TIMMINS - If you talk to Timmins aviation enthusiast Lloyd Richards, he will tell you that if there if one symbol that is truly iconic of Northern Ontario, it is the float plane.
Who hasn't been out in the bush to hear that familiar growl of a piston engine aircraft overhead, maybe taking some lucky fishermen to a remote lake or bringing drill samples from a remote mining camp back to the city?
Richards is a Timmins businessman who operates three airplanes, all of them land based. But he has previously owned a float plane.
On a Saturday morning in late September, several float plane pilots in Timmins got together through the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) to carry out another Young Eagles flight day.
Normally the Young Eagles program involves getting youngsters to enjoy their first airplane flight in the hope that someday those young people will consider a career in aviation. Most often the flights involve land-based aircraft taking off and landing from a local airport. That's how the Young Eagles program has worked for so many years in Timmins.
The new twist locally invited young people to enjoy a ride in a float plane.
“Yeah, we've done it two years in a row now on the water, on Porcupine Lake. It has been very successful. The kids loved it,” said Richards.
The only disappointment, said Richards, was that the local flying partners had lots of room for more young people. He said roughly two dozen youngsters were able to enjoy a flight, but there was room for lots more. He said he's hoping things will improve next year.
“This is a great thing for the community and we'd like more young people to be part of it,” said Richards.
He said that most local airplane owners are members of EAA, or COPA (Canadian Owners and Pilots Association), and that includes owners of the many float planes we see in Timmins.
“We live in a part of the world where I am sure there are a lot of kids who would aspire to being a float plane pilot,” he said. “There's people who work in the bush, the mining exploration people, people in natural resources. There's a whole segment of the aviation business which operates on floats.”
Richards said Confederation College in Thunder Bay has a program to teach float plane flying and is creating a whole new generation of bush pilots.
He said float-plane aviation has always been an essential part of business in many Northern Ontario communities. Richards recalled that the South Porcupine seaplane base was home, at various times, to Georgian Bay Airways, Austin Airways and is currently home to Ratcliffe Aircraft Ltd.
“Oh. by the way, we had the full co-operation of Mel Ratcliffe for our program this year and we do appreciate that,” said Richards.
He said the Young Eagles will be spinning up again in 2015 with the land-based planes at the Timmins Airport on June 13 and the float plane base again on Porcupine Lake in September, with the date to be announced.
Richards said the Young Eagles program can operate year round if necessary if there is a group of young people, interested in aviation, who might enjoy a brief flight and a look at some airplanes.
Richards said he can be contacted at Lloyd Richards Moving and Cartage at 705 267-7111.
