Such a perfect day

Winter has lasted a long time this year but spring is finally managing to push its way in. Saturday was a gloriously sunny day. Not massively warm but pushing into the double digits. Something we haven’t seen for a while (unless it had a minus sign in front of it). The winds were light, the ATIS short; no IFR approach info and the weather summed up in one acronym - CAVOK*

An auspicious start for our big adventure to Lindsay. And it really was a big adventure, neither of us has been to the airport before, it’s a very different environment to what I’m used to flying in and RTH hasn’t really done a long trip in a while. A venture into the unknown.

I was both excited and a little nervous, I have the utmost confidence in RTH’s abilities but I don’t deal with the unknown too well. But I was definitely looking forward to it. And rightly so. Despite being a little bumpy (probably the first significant heating the land round there has seen for a while), the flight was both uneventful and spectacular. Lake Skugog is just starting to thaw; you can see the ice breaking up in places but still locate snow mobile tracks in others. The land is full of a patchwork of fields, trees and rises gently into old moraine trails. It is so stunning and yet so alienly different to the British countryside I grew up with.

Lindsay airport was an experience, the UNICOM not as intimidating and free-for-all as I expected. Everyone was very civilised and waited their turn patiently, the conversation light and casual.  No one stressing, all there for one reason; to enjoy flying. No commercial pilots watching the clock and the bottom dollar.

Flying folk are a friendly bunch in general, one guy joked gently with RTH that “yep, both the wings are still attached” as RTH did a quick walk round before we left! We chatted briefly with another crowd while seeking advice on a suitable location to do our run-up. They didn’t realise that there was still GA happening at CYTZ**.

The interesting difference between plane owners/renters and their automobile counterparts is the complete lack of snobbery. Pilots look at old planes and see “classic” not “worn out”, no one batted an eyelid at the fact that in some places JES is more speed tape than plane!*** At one point on the common frequency I overheard a conversation between two pilots. One started off by making a position call, starting with his call sign. Once the necessaries were over with, someone else came on to say “hey, I used to own that plane!” To aviation people, every plane has its own unique story to tell, and everyone wants to hear them.

The food in the restaurant was amazing, in a good old home cooking type of way. A tasty breakfast, good coffee and a nice homely atmosphere. Topped off with a great view of planes landing and taking off, who could ask for more? Oh yes and the obligatory butter tarts, for which Lindsay is famous. We grabbed a dozen, reserved two for ourselves and donated the remainder to the fine people behind the dispatch desk at City.

The journey back was as uneventful and visually spectacular as the journey out. The air had settled down a little, so not as many bumps. It truly was a perfect day. How many other couples get to spend time like this together? Silently taking in the remarkable aerial view of our chosen home. I can’t wait to get my license and return the favour, taking RTH for a flight so he can sit back and enjoy the scenery for a change.

 

*Ceiling and Visibility are OK,  that is no clouds below 5000ft and visibility of at least 6 miles. In other words, let’s go flying!

**It is certainly in jeopardy, the commercial ops really don’t like us.

*** RTH and I are both very fond of JES, cosmetic concerns aside. I soloed in her; RTH passed his flight test in her and I think she’s a gentle graceful lady!