Club News
Prince Edward Flying Club is one of the three clubs which form COPA Flight 53, the other two are Belleville Flying Club and Oak Hills Flying Club. Together the three clubs are a strong aviation fraternity in the Quinte area.
Flight Captain is PEFC member Terry Clifton. His contact details are: - tel: 613-393-3152 - email: jtec@sympatico.ca
Prince Edward Flying Club was founded in 1953 and is based at Picton Airport in beautiful Prince Edward County. A former WW II training airfield, the airport retains many of its original wartime buildings and invokes a very nostalgic atmosphere. As with many airfields of that period, the runways are the familiar triangular layout, so cross-wind landings and take-offs can be undertaken without too much difficulty. If you are planning to fly into the airport please call Ron Stokes, the flying club president, prior to departure. He will be happy to answer all your questions regarding runway conditions etc.
His number is 613-399-9076.
Where Are We: Flying into Picton Airport.
Club Activities: What's On.
Club News: In The Hangar.
Membership Information: Join the Group.
Air Show News: What's in the Circuit.
Interesting Links: Other Web Sites To Visit.
Flying into Picton Airport - Please check the current Canada Flight Supplement for details.
Regular activities during the summer include a Club Meeting held on the second Wednesday of the month at the clubhouse, with a 7pm start time. During the winter the monthly meeting coincides with the Flying Club Breakfast, our most popular get-together on the second Sunday of the month. This is a great way to re-acquaint yourself with old friends, meet new ones, talk airplanes and eat a hearty breakfast. For those interested in Euchre we hold a popular Card Night on the third Thursday of every month.
The club holds its Annual Fly-In on Father's Day. Last year we celebrated our 51st anniversary and it was a great success. Our annual fly-in attracts visitors from far and wide, with homebuilts, classic bi-planes, tail-draggers, and even the odd Warbird. Other events include a corn roast and barbecue. So fly in (or drive) for the food, fun and friendship that a grass roots flying club can offer.
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Well actually there were 54 aircraft that flew in to celebrate Father’s Day at the Prince Edward Flying Club, according to club president Ron Stokes, and he was right. The ramp on the old BCATP base, formerly known as RAF Station Picton and home to 31 Bombing and Gunnery School, was covered with numerous light aircraft. The first pilot touched down at 8:15am and was treated to a free breakfast as is the custom at the club.
By mid morning virtually all aircraft had arrived coming from places such as Kingston, Peterborough, Sterling, and Bearbrook near Ottawa. There were at least five Zenair 200/250s sporting various colour schemes and one of the nicest belonged to Wally and Sandy Norris who keep their aircraft at Lindsay airport. They had made really good flying time to Picton, a comfortable 40 minutes with a firm tailwind.
There was also an assortment of Cessnas, with everything from a very nice C-140 in a plain silver finish with a white cheat line, to a sharp-looking red and white Cardinal.
There were several RV-6s, an Aeronca, Ercoupe, V-tail Bonanza, Cherokee 6 and several Piper TriPacers dotted about too.
One particular visitor that drew a lot of attention as it sat on the grass beside the clubhouse was a Robinson R44 Raven II helicopter. Owned by Dave and Mike Kouri, from Tamworth, Ontario, the Raven II is equipped with a fuel-injected, angle-valve, tuned-induction, IO-540 Lycoming engine. According to the manufacturer’s specifications, it has a maximum operating altitude of 14,000ft and a maximum range (no reserve) of approximately 400 miles.
It cruises at 135 mph (117 kts) and as Dave commented, “is very nice to fly”. It is a popular helicopter particularly with police departments and TV news services south of the border.
PEFC members Deryck Brown and Luke Bowman were kept busy throughout the morning marshalling the aircraft to a safe parking spot having been led in from the runway by club member Keith Alder with his Follow Me-signed motorcycle.
To make way for the folks having breakfast in the hangar, many of the members had parked their aircraft on the grass. Kevin Hickling’s striking Pitts S1 was at one end of the line and Dave King’s 3/4 scale Fieseler Storch was at the other. Both beautiful aircraft in their own right and with more in common that you would think. Dr. Gerhard Fieseler's design flew for the first time in April 1936 and Curtiss Pitts' prototype 'Special' was first flown in 1944, both built for exceptional flying performance.
The weather cooperated nicely for Father’s Day and club members had done a tremendous job in preparing over 250 breakfasts for the pilots, guests and friends who had flown, walked or driven in for the morning event. Hosted by the Prince Edward Flying Club, this particular event is an annual get-together for the three flying clubs that make up COPA Flight 53 (Quinte), Oak Hills Flying Club, Belleville Flying Club, and PEFC.
Ron Stokes, president of The Prince Edward Flying Club, received a very nice surprise on Sunday, November 11, when John Quarterman, COPA Manager, Member Assistance & Programs, flew in to the Picton airport to present him with an Award of Appreciation. Unable to attend the COPA awards luncheon at the organization’s annual convention in Moncton in July, Ron missed the presentation, so the club asked if a flying visit could be arranged to present him with the plaque. John very kindly flew down to do the honours.
Ron’s name was put forward because of his major contribution to aviation over the years, particularly in the local Quinte region, home to COPA Flight 53. He has been a COPA member since 1982 and president of the Prince Edward Flying Club for the past eight years. Ron’s aviation background spans many years having served in the RCAF from 1955 to 1979. He was a gliding instructor and CFI at the Canadian Forces flying club in Lahr, Germany during the late 1960’s and early 70s, and holds soaring diamond awards for both height and distance, gained while a member of the Alberta Soaring Association.
As president of the Prince Edward Flying Club he oversees the club’s commitment to look after the facilities at the Picton airport, particularly maintaining the runways, airport lighting, grass cutting and liaising with the airport owner and the local Air Cadet Association, which uses the airport for glider flight training during the summer months. The club holds regular monthly fly-in breakfasts and Ron is always on-hand to ensure they run smoothly. He also organizes the club’s annual Father’s Day fly-in which has become a very popular aviation event in the local area.
Ron has owned a Piper TriPacer single engine aircraft since 1982, and last year was instrumental in helping to bring the 2006 Short Wing Piper Association Convention to Canada. This was the first time the convention was held outside of the USA and it was a tremendous success. Ron is a dedicated, hardworking individual and a great supporter of General Aviation in Canada and we congratulate him on his award, “Ever Diligent for our Aviation Community.”
It really was smiles all round as the last flight of the day taxied back to the ramp at the Tyendinaga airport, wrapping up a very successful Young Eagles Day on Saturday, September 15th. This year’s event was organized by members of COPA Flight 53, a three-club partnership comprising the Prince Edward Flying Club, Oak Hills Flying Club, and Belleville Flying Club. The group had done a tremendous job inviting the Belleville Big Brothers and Big Sister organization to take part in the day’s events, which included a much-anticipated lunchtime barbecue.
It was an early start for the 28 bleary-eyed youngsters who were on the field by 8am. However, interest and enthusiasm soon took over as pilot/passenger check-ins began and the “Introduction to the Aircraft” briefings got underway. COPA Flight 53 Captain, Terry Clifton, had the task of explaining the finer points of how an airplane flies and what are all those controls for? to the kids as they assembled in groups ready for a thrilling day.
A nice selection of aircraft was provided by the three clubs, and their very willing pilots were on-hand to undertake the flights: Jim Duffin (Citabria), Ken Yardy (Cessna Cardinal), Gerry Muma (Ercoupe), Jim Halls (Challenger), and Wayne Kimmett (Taylorcraft). It was a beautiful morning although the wind was starting to gust a little as the Ercoupe and 13 year old Steven Mullin took off for the first flight of the day. After that it was business as usual as a steady stream of potential pilots got to experience a 20 minute flight that followed a circuit route, heading five miles west of the airport and then south along the lakeshore, over Deseronto and back to the field.
The next two and a half hours gave all 28 youngsters a chance to get airborne, see some of the local scenery and experience a little of what general aviation is all about, and most importantly enjoy themselves. The day however wasn’t without its fair share of Gremlins and the two Jims bore the brunt. The wind picked up during the morning which proved a little too much for the Challenger and Jim Halls wisely parked it in the hangar for another day. The Citabria suffered a flat tailwheel tire much to the interest of the kids who shouted, “Hey! We can pump it up, no problem.” But Jim Duffin said “I don’t think so, not this time,” and he was right. The three remaining aircraft picked up the slack and did a tremendous job to make sure there were no delays and the flight operations continued smoothly.
By noon everyone had been up and we were ready for lunch and the certificate presentation, which was taken very seriously by the kids who walked away beaming after receiving their award.
It had been a great day for everyone, the club members, pilots, the Big Brothers & Sisters organization…and of course the freshly minted Young Eagles. The COPA Flight 53 organizing committee had done a marvelous job in setting up the event and would like to thank everyone involved. A special thank you goes out to Ken Yardy, who had been a last minute participant and didn’t even take a coffee break, keeping the Cardinal really, really busy, particularly after the two other aircraft went out of service...many thanks Ken, super job. Also to Glen and Sandra Campbell for handling the certification process, and George Fredericks for tirelessly hand-propping the Taylorcraft…great job guys. For anyone interested in checking out the CFB Trenton Aviation Club, Canadian Forces pilot Danny Vanderbyl has kindly sent us the link to their web site.
CFB Trenton Aviation Club He is currently looking for a location to obtain some tailwheel training so please feel free to email him with suggestions, he would appreciate it. He has our club link on his web site too.
Our illustrious club president Ron Stokes was the recipient of a COPA Award of Appreciation handed out at the COPA awards luncheon in July during the organization's annual convention, which this year was held in Moncton, New Brunswick. Ron's name was put forward because of his major contribution to local aviation in our community. Well done Ron from all of us in COPA Flight 53 and your many friends in aviation.
Bev and Gerry Muma are our newest club members and we welcome them to PEFC and COPA Flight 53. Gerry used to fly 747s and DC-10s with Wardair and then spent several years in Australia flying with Ansett Airlines. Seen here at the last club breakfast, Bev and Gerry fly a 1946 Ercoupe 415CD with a 100hp Continental under the cowling. The aircraft is one of the few that still retains its original control wheel/rudder configuration, in other words it has not been subject to a rudder pedal conversion. "Crosswind landings can be a little different if you are used to flying conventional aircraft", he explained, "but you soon get used to it and it's a fun airplane to fly."
Just a reminder, the club mailing address is:
Prince Edward Flying Club
c/o Ronald F. Stokes
RR1 Wellington, ON
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If you are interested in aviation, a pilot, or just like looking at airplanes and talking to like-minded folks, come and visit our club.
Membership fees are $25 per year. For information contact Ron Stokes Just to get everyone thinking of the upcoming flying season, here are a few images from some of the local air shows...Air Show Pix
“This is one of the best parts of the Young Eagles Day,” said Terry, “I’m always amazed at the questions these little guys come up with, and they sure know their stuff too, so you had better give them the right answer.” Terry used a Piper Cub based at the airfield as the demonstration aircraft, beautifully finished in traditional Piper factory yellow.
Some of the kids had flown in regular airline aircraft before but very few had flown in or even been close to a small airplane, so they were very excited.
It was in this Ercoupe in 1962 that Gerry, as a 14 year old boy, took his very first flight in any airplane. Four years later, in 1966, he flew the aircraft for the first time and together with Bev spent many happy hours flying it. Gerry has known the history of "EHS" since it had arrived in Canada in 1946 and in 2003 had the opportunity to purchase the aircraft. He currently keeps the "Coupe" at the Tyendinaga airfield.
More airborne with Dave and Dave
Dave Edward recently sent me a few more pictures of him and Dave King flying loose formation over the county. Very nice!!!
More...Dave and Dave's aerial pix...
Membership Information
E-mail: mayron@sympatico.ca
Air Show News
Interesting Links
CFB Trenton Aviation Club:"For the love of Flight."
The Recreational Aircraft Association: Promoting recreational aviation in Canada with a focus on amateur built aircraft.
The Royal Canadian Airforce Memorial Museum:Information on RCAF history past and present.
Dave's Storch:Club Member Dave King's Aircraft.
The Experimental Aircraft Association:One of the best sites for the recreational pilot.
Canadian Owners and Pilots Association:Current trends in general aviation in Canada.
Canadian Aviation Historical Society:Dedicated to celebrating Canada's aviation history.
Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame:Famous Canadian aviators and their exploits.
Airforce Association of Canada:Preserving the traditions of the RCAF.
Prince Edward County-Ontario's Island Community:Information and Events Guide.
Welcome to Bay of Quinte Country:Quinte's most complete online resource.
Frank Artés - The Writer's Group Web Design
E-mail: isca@kos.net
Last Modified: December 5th, 2007