Joint ownership of a Cessna makes flying more fun and affordable.
Inaugurated 25 years ago by now-retired member Barry Parker, the Collingwood Flying Club (CFC) has successfully enabled a group of enthusiast pilots to engage their passion for personal recreational flying for over a quarter century. Structured as a not-for-profit corporation, the club has 12 members of diverse ages and backgrounds, each owning an equity share in the club.
The CFC owns and operates a four-place 1968 C-177 Cessna Cardinal (C-GGNP), sporting a 180-horsepower engine with a constant-speed prop, housed in the club’s large hangar at Collingwood Airport (CNY3).
Jeff Parton, a CFC founding member and current president, credits the club’s success to a combination of a shared passion for aviation and strong governance.
“We remain pretty buttoned-down in terms of both operational and budgetary management,” says Parton.
“We have monthly meetings and our finances are quite solid. When anything needs to be fixed, it’s done immediately.”
Neil Mellor, a past president who now manages the maintenance portfolio, observes that flying is not an inexpensive hobby, but that the club’s purpose is cost-sharing. “Flying and maintaining a ‘vintage’-category aircraft such as ours does have its issues,” says Mellor. “[But] our member cost per flying hour remains at a lowest competitive cost.”
Mellor, while entering retirement, has embarked on adding both his commercial and instrument “IFR” endorsement to his licence. “At my age and stage in life, [this] might not be so practical, but it’s sure got my aviation mojo in high gear,” he says.
Membership chair Peter Glen sees a common thread in new members’ motivation to join the CFC. A typical member acquired their licence in their twenties, but “as life gets in the way, many if not most new pilots are obligated to pursue other interests,” Glen explains. “However, that passion for flying never really goes away.” Commonly, retirement to Southern Georgian Bay is followed by a rediscovery of aviation. Two of the club’s newest members enrolled in a local flying school for recurrency training.
General aviation is experiencing headwinds on many levels, with a federal decline in funded aviation services and, locally, changes in ownership of Owen Sound and Wiarton airports. However, for CFC members, home base at Collingwood Airport remains a bright spot. New ownership and resulting investment has contributed to a growing variety of locally based aircraft and socially involved pilot-owners, improved facilities including a new restaurant, and monthly increases in air traffic movements.
Club president Jeff Parton concludes, “On our 25th anniversary, our club is looking for opportunities to reach out, to cooperate and work with fellow flying clubs across Canada, particularly those groups who emphasize flying over training. Prospectively, we could help establish a network by which to exchange ideas and activities to the wider benefit of recreational aviation. Let’s talk!” — Peter Glen
The Collingwood Flying Club is currently recruiting new members. For more information, visit collingwoodflyingclub.com.
