Take off! Club marks 75th with call to pilots
Members of the Windsor Flying Club want to celebrate the organization’s 75th anniversary by getting more feet off the ground next year. Established in 1944 following the closure of Windsor’s No. 7 Elementary Flying Training School, which prepared pilots and aircrew for the Second World War, the Windsor Flying Club has long been the learning ground of people looking to touch the clouds. Through several events scheduled in 2019, flying club members hope to attract new future pilots to the sky.
“Our goal is to share aviation,” said Henry Dupuis, the club’s vice president. “We’re all pilots, and we all love it.”
Proceeds from ticket sales to aviation events open to the public in the new year will go toward two scholarship funds the Windsor Flying Club is creating. The scholarships will support the dreams of two undetermined potential pilots who want to fly commercially. “There’s a huge demand right now for pilots,” said Dupuis, who obtained his private pilot licence five years ago. Tens of thousands of commercial pilot positions will open in Canada alone in the next few years, with hundreds of thousands more available internationally, he said.
“Not only is it a great pastime for those of us who do it recreationally, but commercially, it’s certainly a great opportunity.” Dupuis attributed the increasing demand for commercial pilots to the number of pilots reaching age 65 and being forced to retire. Many them received their training in the army in preparation for the Vietnam War, and have worked as pilots ever since.
On March 23, 2019, the club will partner with its next-door neighbour, the Canadian Historical Aircraft Association to throw a 1940sthemed gala, open to the public with a limited number of tickets available. There, automobiles and airplanes from the 1940s will be on display, Dupuis said.
On the weekend of July 6, the club will hold a 75 aircraft flyin event, attracting 75 different planes from flying clubs near and far to land at the local airport. Coupled with the fly-in will be career day type talks given by commercial pilots and aircraft mechanics about opportunities in their fields. Food trucks, craft beer, and wine from local wineries will also be available there, Dupuis said. Tickets for the public event will be available in the new year. Ron Holden was just 14 when the Windsor Flying Club was first established. Now, the farm boy from Oldcastle is grown up, but his love for aviation remains the same.
Holden obtained his pilot’s licence through a flying scholarship from the Air Cadets in 1947, then spent 32 years in the Royal Canadian Air Force. After retiring, he took a job as the chief flying instructor at the Windsor Flying Club, where he worked from 1983 to 1995 before retiring again. Until last year, he was chief pilot for the Canadian Historical Aircraft Association.
“I’m the luckiest man alive,” Holden said, reflecting on his 71 years in flight. The 87-year-old still holds his flight instructor licence, and continues to put it to use. Without the Air Cadet scholarship, Holden could still be stuck on the ground gassing planes in the club’s hangar.
Dupuis hopes to raise a total of $70,000 through 75th anniversary events for the scholarships next year.
The entire process of obtaining a commercial pilot licence from scratch costs around $35,000, he said, including ground schools, books, medical tests, licensing fees, instructor fees, and the minimum of 45 hours required airtime. Each hour in the air costs about $200, Dupuis said, and some students
Not only is it a great pastime for those of us who do it recreationally, but commercially, it’s certainly a great opportunity.
need more practice than others. To get a taste for aviation, individuals can book scenic flights around the Windsor area through the Windsor Flying Club, Dupuis said. They can also take control of the plane in an introductory flight around Windsor and Essex County. Tickets for all events will become available on the Windsor Flying Club’s website and Facebook page in the new year. Anyone looking to find out more information about the events or scholarships can email 75@thewindsorflyingclub.com.