GORDON—The Gore Bay Flying Club (GBFC) is still looking for a student to take part in and benefit from the club’s youth pilot training scholarship.
“We have the funds committed through different businesses on the Island for the youth pilot training scholarship,” said club President Tim St. Amand at a Gore Bay Flying Club open house and barbecue this past Saturday at the Gore Bay Manitoulin Airport. “Students would be able to learn how to fly next summer, although they can do the ground school before (through the Gore Bay Flying School). Some of the ground school training can be done online as well.”
“We are still offering the scholarship program, but still have not had a student come forward to take part in the program,” said Wade Cook, GBFC member and Gore Bay Flying School instructor. “We are still looking for someone to take this program, and in September we will be promoting it in area schools.”
The club is looking for youth candidates for the scholarship in Grade 10 or 11 who are recommended by their school. Academic achievement is a factor. Training for a private pilot’s license can cost as much as $15,000. The GBFC has already made flight training much easier to get to with the purchase of its own Piper Cherokee 140, and the club can now provide one Manitoulin youth each year with flight training at no cost, with the pilot training scholarship. For more information about the Gore Bay Flying Club’s Youth Pilot Training Scholarship, youth or their parents can contact the club’s scholarship co-ordinator Mark Wilson at GoreBayFlyingClub@gmail.com.
There was a great crowd of visitors on hand for the Gore Bay Flying Club barbecue and open house last Saturday. “This is just a casual barbecue, as our club doesn’t hold regular summer meetings,” said Mr. Cook. “And it is open to the general public to ask questions, and to provide awareness of what we are doing.”
“And our club members brought out their airplanes today, and people can ask questions about their planes, and the club,” said Mr. Cook.
Among the club members’ airplanes on hand was a Cessna 172 owned by Andre Probst, the Gore Bay Flying Club airplane a Piper Cherokee 140, Manitoulin Transport jet, along with a Chinook ultralight plane built by John Tierney of Mindemoya and Kevin Droski of Gore Bay.
The day also provided the opportunity for the club to show off its newest purchase, a flight simulator that students will be able to put some time on. “It can be programmed to be similar to flying a 747—it is far advanced to what we need,” said Mr. St. Amand.
“We are hoping to get the flight simulator up and running next month,” said Mr. St. Amand, who added the club needs a monitor and a tower for it.
