunch social at the Nanaimo Flying Club OCT 5, 6 Abbotsford - The Sky's No Limit, Girls Fly Too! OCT 17 BCAC presents 'Explore Aviation' OCT 20 International Day of Air Traffic Controllers OCT 22 Egress Training, dunkyou.com OCT 26 BBQ at VFC (monthly social!) OCT 26 IFR / IMC Round Table, 2 PM NOV 2 Monthly brunch social at the Nanaimo Flying Club NOV 5 COPA Flight 6 meeting and social Is your aviation-related event not listed? Let us know at flyvfcmarketing@gmail.com
The BC Aviation Council presents, at the Victoria Flying Club:
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our planet, we encourage you to bring your own beverage in a reusable container, a small plate, and cloth napkins, as needed. Max capacity for this event is 25. Tickets are FREE for BCAC members. BCAC student memberships are FREE. Tickets can be gotten from https://www.eventbrite. ca/e/exploring-aviation-bcac-presents-as-the-crow-fliestickets-72881367131 If you have any questions, please contact your event organizer: Kelly: kjamieson@acpa.ca
NAV CANADA SWITCHING TO ICAO NOTAM FORMAT; AWWS
After October 10th, Nav Canada will no longer be using the Canadian Domestic format for NOTAMs. The switch will be made to use ICAO format. NOTAMs will be geographicallyreferenced rather than based on NOTAM Files and the concept of a NOTAM File will cease to exist.. The NOTAM functionality will also be removed from AWWS (Aviation Weather Website) and only available through the CFPS (Collaborative Flight Planning Service) site. This is one of the steps towards eventually decommissioning AWWS. You can check out the NAV Canada website for more information. 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.
October 17, 2019 1800 - 2030hrs Tickets at Eventbrite .com. $15 for non-BCAC members. Free for BCAC members
VFC | Aviation Excellence Since 1946
VFC ALUMNI
NEWS and EVENTS
We are still looking for photos of our successful (and good looking!) alumni to share at our Wings Banquet. So don’t be shy! Take a smiley photo of you living the dream, and email it to: flyvfcmarketing@gmail.com
HOST IT AT THE CLUB! Contact Customer Service to book the lounge or classrooms for your event, or contact the Dakota Cafe about catered possibilities.
MENTORSHIP Looking to brush up your flying skills or share your own knowledge?
October 20 Happy International Day of Air Traffic Controllers!
Thank you! Many thanks to our awesome ATCs here at CYYJ for looking after us and keeping us safe!
Email mentors@flyvfc.com to find a mentor or be a mentor.
HIRING: FLIGHT INSTRUCTORS Join our team! Send your resume to gmatte@flyvfc.com
www.flyvfc.com
IFR / IMC Round Table This group meets on the last Saturday of the month, 2 pm. The next meeting is scheduled for October 26. Contact John at ainsworthj@airnavigation.com to join in.
YOUR STORY We'd love to hear it! Share with us for a chance to have your aviation-related story printed in The Patrician! flyvfcmarketing@gmail.com
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I Learned about Flying from That GM Corner
VFC General Manager, Greg Matte
As promised last month, I wanted to share a “close call” experience flying in the CF-18 that reinforced my own mortality as well as the importance of good airmanship at all times while "slipping the surly bonds." For those of you who will remember the war in the Falklands, you will also recall how the Argentinian Air Force were able to sink several British Royal Navy ships using the French-built sea skimming Exocet anti-ship missile. This was a gamechanger in naval warfare, and certainly caught the attention of Canada’s navy. The best defence against the Exocet was detection, but this was difficult to do given that the missile flew so close to the water, and as such, if and when it was detected by the ship’s radar, the ship’s company only had seconds to deal with it. Given the requirement for the ship to integrate evasive maneuvers of the ship, deploying countermeasures and trying to shoot the missile out of the sky with its Phalanx gun system, it required training to refine the integration of the team. This is where I come into the story. Typically once or twice a year, the CF-18s were tasked to fly Exocet profiles against our Canadian frigates so as to give the ship’s company the required training, We would start our "run-in” around 40 nautical miles away from the ships, dive down to 100 feet above the waves while accelerating to 500 knots as we flew directly towards
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the ship (using their on board TACAN for bearing and distance away). For some reason, the Navy preferred to do these drills at night, and they would be conducted 30 to 60 miles away from the coast of Nova Scotia out over the Atlantic Ocean. As such, there was no artificial light from land, and the ship had all its lights turned off other than a faint red strobe light at the top of its mast (probably so that we wouldn’t clip the mast as we flew overhead the ship). Now, as you can imagine, if for some reason you didn’t maintain level flight, it wouldn’t be more than a couple seconds before you hit the water even in a shallow 1-degree descent! Being devoid of any visual cues, unwilling to use autopilot (other than speed control), it was the most surreal experience, and almost felt like being in a trance. It took supreme concentration to simply focus on the instruments and avoid becoming part of the aquatic food chain. On this particular night, it was also overcast, so there was no moon light or starlight…basically a black hole. I would shudder every time I’d commence another run-in... diving down from 20,000 feet ASL to 100 feet AGL while accelerating. For those of you with experience flying in cloud or on a dark night, you know how quickly one can get the "leans," where-in your inner ear is telling you one thing when reality is something else. By this time, I already had two colleagues die in separate CF-18 crashes due to the over-riding vestibular effect, and failing to trust their instruments;
one in Summerside, PEI (in cloud) and the other at Inuvik, NWT (at night with no horizon). In both cases, these pilots were overcome by the sensation that they had climbed so steeply after take-off (an effect from rapid acceleration) that they thought they had literally done a half-loop. As such, they rolled 180 degrees and started pulling back on the stick to climb away from the ground, when in fact they were actually now diving steeply towards the ground (as they were actually still in a steep climb when they decided to roll and pull). Through the crash investigation and the use of the profile captured on radar, the investigators were able to recreate the flight profile. Further tests by the aeromedical experts proved how overwhelming the leans can be in such circumstances. So, as I flew these Exocet missile profiles in the tunnel of darkness, the lessons learned from these tragic accidents, and shared through our Flight Safety system, certainly kept me focused on my instruments, and not the competing forces of the “leans” or the depravation of visual stimulus.
Look out for further articles about airmanship in the next Patricians!
VFC | Aviation Excellence Since 1946
Many Thanks, Kathy and Ramona!
Kathy Hargreaves has been a mainstay of the Club for nearly two decades. She and her family planned every party we've had in the last 18 years including our huge hangar parties, country night and our 70th Anniversary party. She has been our Club-Mom, knowing everything about everyone and looking out for us all. We wish to thank you, Kathy, for all your hard work for the Club, through thick and thin, and wish you many happy adventures in your next chapter of life. Ramona Reynolds has been a driving force of the Club since she started as a member of the Club over 10 years ago, completing her first solo in 2009. Stepping up to leadership positions as Vice President, five years
www.flyvfc.com
as President, and Interim General Manager, she was the energy behind many fun social events for the members including the BC Challenge, FormFest, and Women Wings and Wheels; founding the Vancouver Island Chapter of Women in Aviation, and the Leadership Learning Series where she partnered with the Aviation Leadership Foundation and others on the field. Ramona has greatly increased awareness of the Club and aviation careers in the community, particularly for women, with participation of community partners such as the Girl Guides of Canada, local schools, and many opportunities working with youth engagement programs and women's groups. She's been known to run out onto the ramp in the pouring rain to ask a CF-18 pilot to attend the VFC Open House with his plane (and he did.)! Ramona passed on the baton of General Manager to Greg Matte at the end of August. In her words, she's left us with "hours on the upswing, money in the bank, expenses that are in-line with the budget, new and improved organizational policies, and
a clean bill of health with Provincial and Federal regulators." Ramona encourages anyone who wants to get more involved with the Club to "step up to the plate and see what you can do. There's lots of room for ideas and the social committee can always use a hand. Our Board of Directors needs more diversity to include younger people, women, and people with diverse backgrounds and experience. As much as this is a thriving business and a dedicated educational institution, at the end of the day this is a Club. It's all about you - the members - period. Airplane people are fun. Don't be shy about throwing your hat into the ring."
Feature Article
We wish to recognize and express great appreciation for Kathy Hargreaves and Ramona Reynolds, two amazing women who went above and beyond to help keep the Club on track for many years. Kathy enjoyed her last day as Comptroller for the Club on September 27th, and Ramona her last day as interim General Manager on August 30th.
"I'm a life member now and I plan to live to be 100 so I'll be around. When you start to contemplate leaving, it's important to remember why you showed up in the first place - to fly." Ramona we are hugely grateful for the incredible amounts of energy you put into the Club and our members and wish you all the best in your next projects.
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Feature Article
NavCanada Starts Process to Modernize Vancouver & Southern Vancouver Island Airspace Bruce Burley and Henry Ilg, BC General Aviation Association
Editor's note: Reprinted with permission from Bruce Burley, BCGA. With double digit growth in aircraft traffic movements and huge projections in future growth, work is underway to completely revamp and modernize the airspace around the lower mainland, and the Victoria Terminal control zone will be an important part of that modernization.
Last week (October 1st) NavCanada hosted the first of several meetings with various stakeholders to initiate consultation on how things can be changed to make the YVR and YYJ airspace more efficient for aviation operators, with a primary concern for safety. One item discussed was how, after a comprehensive safety audit, NavCanada had determined that almost 88% of the hazards1
that were identified took place in the Victoria Terminal control zone, with 80% of these hazards typically involving VFR traffic. No surprise that the area around Active Pass (AP) was one of the top YYJ locations for hazards. In the Victoria Terminal airspace, both the area around Cassidy (CYCD) and Active Pass (AP) were identified as aviation hazard focal points or hotspots -Cassidy with its
1. NavCanada undertook an internal audit to identify airspace incidents they felt were significant. These incidents were ranked based on a few different criteria and were then overlaid on top of the airspace to identify possible patterns due to location (HOTSPOTS).
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. Please contact us for more information on destinations and costs. For more information or to book a flight: Email: tedk@flyvfc.com Call: 1-778-350-3213
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VFC | Aviation Excellence Since 1946
heavy volume of IFR commercial traffic mixed with VFR GA traffic in Class E airspace, and Active Pass as a nexus point for commercial and recreational VFR and IFR traffic between Victoria and the lower mainland.
The recreational and general aviation community was represented at the meeting by a several groups including: The Vancouver Soaring Association (Hope area glider ops), the Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association of
Canada, the BC Aviation Council, the BC Floatplane Association, COPA and the BC General Aviation Association. Other stakeholders that will be consulted include: Regulators, Airport Authorities, Commercial Operators and Municipalities. Flight Schools will be able to offer their input and are included in the Commercial Operators category. For more information or to provide input, visit: www.bcaviation.ca/ airspace or contact your local flying club or flight school.
Feature Article
Active Pass sees large numbers of float plane and helicopter commuter traffic in conjunction with light GA, regional and international airliners moving through. Active Pass also sits on the border of two separate YYJ TML frequency transitions which can add complexity to the airspace, such as two aircraft in close proximity to each other in contact
with different controllers. Over the next few months, NavCanada will be collecting input from the various stakeholders in what it is calling the research phase of its project. It is hoped that this input will be compiled and then reviewed by the stakeholders to create a final plan towards the summer of 2020 for future implementation.
Check out the NavCanada, COPA National and BCGA websites for more information: NavCanada.ca https://bit.ly/2Vi4V1v Copanational.org https://bit.ly/2pNFdpX BCGA - https://www.bcaviation.ca/ airspace
print & imaging 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
VFC smile cards 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 $19,600 from the Thrifty Foods Smile Card program. These funds have been appreciated by all members of the club. Thank you Thrifty Foods!
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JJ on Top Feature Article
Contributed by Grant Corriveau, Air Canada Captain (Retired)
under which all pilots begin learning to fly. It means that we are expected to control and navigate our aircraft with reference to visual cues obtained from seeing the earth and the surrounding horizon and landmarks. At a much later time in our careers we may choose to gain more training that lets us fly into and “It’s the tower calling for you.” above clouds by using information Mabel, our receptionist, bookkeeper from our specialized flight and general manager of all things instruments. But that’s an advanced administrative around the flight course. It’s certainly not something school, held the phone in an With trepidation, I gingerly held a new student pilot is qualified to outstretched hand toward me. “Your the phone to my ear and identified do. J.J. was indeed lucky that he was student is stuck on top of the clouds. myself. on top of a layer of level clouds with They want to talk to you.” good visibility, which meant he was “Just to let you know,” the clipped I’d been nervously aware all morning tone of the air traffic controller from able to keep the aircraft right side up. As for navigating, now that he that one of my most enthusiastic the local tower informed me. “Your student pilots had departed on his student who is out on his solo cross could no longer see the landmarks on the ground, (these were pre-GPS solo cross country flight a little less country climbed on top of the layer than an hour ago. As a relatively new of clouds while he was departing the days), J.J. had been wise enough to immediately report his predicament flight instructor, I was still on edge airport eastward on his first leg. He to the tower controller who was each time one of "my" fledglings called us right away to let us know giving him compass headings to fly was out on an exercise. J.J.1 and I his situation. Thankfully, he’s in the clear on top of a flat layer of clouds. to a region where the clouds were had successfully completed his dual The cloud layer is broken to the west less dense. Once J.J. could see the cross-country flight the weekend earth below, through breaks in the of the field so we are giving him before. I figured he was ready to go clouds, he would be able to descend vectors to an area where he should again, solo. back to proper “VFR” conditions and be able to descend visually and get return to the airport. below the clouds again. He actually J.J. was a bit of a conundrum for wanted us to give him vectors to me. He was a prof at the local So far, despite whatever he’d done continue doing his cross-country university. As such, he had little to get 'on top,' J.J. was doing a trip, but we figured you’d probably trouble mastering the theoretical couple of other things right. He material for the Private Pilot Licence. want to have a chat with him first.” was remaining calm and flying But, when it came to handling the aircraft, and he was calling for the conglomeration of nuts, bolts, I certainly did! assistance from ATC. aluminum and accessories called The Aircraft, he was far from a natural. “Wow. Okay, thanks. Yeah, I A few tense moments later I got But, J.J.’s enthusiasm for flying, his obviously need to go over a few determination to succeed and his things with him, such as the meaning another call from the tower to let of VFR!” VFR stands for Visual Flight me know that J.J. was safely back constant, diligent effort were all his under the cloud deck and was strong suits. With constant practice, Rules. It is the set of procedures Grant Corriveau is a retired Air Canada Captain with a deep knowledge of work and life on the flight deck. He is also working on another book, "Fly Laughing," with an excerpt below. Many thanks for the humourous share from this upcoming book!
he was slowly mastering the level of skill needed for the licence. He was one of my most diligent students, and while I sometimes felt discouraged at his slow progress, I was always uplifted by his constant good humour, refusal to become discouraged, and that smile. Always, that smile. He just seemed to enjoy everything about life and especially, life at an airport.
1. The student’s name is changed to protect privacy. Not his real initials.
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VFC | Aviation Excellence Since 1946
returning to land at the home base. "He’d actually requested vectors to continue on his cross-country flight,” the controller informed me again, sounding incredulous."
I immediately took him aside for a de-briefing. He explained what happened: “I was climbing to the east and it was such a beautiful day and the sun was shining so strongly and I was just looking at the ground, and I just kept climbing. Then suddenly, I was on top of all the clouds! Wow! It is soooo beautiful
I struggled to manage my reaction. I wanted to acknowledge his expression of joy at what he’d just experienced, but I also wanted to impress upon him that this was not the way to be flying VFR at his particular skill level. We talked seriously for a few minutes about the perils for an inexperienced pilot wandering into instrument flight conditions without proper training.2 34 J.J. nodded, but didn’t stop grinning. The following week, J.J. successfully completed his solo cross country exercise without any further forays into VFR-Over-The-Top flight, and I received no more calls from the tower. He never stopped smiling all the way to his Private Pilot Licence and beyond.
Grant Corriveau Captain A320, Air Canada (retired) Grant Corriveau has been an aviator for a long time. As a boy, he built plastic aircraft models and through the power of imagination, soared into the skies. Later in life, he learned to fly real, ragwing Fleet Canucks, then moved on, step-by-step, towards ever larger and faster aircraft. Over the years, he has learned to be thankful for the many people who uplifted him along the way: family, friends, colleagues and strangers. He currently lives on Vancouver Island with his wife and greatest friend, France.
Feature Article
After a few more minutes I watched out the flight school’s front window, towards the active runway. Our training C-150 with J.J. at the controls executed a perfectly acceptable landing, and not long afterwards I greeted J.J. as he strolled back into the flight school lobby, smiling broadly from ear to ear. “Wow! It is soooo beautiful up there!” were the first words out of his mouth.
up there!,” he said again. His eyes glazed over in memory as his smile grew even bigger.
Though the body ages and he is reminded daily that "we are but dust," he also believes we are more than that. As Master Yoda observed: "Luminous beings we are." And Buzz Lightyear adds, "To infinity and beyond!"
2. Average time before untrained pilot loses control in IMC: 178 seconds. (Wilson, D. R., & Sloan, T. A. (2003). VFR Flight Into IMC: Reducing the Hazard. Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.15394/ jaaer.2003.1567) 3. https://commons.erau.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1567&context=jaaer 4. https://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2016/01/178-seconds-to-live-vfr-into-imc/
What?! Half a 172 per year?
www.flyvfc.com
Although VFC’s management team has negotiated our credit card fees down considerably over the last year, did you know that VFC pays the equivalent of a half of an airplane per year in credit card company fees? We’d ask you to consider using cash, interact or e-transfer in paying your account to reduce unnecessary fees, yours and ours, because we’d like to spend that money on adding another plane to the fleet.
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Alumni Memories
Feature Article
David Dickins VFC PPL Grad 1966
Editor's Note: We love hearing stories of how the Club and its planes affected your life! Keep sharing and send your stories to flyvfcmarketing@ gmail.com. David: "I just came across Robert Stitt’s article on rebuilding Canuck DQE in the January 2017 issue of the Patrician. I have fond memories of getting my PPL at the Victoria Flying club with the Air Cadet course in the summer of 1966. I have two entries for DQE in my logbook from that time. From my logbook, my main instructor was McAlpine (don’t remember his first name). Also flew with a Shaw and Ellard. One of my most intense memories was being introduced to
a spin on my first flight – probably not recommended practice for instructors now! I remember it absolutely terrified me. Eventually, I became comfortable enough to go out of the practice area and do solo spins while watching another cadet in another Canuck beside me do the same – hard to imagine that happening today. Another memory which has stuck with me was lying in the grass beside the runway on a warm sunny day with some other cadets between flights and watching one of us on takeoff followed by a deathly silence as the engine quit. With only a few hours since going solo, he managed to turn around and land back on the grass while only bending an undercarriage leg. The Canuck was back in the air the next day and he jumped back on the saddle as well. Learning to fly has influenced and enriched my life in many
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different ways. I had dreams of becoming an airline pilot at one point but switched to focus on getting a degree in Mechanical Engineering. At same time, my interest in aviation never waned and I was fortunate enough to make a career in marine and Arctic research that involved spending many happy hours in Beavers, Otters and helicopters all over the Canadian North and up and down the BC Coast. Many pilots, when they learned I had a licence, were happy to take a nap for an hour or so and hand me the controls. Now later on, being able to fly with friends, all afflicted by the same addiction to all things with wings is one of the great pleasures of my life. I soloed in CF-EAU at VFC in July 1966 and got my PPL a few weeks later through the Air Cadet scholarship program. I still have many fond memories of that time where students went out to the practice area to do solo spins – can you believe
VFC | Aviation Excellence Since 1946
Editor's Note: I caught up with Robert Stitt in September to see how progress was going: Robert: "There are at least two first-solo-in-DQE-at-the-VFC folks following progress - one did so 60 years ago on the 16th of this month. Still making steady progress, even as the inevitable other activities come and go, including preparing a second edition of my book on the Fortress with RAF Coastal Command and completing the Anson display at the BCAM - do check it out and let me know what you think. A fair chunk of time this spring and summer was also dedicated to
converting my modest work area into a paint shop for covering and painting DQE. Means I can now complete everything except final assembly at home. In terms of visible progress, I tackled the wiring over the winter, made a new instrument panel and recently received the overhauled Continental C-85 engine from Ken Vike in Kamloops. I've just started on the fabric for the tail surfaces and will keep working on these and at least one wing until temperature and humidity preclude further progress, at which point I'll switch back to metal work forward of the firewall."
Feature Article
it!! Flew over 16 different Canucks at Victoria and Pitt Meadows before becoming sidetracked with university, family and work in the early 70s. Took up flying again in 2008, converting my Canadian licence into a US Private - $100+ hamburger runs with other pilots to some 35 airports all over the LA basin, into the Anza Borrego Desert and Palm Desert areas based out of Carlsbad (San Diego). I currently fly a Cessna 172 with friends out of Monterey California into surrounding airports in the Bay area – Half Moon Bay, San Carlos, Salinas etc. My life-long love affair with flying all started at VFC!!"
Images: Opposite, top: David Dickins with one of his favorite Cessna 172s at Flabob Airport near Riverside California a few years ago. Left: Robert at work with the fabric for a horizontal stabilizer and a new instrument panel. Above top two: The Canucks at the Club, summer of 1966. Bottom two: The January 2017 article featuring VFC's Fleet 80 Canucks. www.flyvfc.com
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VFC's Booking Policy
Feature Article
VFC General Manager, Greg Matte
For those of you who have dropped by the Club recently, you probably noticed the new Aircraft Booking Policy that we posted inside the main entry by the public computer terminal. This new policy was developed by our Board of Directors, and came into effect on the 15th of August. Our Dispatch team is also advising folks when they call to book a plane or a flying lesson, so the word is spreading. Of note, this policy includes a "no show” component, and the associated fees that apply if someone fails to cancel or reschedule their booking within 24
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hours of the date/time the rental or flight lesson is to occur.
recreational flight, so the policy appears to be working!
As a non-profit club, we need to carefully manage expenses so as to be able to continue to offer our Club members competitive rates on rentals and lessons. Furthermore, we are trying to be more efficient in the allocation of our aircraft so that we optimize their usage. An efficient booking process will also increase the availability of aircraft for recreational use. Members have recently told us that they have seen an improvement in the availability of aircraft for
Another reason for this new policy is that our Instructor Pilots are only paid when they fly or teach. If a student fails to show up for a planned training flight, the Instructor Pilot doesn’t get paid, and would have lost part of their day for nothing. The fee associated with a “no show” for a planned flight lesson or supervised solo ensures that the Flight Instructor is compensated appropriately rather than having to accept the loss of revenue and their time. It’s only fair!
VFC | Aviation Excellence Since 1946
Victoria Flying Club Flight Training Awards Application Form All current VFC students/members are eligible to apply for these awards. Applications must be submitted to Greg Matte in the VFC office by December 31, 2019.
Home Phone: ____________________________ Cell Phone: ___________________________ Email: _______________________________________________________________________ Please provide a brief statement describing how you plan to make use of the Flight Training Award, and also outlining your future aviation ambitions:
Bursary Application
Name: _______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ The Butler Flying Award
Michael Cooper-Slipper Award
Claude Butler served as president of the Victoria Flying Club several times over the years. He was a successful businessman, inventor, and a man with many visions. His compassion and generosity knew no bounds. Claude always referred affectionately to his loving wife Jean, who was the Mayor of Central Saanich for several years, as “Her Warship.” He asked “Her Warship,” in his last moments, to do something memorable and worthwhile on his behalf for the Victoria Flying Club and this is how the Butler Flying Award was born.
Michael Cooper-Slipper was born in England January 11th 1921 and he joined the AF Squadron 605 equipped with Hurricanes, at the tender age of 17. At 19 he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for valour during the Battle of Britain. After the war he joined AVRO Canada and test few the CF-100, CF-102, and Orenda powered F-86. He also flew a modified B-47 as a test bed for the AVRO Arrow Iroquois engine. After his career as a test pilot he embarked on a career in aviation sales, first with de Havilland and then with Field Aviation. Mike is survived by his wife Rita who resides in Victoria.
Betty Wadsworth Scholarship Betty Wadsworth joined the Victoria Flying Club in 1958 and was active in the support of general aviation all her life. As a director of COPA and a member of such organizations as BC Aviation Council and the Western Canada Aviation Museum of Flight and Transportation, her contributions have been recognized by numerous awards and citations. Betty Wadsworth maintained her connection with the Victoria Flying Club where she learned to fly, and when she died in April 1986 she left a portion of her estate to the Club. Since 1991, the interest from this grant has been awarded each year to further a member’s training, qualifications, or skills at the Victoria Flying Club. www.flyvfc.com
Brian Smedley Award Brian began his aviation career as an Aviation Mechanic for the Flying Fireman. This led him to become a pilot for the Flying Fireman followed by the BC Government Air Services. After 24 years with the BC Government, Brian flew for Ainsworth Lumber in 100 Mile House, BC. After retirement from flying, Brian was able to follow his lifelong dream to become a cowboy. He worked for many ranches in the Cariboo his last one being the 112 Mile Ranch.
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Member Achievements
First Solos and Member Achievements
New Members Charles Borg Chelsea Holmes Daniel Schade David Beswick Dylan Watt Jay Van der Vlugt Kenneth Kosik Nicholas Dennison Norman Jeske Scott Witham Tonya Mitchell Zackary Hancock
Paris Walsh Simon Savage Taiga Matsushita
First Solo Cyril Kwan Jolene Woolfrey Matthew Huotari Natalie Stubb
IFR Rating James Knie
PPL Written Avena Herrin Josh Newton Laurie Ingalls PPL Flight Test Denys Jubinville Lindsay Harmsworth Richard Porritt
Multi Engine Flight Test Forest Huth
Alumni Memories Editor's note: Thank you to David Dickins for sharing your first solo experience. "I soloed in CF-EAU at VFC in July 1966 and got my PPL a few weeks later through the Air Cadet scholarship program. Still have many fond memories of that time where students went out to the practice area to do solo spins – can you believe it!! Flew over 16 different Canucks at Victoria and Pitt Meadows before becoming sidetracked with university, family and work in the early 70s. Took up flying again in 2008, converting my Canadian licence into a US Private - $100+ hamburger runs with other pilots to some 35 airports all over the LA basin, into the Anza Borrego Desert and Palm Desert areas based out of Carlsbad (San Diego). I currently fly a Cessna 172 with friends out of Monterey California into surrounding airports in the Bay area – Half Moon Bay, San Carlos, Salinas etc. My life-long love affair with flying all started at VFC!!"
16 OCTOBER 2019
In July 1966, David Dickins gets dunked with l'eau in front of CF-EAU after his first solo. Very apropos!
VFC | Aviation Excellence Since 1946
Member Achievements
Nathan Walsh Instructor: Marcel Poland
Taiga Matsushita Instructor: Mami Iijima
Simon Savage Instructor: Mami Iijima
Matthew Huotari Instructor: James Knie
"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."
www.flyvfc.com
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Information
AVIATION EGRESS SYSTEMS Egress Training Saves Lives – 45 to Date
PILOT AND PASSENGER EGRESS TRAINING one day course for Fixed Wing and Helicopter to be offered at VICTORIA
Tuesday, October 22, 2019 Bryan Webster TC AWARD WINNING INSTRUCTOR Training Cost $ 395.00 PLUS GST per student
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT www.dunkyou.com / info@dunkyou.com
250-704-6401 19
“BRY THE DUNKER GUY” 18 OCTOBER 2019
VFC | Aviation Excellence Since 1946
courtesy of Information
YOUR FREE 1-YEAR MEMBERSHIP INCLUDES: 12 ISSUES OF COPA FLIGHT: THE LATEST NEWS IN AVIATION WITHIN YOUR COMMUNITY AND ACROSS CANADA ACCESS TO COPA’S MEMBERS ONLY SECTION WITH TOOLS, CLASSIFIED ADS, JOB POSTINGS, HOW-TO-GUIDES, AND MUCH MORE! LEARN ABOUT GENERAL AVIATION ACROSS CANADA INCLUDING: UPCOMING EVENTS, PLACES TO FLY, AND CONNECT WITH FELLOW AVIATORS To take advantage of this offer you must: Provide proof of enrollment from a Canadian Flight Training Unit or Provide an instructor’s endorsement stating current training being undertaken and Have not previously held a COPA membership
Unlock the benefits of your membership: SIGN UP TODAY! visit our website HTTPS://WWW.COPANATIONAL.ORG
@COPAnational TO ADVANCE, PROMOTE, AND PRESERVE THE CANADIAN FREEDOM TO FLY Canadian Owners and Pilots Association 75 Albert St. Suite 903 Ottawa, ON K1P 5E7 613-236-4901 | copa@copanational.org | www.copanational.org www.flyvfc.com
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Gain a new perspective on...
Business Administration – Aviation Option DIPLOMA PROGRAM
For more information or to apply, contact: Business and Management Programs 250-721-8073/8072 bmt@uvic.ca bmt.uvic.ca
For information on flight training: Victoria Flying Club 250-656-2833 info@flyvfc.com flyvfc.com
You want to be a high flyer with your feet on the ground. Now you can do both. 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 on the University of Victoria campus over a nine-month period. The unique program schedule means you can complete both your private and commercial pilot’s license and also obtain the Diploma in Business Administration. Start shaping better career options for yourself today and watch things really take off! Entrance Requirements • Successful completion of Grade 12 • A desire for a career in aviation • Motivation to complete an intensive business program Ask about our partnership pathway to the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) program Royal Roads University! See other side for the 2019–20 schedule
20 OCTOBER 2019
VFC | Aviation Excellence Since 1946