BARRHEAD - After a six-year hiatus, the Barrhead Flying Club held its annual fly-in/drive-in breakfast at the Johnson Industrial airport on Sunday, June 1.
"We've had quite a turnout," flying club Wade Johnson told the Barrhead Leader, adding at that time in the morning, roughly 10 a.m., they had already served 150 breakfasts. We are so grateful to the local locals who always come out and give us great support."
Unfortunately, he said the weather did not cooperate, which reduced the number of fly-in traffic; only three aircraft attended from Westlock, Drayton Valley, and Slave Lake.
"The wind was just horrible. Especially when it is gusting like it is, it is so dangerous, especially when landing," Evans said. "Had the wind not been blowing as bad as it had been, I know the aviation community would have come out in large numbers."
In previous years, the fly-in at the flying club usually averaged over 30 aircraft, sometimes even breaking the 50-aircraft mark.
However, he said, area pilots still supported the event, with many still opting to make the drive.
Evans added despite the weather and the small number of aircraft, the club still considered it a successful return, saying the club could not have hosted it without the help of several volunteers in and outside of the flying club, especially singling out contributions from the town and county of Barrhead and the Neerlandial Co-op.
The Johnson Industrial Airport is home to about 15 aircraft and pilots.
"We used to have more, somewhere around 20, but in recent years, we have seen a bit of a decrease, but every hangar has at least one airplane," Evans said, adding he believes inflation has a lot to do with the decrease.
"It is not an inexpensive hobby. Everything is so expensive, and when you factor in the cost of aviation fuel," Evans said, currently av gas is about $2.10 a litre and has been as high as $2.50 per litre. "All of a sudden, that $1.00 hamburger is now $1.50."
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
