Mark Humbke from Naramata is all smiles as he arrives in his autogyro during the fly-in breakfast hosted by the South Okanagan Flying Club at the Oliver airport August 17.
Lyonel Doherty photo
You’d be amazed how far people will travel by plane to taste Paul Dumoret’s eggs.
“For my money, it’s the best breakfast in BC . . . Paul’s probably the best egg flipper in the world,” said pilot Larry Taylor from Penticton.
Taylor was among 35 pilots who joined the South Okanagan Fying Club for its annual fly-in breakfast at the Oliver airport August 17.
He flew in a home-built Maranda Super 14, and everyone heard him coming.
“It’s very forgiving, evidenced by the landing. Didn’t you hear the ‘bang, bang, bang’ when I hit the ground?”
Taylor acquired the Maranda in 2005 when the tail was rotting away and the wings were in disrepair. He redesigned it and changed the control surfaces.
“It used to be all cables, but now it’s all push/pull and torque tubes.”
Taylor recalled one experiment where he tested the plane’s floats by flying into a lake. He learned that it wasn’t actually seaworthy since only the tail end was sticking above the water. It was time to call a tow truck.
Flying club president Victor Seder said the fly-in was another success, with approximately 265 people served for breakfast. He attributed the success to all of the volunteers (about 20 club members) who work very hard to pull off their biggest function of the year.
The event coincided with the Penticton Flying Club’s pig roast that evening.
Tim Cole, treasurer of the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA), said the fly-in brings the community together and adds a lot to the local economy. Cole estimated that he spent about $400 in Oliver that day.
“The personal aviation sector is not well recognized,” Cole said, noting that pilots who utilize community airports offer many hidden benefits.
Ken and Colette Pierce flew all the way from Miniota, Manitoba to attend the fly-in and pig roast.
“Every weekend we like to go flying, and there’s nothing going on in Manitoba this weekend,” Ken said.
It took the Pierces nearly eight hours to fly to Oliver in their Cessna 182.
“It’s amazing how much in common you have with people hundreds of miles away.”
Ken said it was nice to see local support for the airport.
He noted that airports tend to get a bad rap from people who think it’s just a place where a bunch of rich guys play with their toys.
“But I’m a farmer,” he pointed out.
Mark Humbke from Naramata turned a lot of heads last Saturday when he arrived in his autogyro, a cross between a helicopter and an airplane – the unique aircraft seen in the James Bond film, “You Only Live Twice.”
Humbke likens the machine to a flying windmill.
Believe it or not, the autogyro is one of the safest machines to fly, he said, noting it’s really “taking off” in the United States in kit form.
Humbke said his two-seater autogyro can reach a top speed of 100 mph, and can climb 1000 feet per minute. He stated police forces in the United States use them for road surveillance.
Not long after Humbke landed, all eyes were on a Harvard MK IV doing loops in the air. The pilot wasn’t a seasoned veteran, but a 13-year-old Oliver boy.
Vincent Combret and his father Olivier drew a lot of attention when they landed the yellow Harvard. Olivier said his son will be doing solo flights when he turns 14 on September 1.
“He was a hangar rat . . . a product of a small town airport,” Olivier said of his son growing up at the Oliver airstrip.
Vincent said every time he came to the airport with his dad, he would marvel at the planes in the air.
“I just love flying. Being in the air is amazing.”
Vincent said he is very excited about the thought of flying solo. His goal is to become an RCAF (Royal Canadian Air Force) pilot to fly the “heavies.”
Olivier said he has always taught his son to be independent and to seize opportunities that allow him to excel at his talents. And flying is definitely one of them.
Vincent treats flying very seriously and knows that if he is going to have any chance of getting into the RCAF, he can’t fool around. And he’s learning early that there’s no room for error. In his case, the sky is truly the limit.
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