MOOSE JAW — Soar into history as the Moose Jaw Flying Club and Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA) Flight 215 celebrate a century of flight in Canada with a pancake breakfast and aircraft display at the Moose Jaw Municipal Airport this August.
The fly-in, drive-in pancake breakfast event will be held at the Moose Jaw Municipal Airport on Saturday, Aug. 17 and runs from 8:30 to 11 a.m. The invitation is open to everyone.
“We have this event every year,” explained Roger Blager, chairman of the Moose Jaw Flying Club and the flight captain for COPA 215.
“Basically, it’s an annual fundraiser for the flying club where we do pancakes and sausages or whatever,” he said. “Weather permitting, we get pilots from all over the province to fly in, visit, have pancakes and coffee, and… talk all things aviation.”
The breakfast will include pancakes, sausages, eggs, and coffee, but strawberries and whipped cream — as stated on the original poster — won’t be included this time around.
The annual fundraiser plays a pivotal role in supporting Moose Jaw’s flying club and all net profits are invested into the club. This year, however, there’s something a little extra to celebrate.
“This year,” he said, “(our event is) a little bit bigger. It’s also the Royal Canadian Air Force’s 100th anniversary.”
In a departure from the flying club’s traditional itinerary, this year will see a few additional features that combine the pancake breakfast with a celebratory event at the municipal airport.
This year’s lineup includes a demonstration put on by Skydive South Sask, as well as several static displays that include the Queen City Drone club, the Moose Jaw R/C Aircraft Club, model airplanes, and static aircraft displays including a Beechcraft Model 18 aircraft.
If everything works out, a CT-156 Harvard II aircraft from 15 Wing Moose Jaw is also being planned for a static ground display.
“There’s a lot of (military) resources that are tied up already for that weekend, so they didn’t guarantee us anything,” Blager said. “But I’m pretty sure we’ll see something.”
For the younger guests, the flying club is also looking to offer rides in a light aircraft that will be available with a monetary donation of your choice.
The focus on children under the age of 16 for the flight opportunity helps advance the flying club’s mission of being good ambassadors for aviation.
“There’s a huge need for pilots (and other aviation roles) around the world, so we’re always trying to get kids involved, and get them up in a small plane for their first little flight,” he said. The hope, he explained, is to spark an interest in any youths who may be interested in pursuing a future career in the field of aviation.
The history of the Moose Jaw Flying Club goes back to its founding in 1928, but the club has been operating in a similar manner since around the early ‘80s. Events such as this help raise awareness for the civilian municipal airport that is oftentimes conflated with 15 Wing Moose Jaw.
“The Moose Jaw Flying Club salutes our military brethren and counterparts over the years… who have fought and died for our country,” Blager concluded. “We want to honour them.”
For more information about the Moose Jaw Flying Club COPA 215, visit SkCopa.ca/Flights/Copa-215-
To learn more about the Moose Jaw Municipal Airport Authority, visit CJS4.ca or email Info@MJMAA.ca.
The Moose Jaw Municipal Airport is located 14.8 kilometres northeast of downtown Moose Jaw and can be accessed by Highway 301 North.
