Last week we flew to Bancroft for their 2023 fly-in breakfast and BBQ lunch, offering pilots and all visitors the chance to spend more time at the airport, enjoying breakfast and lunch, watching aeroplanes come and go, enjoying delicious food and chatting with pilots, volunteers and other visitors. This week we return to visit the fly-in and have a look at more aircraft and the Bancroft area.

The only aircraft to fly in with 'fat' tyres was a PA-18 Super Cub from Lingham Lake Fishing Camp. The PA-18 is another great Piper aircraft that proved versatile and useful for pilots flying in back country or the north. Capable of operating from wheels, including tundra tyres, skis and floats, either straight floats or full amphibious floats, the Super Cub has been used for many, many tasks by private pilots, bush pilots and various commercial operations. There's very little that hasn't gone into a Super Cub that can fit into a Super Cub! Sometimes items that won't fit into the aircraft get strapped to the outside of the aircraft be it to the wing struts or floats. The PA-18 can get in and out of short strips or lakes with big loads, all be it with a bit of a pucker factor thrown in for good measure.

Bancroft is a popular tourist town, not just in summer, but year round. In the heart of Ontario's 'cottage country,' Bancroft has a lot to offer. There are the typical amenities such as grocery stores, beer & liquor stores, good sitdown, family restaurants, fast food restaurants, a vintage candy store, hardware store and great houseware and gift stores. It's also close the world renowned Algonquin Park where you can camp, canoe, fish, hike, swim and just enjoy the wilderness. You can stay at a local motel, B&B, RV trailer park or camp in the area and you can do this year round.

Sporting a rather short wing, the Thorp T-18 is an American designed, all metal homebuilt aircraft. The first T-18 flew in 1963 with a Lycoming O-290G engine offering a cruise of 125mph. Since the first aircraft was built, other engines have been fitted to the aircraft offering speeds up to 200mph cruise. For years the T-18 was the most popular homebuilt aircraft around. One pilot/owner flew his from Australia to England and another flew his T-18 to the North Pole. Well over 1600 of the type have been built including 6 variants.

The fly-in isn't just about aircraft. It's also about community and along with people visiting to see aircraft and have a bite to eat, vintage car collectors and enthusiasts are also invited to display their vehicles. There were several vehicles that lined the classic car line, some with their owners on hand to talk to interested people, some had signs with vehicle information and some were just there for people to wander around and enjoy.

Near North Aviation operates out of 3 different Ontario airports including Parry Sound, Muskoka and York. Bancroft Flying Club invited them to the fly-in to offer visitors sightseeing flights over the Bancroft area and they were busy throughout the day. For a fee, interested parties could enjoy about a 20 minute flight over the airport and surrounding area and the flights were obviously enjoyed by all, at least, based on the smiles of those deplaning after their flight.

Whether you decided to fly in or come by some type of personal vehicle or even walk to the airport, it made for an enjoyable day. Those who flew in came from miles around, from other airports and private strips, even from cottages on one of the thousands of lakes in Ontario. Aircraft of all types made the trip, some just with their pilot, others with multiple persons on board; some aircraft were common types and others were.... unique. In the parking area, every aircraft was often surrounded by cameras or cell phones, people snapping pics and chatting about what it was or what it would take to fly it. There was talk about what it would take to learn to fly and whether they could actually learn and/or afford to fly. Regardless, the fly-in certainly piqued interest in many.

The Ran's S-6ES Coyote II is a further development of the original Rans designs, the S-4 as well as the following S-5 & S-6. Originally designed with the Rotax 503, followed by the Rotax 582, the standard engine is now the Rotax 912UL or the optional 912ULS. It can be built with conventional (tail dragger) or tricycle gear and can be flown with floats or skis. The type first flew in 1988 and more than 1800 have been built and fly worldwide. Depending on the engine, cruise ranges from 80-100mph, stall is 38-41mph and it can get you off the ground in 160-235 feet with a climb rate 500-900fpm.

The Citabria was first designed & built by Champion Aircraft Corporation in 1964. It was a development from the Aeronca Champ line which Champion purchased in 1954. Variants built by Champion by 1965 included the 7ECA, 7GCAA, 7GCBC and the 7KCAB. Champion was acquired by Bellanca Aircraft Corporation in 1970 who continued production and included two more designs in the 8KCAB Decathlon and 8GCBC Scout. In 1980 production of the lines ended. However, after being acquired by Champion Aircraft Company in the mid 80s, followed by American Champion Aircraft Corporation in 1989, production began again on the 7ECA, 7GCAA and the 7GCBC. Depending on engine, cruise is 125mph, stall is 50mph with a rate of climb of 1120fpm and a range of over 530miles.

If you're a pilot but you only fly on wheeled aircraft you might find inspiration in trying your hand at water operations. Flying from the water offers pilots a new experience with a new set of skills and opens up a whole new world of adventure for many. Whether you fly something like a Colonial C-1 Skimmer, an aircraft with a fuselage that has a similar shape to that of the hull of a boat that lands directly on the water, or you fly an aircraft with, what some refer to as "pontoons" or "floats," which replace the wheels (or skis), operating from water is a great way to visit the cottage, an out of the way beach or a secluded fishing spot on a hard to get to lake, it's a great way to see more of where you live, or maybe where you'd like to live!

Flying to Bancroft is done over some rugged country. The airport, and town, is surrounded by forest covered hills and many lakes and creeks, but it's not really a difficult airport to fly into. It's always good to challenge yourself, flying into different airports with different approaches. The Bancroft Flying Club fly-in breakfast and BBQ lunch is worth the flight. You'll love the airport. You'll love the people. You'll love the food. You'll love the area. Make a point of flying into Bancroft Airport (CNW3) for their July 2024 fly-in or just come visit the Bancroft area. You won't be disappointed and you'll enjoy everything about it.