COPA Convention in Summerside PEI

[Gone]

Now, for those of you who watched Regis Philbin trash seafood and Prince Edward Island last week, here is another opinion from the experiences of a Mooney Driver who attended last weekend's Canadian Owners and Pilots Association convention in Summerside PEI.  As per my last note to Russ Anderson (Mooney Ambassador in Alberta) who did not make it because of engine problems, I am posting some pics. 

 

To start, PEI is a beautiful island.  Picturesque, open, full of friendly people and the home of the Anne of Green Gables story.  And the seafood is great.

The flying was both enjoyable and challenging.  The original plan was to fly from Rockcliffe Ottawa for 2 hours in the wrong direction to Sudbury Ontario (CYSB) and pick up my friend who would then accompany me to Summerside (CYSU).  A stopover for fuel was planned for Quebec city (CYQB) because the planned 4.5 hours was cutting it a little close for me.  And that was with a 15 knot westerly tail wind.  At one point over Maine, we were grounding 196 knots at 9,500'.  Flight following all the way and VFR.

Both Boston Center (over Maine) and Moncton Center (over New Brunswick) asked about "all those aircraft" headed to Summerside.  Over fifty aircraft flew in for the convention held on the former RCAF airbase and we all stayed in the former barracks that have been converted to a hotel by a local entrepreneur.

Summerside greeted us with little carts that had "Follow Me" placards on them.  Great bunch of folks.  Good presentations and some good vendor displays.  The highlights were a F4U Vought Corsair (FD-1U as per its Royal Navy designation) in the colours of the aircraft flown by Hampton Gray, VC, DSC, R.C.N.V.R (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Hampton_Gray) and a Wesland Lysander dedicated to Cliff Stewart, an unassuming WWII OSS operative who flew in them for seven trips into occupied Europe in support of local resistance units. He used to tell people he spent the war "setting up radio stations..."

As for Mooneys, there were two.  Roger's F model came all the way from near Red Deer Alberta (1951 miles that took three days). My own travel distance was only 700 miles in one day. 

The trip home provided some challenges avoiding buildup and lower down (mostly between 3,000' and 5,000') but the winds at that altitude were fairly benign.  Over Moncton, the controller told a 172 driver to stop drooling as we passed alongside. Over North Bay Ontario, the controllers kept six launching F16s (originally from Nellis AFB) below 7000’ until we were past and then released them for higher.  Cool little buggers and faster than a Mooney.  Overall a  cool flight.

Next year, the convention will be in Langley BC, so Russ and Roger will have shorter flights to make it.