The Moose Jaw Flying Club once again drew the weather short straw, with lowering clouds creating a low flight ceiling that limited fly-in guests, and chilly winds putting a damper on what has been a warm summer so far — nevertheless, hundreds of people turned out on Saturday, Aug. 19 to enjoy a hearty breakfast of pancakes, eggs, and sausages out at the Moose Jaw Municipal Airport.
"Well, the enthusiasm this town has for aviation is always obvious, because we've got a great turnout today even though we keep striking out with the weather," said Roger Blager, president of the Moose Jaw Flying Club (MJFC). Blager is also the flight captain for the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association #215 (COPA215), which is synonymous with the club.
"Our ceiling today is only about 2,500 feet, which is about 1,500 feet above the ground. So, that's where the cloud level is, and if you're a Visual Flight Rules, or VFR pilot, you have to be able to see the ground. In this weather, flying that close is what we affectionately call 'scud running' and it is not the preferred method. And it's windy. The nice thing about the wind is that it is coming directly down the runway, which makes it easier to land and take off compared to a cross-wind, so hopefully we'll see a few more planes. But it will be a lot less than we'd hoped for, of course."
The appeal of joining the MJFC/COPA #215 is that it can be an inexpensive, low-obligation way to get involved with flight, planes, airports, and pilots. Membership dues are only $25 a year, and the club is open for all enthusiasts.
Club members are happy to show new members around the airport, and when time and weather allow, members can go flying by chipping in for fuel costs — or for free on special occasions. Being a COPA member provides the necessary insurance coverage and Transport Canada registration for the club to do those kinds of flights, as well as giving local pilots scholarship options for training.
"Last year, it was in June and the weather wasn't great, so we moved it," Blager laughed. "So, here it is in August, and... at least it's not raining, though. We've had worse days, and there are lots of people here anyway. Moose Jaw is an air show town, I've been going to air shows here since I was a kid and the turnout was always incredible. I think in the absence of that, people just love to come out and be around the planes and have some breakfast and fellowship."
"This is the third or fourth year I've been organizing the food side of the pancake breakfasts," said Doug Ferguson, a pilot and member of MJFC/COPA #215. "I just enjoy being around the people and I enjoy aviation. And I think everybody's pretty happy today. Somebody was saying we should just call it the 'Windy Weather Fly-in' or something, and then the weather would turn out, but it's still a good day."
