This article has been contributed by BFC member Gord Roberts.

Give Hope Wings

Many of you know that I have been a Volunteer Pilot for Hope Air for the last 15 years and I have flown more that 100 volunteer flights in that time.

In June, 2023, I’m taking part in Give Hope Wings — an epic flying adventure with an important purpose.

Many of us take travel for granted. Hope Air supports those who don’t have that luxury when they need to travel for medical care. All fundraising through Give Hope Wings provides travel for patients in financial need who must reach vital medical care far from home — and as a Hope Air Volunteer Pilot, I get the opportunity to connect with the people Hope Air helps firsthand.

The Give Hope Wings Expedition fund-raising event is a series of flights by multiple aircraft consisting of three regional expeditions: Western, Prairies and Eastern, taking place in June, 2023. To help raise much-needed funds for Hope Air, I’m flying the Eastern Canada mission to make a difference.

Supporting Hope Air allows me to combine my love of flying with an opportunity to give the gift of flight to others - our flight path takes us through some of the most interesting aviation sites the region has to offer but most importantly it takes us on a journey to connect with the many Hope Air communities where our clients live and work.

Thank you for considering the important role you can play in helping patients get to medical care.

If you’d like to support this cause and my personal goal of $5,000, you can make a donation below using the link. There are suggested amounts however any donation is appreciated.

Donations over $20.00 will receive a tax deductible receipt. Donations may be made at:

https://support.hopeair.ca/give-hope-wings/gordon-roberts

Please share this with any friends you think might be interested in giving to this worthy cause.

Thank you,
Gordon Roberts
Hope Air Volunteer Pilot

About Hope Air:

Hope Air's Mission is to provide Canadians in financial need with free travel and accommodations for medical care far from home. Founded in 2018, the Give Hope Wings event has raised more than $1.8 Million for Hope Air.

Written By:     David Sprague, President Buttonville Flying Club

Toronto: Recently, members of the Buttonville Flying Club attended a series of publicly held municipal planning meetings.  On behalf of the 200 plus members of the Buttonville Flying Club, part of the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association, I would like to thank the competent and organized elected officials and staff of Durham Region for recognizing the importance of aviation.  The Region’s recently released draft Official Plan is the culmination of years of work completed through the Envision Durham process, the Municipal Comprehensive Review of Durham’s existing strategic growth plan.

The plan includes input from individuals, planning experts, businesses and not-for-profit organizations such as our flying club. It will replace a planning document released 30 years ago.  A lot has changed in 30 years, including the growing importance of aviation to our economy. The new logistics hub and airport planned in North Pickering cannot come a moment too soon.

With Covid behind us, the capacity crunch at our major commercial airports, especially Toronto Pearson International Airport (CYYZ), are well known. What is less well known, is the dire situation developing in Southern Ontario for General and Business Aviation.  Airports that traditionally serve GA and BA have limited ability to accommodate additional growth.  Space at Toronto Buttonville Municipal Airport (CYKZ), historically on of Ontario’s busiest airports, is at  a premium. The Oshawa Executive Airport (CYOO) is already trying to evict a flight school to reduce daily flight numbers.

The new airport in Pickering will remedy both the BA and GA capacity issues, enhance safety, provide badly needed new industrial space and provide the capacity for future passenger flights.

For more than a decade the Buttonville Flying Club’s members have been volunteering their aviation expertise in support of a new airport on land set aside in Pickering.  Since 2017, our club members have created a framework to discuss the need for the new airport, which can be found at www.PickeringAirport.org. This includes more than 130 well researched and written articles about the need and role of the new airport.

The Buttonville Flying Club’s volunteers look forward to continuing to support our community with educational efforts on the role of aviation in Canada’s modern industrial economy and the value of local accessible aviation. Working together we can help foster the appropriate conditions for a prosperous Net Zero emissions future in which the new airport in Pickering is the lynch pin of our connection to the global economy.

For more information, contact Mr. David Sprague at sprague@rogers.com.

SUN n FUN 2023

The annual run away from our Toronto winter trek to Lakeland, Florida is now over and the 2023 edition of Sun n Fun is completed.  About a dozen members of the Buttonville Flying Club attended the show this year.

The weather was superb and the plethora of activities keep everyone well entertained.  Each evening, small groups of BFC members gathered for ad hoc get-togethers and shared comradery over dinners.   Fun times were enjoyed by all.

BFC members stayed in hotels, motels, condos, and Airbnb rentals.  Some flew their own airplanes into the event and others used commercial airliner flights.  Rental cars are very affordable in Florida and parking was readily available at the Lakeland Linder International Airport (IATA: LAL, ICAO: KLAL, FAA LID: LAL) venue.

Sun n Fun is Florida's largest annual convention of any kind, and each year over 200,000 visitors flock to what has become known as “Aviation's Season Opener” or “Spring Break for Pilots.”  Pilots flying into the Expo are fascinated by the vision of hundreds of aircraft showcased in all shapes and sizes.

All reports are indicating another record-breaking year for attendance and rumours persisted that this year's event could top 225,000 in 2023!

SUN ‘n FUN Fly-In, Inc. is all about education and training.  SnF is a non-profit organization that markets and supports dozens of year-round events, including the Aerospace Expo. Proceeds from these events are the primary source of funding for The Aerospace Center for Excellence (ACE), which has emerged as a nationally recognized leader in STEM-related and aerospace education through its various learning centers, outreach programs, scholarships, and summer camps aimed at engaging, educating and accelerating the next generation of aerospace professionals.  In addition to SUN ‘n FUN, ACE is the home of the Florida Air Museum, Florida’s Official Aviation Museum and Education Center, and the Lakeland Aero Club, which is the country’s largest high school flying club. ACE is the world’s leader in producing licensed teenage private pilots and delivers youth programs that engage over 50,000 students a year.

Set your calendar for Sun n Fun 2024 as the dates are April 9th to 14th.

Many of us are keen to get back to some form of normal.  As pilots, we love airshows and to see amazing pilots flying incredible airplanes.  In 2020, most airshows were cancelled, but as the USA opens up again and Canada gets ready to return from the brink of COVID, our focus is back on the possibility of attending an airshow.  Here is an abbreviated list of Canadian and USA airshows that BFC members have attended in the past.  Some have been cancelled and others may yet be stopped, but we all remain hopeful that some of these airshows will happen and we can be there.  Over the next few months, I will update this schedule for you so you have a convenient location on the club's web site to see what is still on and when the dates are planned.  If I have missed a show that you would like to be kept up to date about, just drop me a note and I will track it for you all.  You can email me at - mjmartin@bell.net - Michael Martin

2021 Airshows [pdf]

The guest speaker at our February 2021 meeting (via Zoom) was Canadian Forces Pilot Andy Chen.

Andy got his start flying in a Piper Archer at Buttonville for his PPL, and then joined the Canadian Forces for fighter pilot training.   He shared stories with us from his flight training experiences, as well as the following slides including photos from:

• PPL training at Buttonville
• Primary Flight Training at Southport, Manitoba 
• Basic Flight Training at Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
• Fighter Lead in Training Cold Lake, Alberta

Enjoy!

The Right Attitude -- Inside and Outside of the Cockpit (Andy Chen)

Every November, the BFC hosts an awards banquet, honoring those who have gone above and beyond in their volunteer contributions, earned new licenses or ratings, or achieved anything otherwise noteworthy (or funny!) in the last year.  In 2020 we could not hold our banquet due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but we got together on Zoom in January 2021 to honor our members and give out some door prizes.  

2020 BFC Awards Night Honorees 

Mark Brooks: Pickering Pilot

For perseverance, determination and skill in leading the relentless pursuit of a new Pickering Airport!

Phil Lightstone: Pickering Co-Pilot

For perseverance, determination and writing skill in leading the relentless pursuit of a new Pickering Airport!

Dr. John Brown: Pickering Co-Pilot

For perseverance, determination and writing skill in leading the relentless pursuit of a new Pickering Airport!

Michael Martin: Pickering Co-Pilot

For perseverance, determination and writing skill in leading the relentless pursuit of a new Pickering Airport!

Jason MacBean: Instrument Rating

For learning how to fly with his head in the clouds!

Peter Kofman: Instrument Rating

For finally figuring out that he already knew how to fly with his head in the clouds!

Marvin Kalchman: Passenger Carrying Rating (Ultralight)

For qualifying to introduce his friends and family to aviation in tiny light aircraft

Erica Peterson: Night Rating

For qualifying to come home late

Humberto Villalobos: Multiengine and Multi-IFR

For proving that you can teach an old dog new tricks twice in the same year

Michel Quintas: Multi-IFR

For achieving the ability to fly IFR while burning twice the fuel

Claude Pio: Twin Comanche and Multiengine Rating

For proving that the four forces acting on an aircraft in flight are money, money, money, and money!

Paul Hayes: Life Member

For his many years of tireless devotion to the Buttonville Flying Club, to the defense of our nation, and to aviation in Canada

Million Air: BFC Supporter

For generously hosting, supporting and encouraging the continued activity of the Buttonville Flying Club at the Toronto Buttonville Municipal Airport

Mike Walker: Sucker Volunteer of the Year

For taking on the thankless tasks of BFC membership and marketing from Simon Lam

Nick Bartzis: Buttonville Safety Coordinator

For successfully taking on the task of keeping the skies over Buttonville Municipal Airport safe

Simon Lam: Marketing & Membership (Retired)

For figuring out a way to smooth-talk Michael Walker into this thankless job

Werner & Eunice Amsler: COVID-19 Test Pilots

For unfortunately becoming BFC's first COVID-19 patients and for their good fortune in faring so well

Paul Hayes: BFC Octogenarian Chapter Member

"Be nice to the old farts" award

Bill Harding: BFC Octogenarian Chapter Member

"Be nice to the old farts" award

John Chandler: BFC Octogenarian Chapter Member

"Be nice to the old farts" award

Contributed by BFC Member Michael Martin

Hey Buttonville Flying Club (BFC) let’s all have some fun.  During the cold, dark days of winter, when flying opportunities are limited. And COVID still has its grip on our daily life, it is time to get creative, get some exercise and fresh air, and do something interesting.

So, here is an exclusive invitation to the members of the Buttonville Flying Club.  Let’s get out our cameras and have a photo contest.  It is important to include everyone so we will run three categories so everyone can have a chance to win the prizes.

What are the prizes?  As Forest Gump said, “Do you want a chocolate?  I could eat about a million and a half of these.  My mama always said life was like a box of chocolates.  You never know what you're going to get.”

So, our prize will be a deluxe 24-piece box of chocolates.  But, not just any chocolates.  We are offering a box of premium chocolates from “Peace by Chocolate”.   Here is Prime Minister Trudeau talking about this famed Chocolatier.  https://peacebychocolate.ca/pages/our-story

The time frame for this contest is from 12:01 am, January 1, 2021 until 11:59 pm, March 31, 2021.  All times are Eastern Time Zone for Toronto.  All photos must be taken within this window of time.  You will need to submit a large sized JPEG image of at least 1 MB, but not larger than 3 MB, with at least 1000 dpi on either the horizontal or vertical edge.  By making a submission you are asserting that the submission was taken within the time frame stated.  All images, regardless if taken digitally or on film, need to be submitted in a JPEG digital file format via email to the address provided below.  We will have three categories.

• Aviation – on the ground or from the air

• Nature - Waterfalls and Streams

• Nature – Animals, domestic or in the wild

All photographs submitted must be taken outdoors.  So, go for a walk and get some fresh air and exercise.  Be sure to practice safety first by wearing a mask, maintaining at least 6 feet / 2 metres away from others, and washing your hands.

Please include a brief description with a maximum of 250 words with your photo to be shared with the members online.  Also, include a title for your photograph submission, humours titles add points.

Photos will be judged on the context to the category, framing, exposure, colourimetry (or B&W), detail, storytelling, lighting, and aesthetics. 

All images will be judged by famed aviation photographers “Gus and Clara”.  The judge’s decisions will be final.  Winners will be announced on April 16, 2021.

Please read all of the terms and conditions of this contest fully and by submitting your photos you will be deemed to have agreed to all of them and will waive all rights other than as described below.

Rules and Guidelines for this contest

• Which cameras can you use?  Whatever camera you have!  You can shoot with a smartphone, a DSLR, or a film camera, the choice is yours to decide.  All cameras and technologies – digital or film are acceptable to use.

• One entry per category per BFC member.  

• Photos will be posted online in various social media venues and on the BFC web site.

• Please use the prescribed naming convention to identify your photo, as follows:

• • Rename the submission by using your BFC membership number and the category name that you are submitting to:  [insert your BFC membership number here]-[category].jpg or 123456-aviation.jpg

  • By using your BFC membership number, we can identify you and keep the submissions anonymous for the judging review.

• All photographers will retain the ownership of their submitted images and by entering this contest agree to allow the Buttonville Flying Club to use these images online or in any manner at its sole discretion.  

• Only the winners will be notified via return email.  So, please include your detailed contact information with your submission.  

• All submissions must be from members in current standing with club members by the close of the contest.  

• All submissions must be original work taken by the BFC members within the defined time frame.  

• Entries will only be accepted via email to mjmartin24601@gmail.com in before 11:59 pm on March 31, 2021.  

• We reserve the right to disqualify any entry that is deemed inappropriate or does not conform to stated contest rules.  

• No nudity or profane content will be accepted.  

• We reserve the right to disqualify any submission at our sole discretion for any reason whatsoever.  Our decisions are final.  

• No submissions will be accepted after the close of the contest deadline of March 31, 2021 at 11:59 pm ET.  

• The photo must be in its original state and cannot be altered in any way, including but not limited to removing, adding, reversing, or distorting subjects within the frame.  Resizing the image to meet the file size limitation is acceptable as long as the EXIF data is retained and included with the submitted photo.

• The photographer is responsible to have secured prior permission to include any persons or personal information visible within their submitted photograph and will agree to save the organizers of this context and the Buttonville Flying Club harmless and will sign an indemnification agreement before being named a winner.

• We reserve the right to amend the rules and guidelines of this contest at any time.

This article is contributed by BFC Flyout Director Charles Barnes.

The BFC will be hosting a Flight Simulator zoom session in January.  In case there are members who have simulator-related items on their gift lists, our panel has put together ideas for checking if your PC has the necessary capacity as well as some simulator peripherals to help get the right gifts under your tree!

The Zoom session will focus on software (XPlane 11 and FSX 2020), electronic flight bags and virtual ATC networks for those looking for more 'realistic' sim flights.

Happy shopping and see you in January.

PC System Capacity

Will my current system run X-Plane 11?

https://www.x-plane.com/kb/x-plane-11-system-requirements/

It helps to know what the vendor expects you to have and what they officially support because they've usually tested to exactly that hardware.

With XPlane you can test using their free download version.  The result between the free version and their full version will be identical (not similar - identical).

Will my current system run Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020?

https://www.pcgamebenchmark.com/microsoft-flight-simulator-system-requirements

I need a new computer. Upgrade Vs New?

The important factors may vary from person to person.  Lots of CPU and memory and a faster drive will significantly improve load time on X-Plane 11.  It takes a very long time to load depending on hardware.  Once loaded, frame rate is the most important thing.  Older or lesser hardware will not keep up.  What worked in XP10 might be a dog in XP11.  My current realistic frame rate on my older machine is down to about 10fps with XP11.  That's why I was going to load on updated hardware.  

So yes, you can upgrade successfully (if not buying new) but this is a buyer beware situation. 

What new computer would you recommend, for a casual player? 

• Check this one out - Alienware Aurora R11 Gaming Desktop
• On Sale for $1,799.99 down from $2,469.99  - If you’re not computer literate, make sure to take advantage of chatting/talking with one of their sales support people. 
• Does NOT include the monitor, speakers/headset or the Yoke/Throttle/Rudder Pedals (see the Sporty’s link below for info on that).
• This configuration has an SSD hard drive (at the time I sent the link) and that is very important for this game to load quickly.
• Caution: The hard drive is FAST, but it’s not very big.  If you’re moving stuff from another computer, you should probably get a 2^nd larger hard drive or opt for the larger hard drive model (it will be slower)
• What Monitor should I get?  I think bigger the better.  You will see monitor options, if you follow the purchase link.
• If you want to use multiple screens, the video card becomes more complicated.  This configuration will not work for multiple monitors.
• I’ve bought a bunch of Alienware (Dell bought the company) PCs for home gaming and have not had any problems.  The support is pretty good too.

Peripherals

What other equipment do you use?

• For my Yoke and Throttle, I have this: Logitech Professional Simulation Yoke and Throttle Quadrant
• For Rudder Pedals, I have these: Logitech Professional Simulation Rudder Pedals with Toe Brake
• Here’s a link to Logitech/Saitek’s Canadian Store on Amazon -- they have 636 products on Amazon!
• I also have a TrackIR system which works pretty good for flight simulators, it tracks the motion of your head and uses that to look around the cockpit: TrackIR 5
• Here’s a video explaining how it works: 

 

What about Virtual Reality?

• X-Plane 11 supports VR now
• Flight Simulator is supporting VR very soon, they have tested and approved the HP VR headset, more will come..
• Here’s a link to the latest HP VR headset: HP Reverb G2

What if I’m rich and want to stay legally current in the comfort of my own home?

• No problem, just add this to your cart: Redbird MX2 Flight Simulator

 

Other good information to check out:

Sporty’s Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 Guide: Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 - What Pilots Need to Know  

Hardware Buying Guide for Nerds: Microsoft Flight Simulator Performance and Benchmarks (Tom's Hardware)

Sporty’s Webinar on picking the right gear for Flight Simulator:

 

The Buttonville Flying Club was founded in 1969, to create a community of aviation enthusiasts, to create a friendly social atmosphere where members can enjoy each others company, and to organize group flying trips and other aviation related activities. 

To (belatedly!) celebrate our 60th anniversary and recognize all the BFC has accomplished over six decades, the Executive has designed a commemorative lapel pin, which will be mailed to all those who were current members in 2019.

The Toronto Buttonville Municipal Airport is happy to offer the members of the Buttonville Flying Club a new fuel rebate program for the purchase of AvGas 100LL. Please see the below for details pertaining to this program: 

1. The rebate entitles you to a 10% rebate after 1,000L is purchased at Million Air Toronto. This rebate can be used for future fuel purchases at the Toronto Buttonville Municipal Airport. It is not a monetary rebate. 
2. Fuel purchased is to be totaled according to the USER/PURCHASER not the aircraft registration. Please ensure you provide your name when requesting fuel and specify you are a member of the Buttonville Flying Club rebate program. 
3. Applicants must provide a list of all aircraft they will be operating. Aircraft registrations that are not included on the individual’s application will not be eligible to be included on the individual’s total fuel purchases. 
4. All applicants will be reviewed by the administration of the Buttonville Flying Club and Torontair Ltd. Only current members of the club will be eligible to receive this rebate.
   
5. All individuals interested in receiving this rebate must individually sign up. Individuals not on the pre-approved list will not be eligible to receive this rebate. 
6. Please note that all individuals flying into the field or based on the field are beholden to the rules and regulations of the Toronto Buttonville Municipal Airport. If you are unfamiliar with these regulations, please see the attached documentation for further details. 
7. This rebate program will take effect as of August 1^st 2020. The program will run on a 12-month standard calendar year and will reset as of August 1^st 2021.
   

To register for this program, please download and print the following pdf, and return the filled form to Dave Sprague (you can get his email address from posts to BFC News):