By Laurel Nadon
Staff reporter
Flying over
the foothills in a Cessna 172, engine purring with 195 horsepower, is
an awe-inspiring feeling and leaves no doubt as to why local aviators
are excited about flying.
As Jim Bleaney, secretary/treasurer of the Okotoks Flying Club, nosed
his toy skywards on Saturday, it was evident that each flight is as
exciting as the last.
We circled a few times around Okotoks and were able to point out our
home, local schools and ball diamonds, all from 1,400-feet above the
ground. We headed to the Millarville racetrack, which was a hub of activity
with the Millarville and Priddis Fair in full swing.
Bleaney skirted Turner Valley and then it was off towards the mountains,
which were a bit hazy in the afternoon light, but still majestic as
they stood watch over the foothills.
While soaring at 200 km/h, Bleaney decided it was time to turn the controls
over to me. With a light touch on the left pedal and a nudge of the
controls to the left, we began angling towards Chain Lakes. At one point
the nose of the plane was lifting too high, so I pushed the controls
away from myself a bit too quickly and we suddenly took a quick dip
downwards. My adrenaline began to rush and I thought, that’s it,
I’ve crashed it. But no, the plane was well-equipped to handle
my inexperienced moves and we quickly leveled off once more.
Bleaney is the third owner of the 1980 aircraft and his
enthusiasm was contagious as he talked about his favourite place to
fly (over the mountains), how long he’s been flying (since 1977)
and his flight record (zero accidents — good to hear with our
lives in his hands.)
“It’s the freedom, the ability to go places,” Bleaney
said. He noted that flying is an efficient way of travelling, with the
10 to 11 hour drive to 100 Mile House in B.C. taking two hours and 40
minutes by plane. “I enjoy the flight out to the Okanagan and
over the high country on a nice, calm day.”
Flying also allows him to notice the small changes in his environment,
such as the colour in the fields caused by a recent rain, or larger
changes caused by flooding.
“To fly after the flood a
year ago was certainly a different landscape,” Bleaney said.
“It was amazing the amount of water out there.”
We experienced some minor turbulence as we approached Okotoks again
from the south, which Bleaney explained is caused by different colours
of crops either absorbing or reflecting heat and is particularly pronounced
in the Okanagan.
A smooth landing brought us back down to the Air Ranch and my comment
that it was a good landing brought a smile to Bleaney’s face.
“Every landing you walk away from is a good one,” he laughed.
Bleaney, who lives in south Calgary and owns property in Okotoks, said
that the Air Ranch in Okotoks is a great way for people to get started
in flying, with Sky Wings Aviation Academy Ltd. located at the ranch.
Sky Wings has operated at the Red Deer Regional Airport since 1982 and
in the summer of 1998 expanded and opened a new facility at Okotoks
Air Ranch, becoming
the airport operator and providing the same services as at its Red Deer
location.
Sky Wings Aviation operates seven Cessna 172s, four Cessna 152s, one
Cessna 182 and one Twin Piper Seneca and was the first to establish
an Aviation Space Camp in Canada that is recognized by the boards of
education across Canada.
The Okotoks Flying Club will host a fly-in at the Air Ranch on Saturday,
Sept. 16 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. To learn more, visit www.ofc.homelinux.org.
To learn more about Sky Wings, visit www.skywings.com
