GORDON—The Gore Bay Flying Club (GBFC) was able to add another member to the club membership after an open house held at the new terminal at the Gore Bay Manitoulin Airport on Saturday, April 12.
“It went very well,” stated Andre Probst, president of the GBFC. “Although the attendance was meager for the open house, the end result is that the event was a success. We had a couple of people on hand interested in getting their pilot’s licence. I took one of the attendees on a half hour flight around Manitoulin Island and they were really impressed and joined the club and bought a share in the flying club so they will be able to use the club’s airplane once they get their licence.”
Mr. Probst introduced club members who were on hand for the open house, including Dennis Simo, the clubs pilot instructor (who is from Burlington and has a summer residence on the west end of the island).
“This was our first open house for the club, and we welcomed all those on hand, and provided information for those that want to learn how to fly, get their pilots licence, meet the instructor, members and view the aircraft,” said Mr. Probst.
The GBFC has 28 members said Mr. Probst, who pointed out the club aircraft is a Piper Cherokee 140.
The GBFC had an information sheet on hand for all those interested, to take home. “Learn to Fly. What does it take to become a pilot? Learning to fly a plane is basically not as hard as you might think, but becoming a licensed pilot takes a lot of work. You have to take a ground school, do lots of studying, get a medical certificate, take enough training to be safe for solo, take a 100-question written exam, take more training to be ready for a flight test and then fly for many hours to gain experience and really become a safe pilot.”
“It also costs a fair bit of money, about the same as a university education and it involves many frustrations, cancellations because of weather, and sometimes sacrificing time that you would otherwise spend on the things we all do in normal life. But in the end, it’s very satisfying and rewarding to be in control of a plane thousands of feet in the air. You will be the member of a very small percentage of the population that has the privilege of operating an aircraft. How cool is that?” the GBFC information explains.
It was explained, “According to Transport Canada regulations, you have to be at least 14 years old to get a student pilot permit. That also requires you to pass a PSTAR exam with a minimum of 90 percent average to pass. You will also need a medical certificate (category four minimum) prior to solo flying.”
“You need to get a minimum of 40 hours of ground school training,” said the GBFC. “You can get this a few different ways like a formal in class method, one-on-one with an instructor or through an online program like ‘Level Flights’ or ‘Harv’s Air.’”
You’re also required to get a minimum of 45 hours of in-flight training including 17 hours of dual and 12 hours of solo. The average is more like 75 hours total with 35-40 hours of dual and the remainder being solo time before you are ready to take the flight test, GBFC said.
A written test is also required to apply for a licence. This test is 100 questions covering air law, general knowledge, meteorology and navigation. Once you have successfully passed both tests and you are at least 17 years old, you can apply for a private pilot licence and then carry passengers, it was noted. You can get a recreational pilot permit at 16 years old, but it comes with some restrictions (only one passenger, no flights into the US and no night flying).
“The best way to start is to take a discovery flight and try to talk to other pilots about their journey. Come to the airport and ask someone about the process. Read or find informative videos on the internet. The more you know, the easier it is. Hope you have blue skies and tailwinds in whatever you choose to do,” the GBFC noted. For more information, the flying club contacts are the Gore Bay Manitoulin Airport at 705-282-2101, or Mr. Probst at 705-859-2933.
