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Westport's Rideau Lakes Ultralight Focused Fly-in 2022 |
Kevin Moore, Contributing Writer & Photographer |
Rideau Lakes Airstrip (CRL2) and COPA Flight 56 hosted their first ultralight focused fly-in during the month of July. It was the second of three fly-ins hosted by the airport and COPA Flight 56 during 2022. The weather was ideal for a fly-in and they had a pretty good turn out of aircraft and local visitors who attended by vehicle.
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The ultralight focused fly-in saw a nice assortment of aircraft fly in for the event, most of which were registered ultralight aircraft. |
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This gorgeous Piper Super Cub 160 made the trip for the fly-in, landing on the Upper Rideau Lake. |
Of the aircraft that made the flight in for the fly-in, 16 were classified/registered as ultralights. One aircraft that attended but did not actually land at the airport itself was a lovely Super Cub 160 on floats. As the aircraft was not wearing amphibious floats, meaning there were no wheeled landing gear, the Super Cub pilot landed on the lake at Westport and taxied into the government docks where he was picked up by a COPA Flight 56 member and transported to the airport for a meal.
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The flying club building is tucked away, about 100' off the runway but hosts a wrap around deck with picnic tables where their fly-in meals are served. |
Flying club president, Mike Miles, was at the club early getting things set up as aircraft began to arrive. An assortment of volunteers helped out and food was served on the flying club building back deck, overlooking the airstrip. Aircraft landed further down the runway, taxied up past the flying club and into the parking areas on either side of the runway.
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Ultralight Tecnam P92 Echo with amphib floats on final, left. Another ultralight on amphib floats, the Ultravia Pelican II PL 914 Turbo, right. |
Of the visiting aircraft that attended the fly-in, 5 were float planes of which 4 landed on their wheel equipped amphib floats at the airstrip. One of the aircraft, a Rans-6S (Super) Coyote II, had originally landed on the Upper Rideau Lake, with plans to dock with the Super Cub, however, there wasn't any dock space so the pilot decided to depart the lake and land at the airstrip. As it turned out, it was the first time he had ever put the airplane down on the amphib floats on grass. Yep, he greased it!
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This lovely World War I replica biplane turned a few heads at the fly-in, on the ground and in the air. |
One of the most unique aircraft that attended was a pretty little replica type, World War I fighter biplane, a Nieuport 17. It was a head turner and garnered quite a bit of attention from visitors, including other pilots. This little biplane, registered as an ultralight, had ideal weather for the flight into Rideau Lakes Airstrip Though not particularly fast, it's an ideal low and slow aeroplane with which to enjoy the scenery of cottage country.
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Van's aircraft always seem to be well represented at fly-ins, this fly-in saw both a RV-6 and RV-8s come in for the event. |
As always at fly-ins these days, two of the non-ultralight aircraft that flew in were Van's RV aircraft. There was also a vintage, straight tail Cessna 172 and a Cessna 152. Regardless of the aircraft flown in, pilots and passengers, along with those visitors who came by land vehicle, enjoyed a filling meal laid on by the flying club and volunteers/members of COPA Flight 56. They served 52 meals and monies raised are to go to runway maintenance, a constant need for any airport.
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Two Cessnas made the trip to Rideau Lakes including this vintage, straight tail 172, left, and a Cessna 152, right. |
No matter what you fly, whether a light aircraft of the Cessna variety, a Piper or something more modern, or whether you fly an ultralight, fly-ins are a great place to meet other pilots and enjoy a bite to eat and some good conversation. It matters not that the fly-in is a small gathering, such as this particular fly-in, or a larger fly-in that sees 50, 70 or over 100 aircraft, take some time on a nice spring, summer or fall morning and take to the air for that $100 stack of pancakes or a hamburger.
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Pilots flew in from different parts of eastern Ontario and even from Quebec.
With light winds and a bright, sunny morning, it was ideal for ultralight aircraft. |
The Rideau Lakes area offers lots to see and do, especially being in the heart of cottage country. Spring, summer, autumn and winter all offer many different attractions from fishing, hiking, camping, boating and other 'warm weather' sports to winter sports such as ice fishing, snowshoeing, snow mobiling, cross country & downhill skiing and more, for those who are hearty enough to handle the cold and snow.
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Ultralight aircraft have been gaining in popularity, maybe because they can be cheaper & easier to build, maybe because they tend to be easier to fly in many cases, or maybe just because their owners love the look of the aircraft they've chosen. |
The town of Westport also offers a great little farmer's market during the summer where you can find great regular or maple iced oat cakes, a delicious, 100% natural avocado, lemon/ginger ice tea, beef pasties, fresh breads, assorted jewellery, candles, real Canadian, local maple syrup and much more. The village is a 1 minute drive from the airport but, if you don't have a ride, it's a relatively short walk. There are also various retailers in the village where one can buy touristy items, clothing, assorted sundries or you can find a nice place for a delicious meal.
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Trike (Van Loenen G13) on a high final, left. The sporty Aerotechnik SportsStar, right, awaiting the return of its pilot. |
The folks at the Rideau Lakes Flying Club are great hosts and very welcoming to all who venture to the airstrip, whether by air or by road. Their next fly-in is October 8th, 2022 and is their "Pig & Pie Fly-in," where you can enjoy an Octoberfest sausage and a piece of pie as well as a beverage. Their events are listed on the COPA calendar so if you've missed their 2022 fly-ins, look for their 2023 fly-ins and make the trip. The flight from anywhere in central and eastern Ontario, or even upstate New York, would be about an hour or so in most aircraft. The drive is a little longer but make plans to stay at a local inn or B&B or find a campground and come for the weekend or the week. You won't be disappointed.
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Aircraft were parked along both sides of the runway in the parking areas at the south end of the runway. |
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Float flying isn't always easy, not when you need to get out of a tight docking area. Sometimes a paddle is necessary, left, before you can safely start up, right, and taxi out to your take off area. |
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Savannah ultralight on final. |
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Colourful Rans-6S (Super) Coyote II on amphib floats parked while the pilot enjoys a meal. |
By Kevin Moore, Contributing Writer & Photographer
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