George’s event report
Well the event was very much one sided, Canada 11, the US 0.
I was disappointed as I think were many Canadian pilots not to be able to chat with their US counterparts.
We can only assume the bad storm along the eastern seaboard caused strong enough winds to cancel participation by US small planes. The wind was pretty cold and people took shelter on the island and in the remodeled fishing shack that Herman brought over from the western shore of Lake Memphremagog. It was placed just on the VT side of the border line and had a grill where my Beefalo hamburgers were grilled with garnishes and buns provided by friends. The warm US space in the shack was much appreciated by all who legally walked across the border a few feet for this event without passports. While the weather conditions were” ice cold”, it is a wonderful sign of international cooperation and a “thawing” of the increasingly rigid requirements for crossing our most friendly border in the world.
Pilots came from the Quebec City, Montreal, Ottawa, and Pontiac areas. The border and dangerous areas were marked with small flags by my son John Weller. There were 2 Border Patrol officers, 2 Mounties, and 2 Surety Quebec officers. All got along fine. There were no incidents or troubles. The snow, while thin, would not have been good for small wheeled airplanes.
Attendee Pictures
Flying in
Attendees arriving
In the ice shed
Messages from Attendees and those wished they could come!
Hello George.
This event was in my Iphone for 3 months with all alarms available.
Last week, I went to the airport to prepare for sunday.
I put the skis on, put gas in… ready as a party on christmas ev.
I checked the weather on a hourly basis.
I had 2 other pilots to initiate.I had to cancel my participation. I pilot an ultralight.
too cold and too windy for us.
I understand you feel sad. No blame on you.
Mother weather decided differently.
Always listen to your mother…
See you next year … maybe.Jean Guy Renaud.
St-Hyacinthe, Qc.
George & John, thanks a lot for hospitality i was very munch appreciated by Quebec city area pilot.
Roger
George, sorry me and the rest of the US guys didn’t make it up there. I live near Bennington and have been up there 3 or 4 times. The weather was bad down here, 10 deg. and 25 to 35 mile an hour winds, I just didn’t feel like flying. In the next week or so me and a couple of other guys may come up, just say we did.
Tim
2+2
Hello – thank you so much for your update and please keep me on your list. I would have liked to attend but as you say the bad weather in the Boston, New Hampshire, Vermont area did prevent my coming “North” as hoped for!!
Best Regards,
Nat Sims
Milton, MA 02186
The wind was pretty nasty down our way and could only assume what it would have been like out on the lake.
Sorry to have missed it George, I’ve made all the others and this spoiled my record for perfect attendance.
-Andy
N3040E
I sure wanted to make the trip but we had a temp of -5 deg at my house in the morning with a NNW wind of 20-25 mph and lake snow !!!! Not a good day to fly over the ADK park for me. Sorry next year if we get the weather. When I made the trip 2 years ago it took me 3 hr flight over nothing but trees and more trees. But it sure was a good flight in my Fox !!
Alan Tucker
I guess that the Canadians are just a bit hardier when it comes to cold and wind.
My wife and I did a little cross-country skiing, but mostly stayed in the woods to escape the wind. Even without the wind, lacking skis on either plane and the airplane with “big tires” is currently shod with 6.00×6’s, so the 1-8 inches of snow reported also kept me away. Hitting an 8 inch drift could have been more excitement than I like to handle.
I don’t know if you keep your email list or start fresh each year, but I’d love to continue to get notices. If snow conditions are better, or I’ve managed to finagle a set of skis for the Bearhawk, I’ll try again to attend.
Thanks!
Ty
Hello M Weller
It was impossible for me to go to the meeting due to illness.
My friends from the Quebec region, had the chance to meet you.
I included pictures taken yesterday by my friends and R. Simoneau will send you a video.
I hope for next year.
pleasure
Jean-Marie Girard
Thanks for organizing this event. Very sorry to hear the US pilots didn’t participate but strong wind is quite a deterrent. Do you happen to have pictures you can share? Any women pilots?
Look forward to hearing back.
Judy Birchler
www.ladieslovetaildraggers.com__!__
*—-(x)—-*
0 0
It is unfortunate that your event got no response from the USA pilots. I just hope this will not be the case next year and that we will be able to land on wheels…(i don’t have skis)…
Thank you for your devotion to organize such an event and I look forward to be part of it in 2014.
Regards
Daniel Couet
George:
Thanks for all the updates. Sounds like perfect conditions for skiplanes. Unfortunately, the snow is too deep for my small wheeled RV with tight wheelpants. I enjoyed last year and hope to see you folks again,
if not with the RV than with a Zenith 750 I’m starting in the spring.
Tom Muller
Sorry I could to make it, George. Where I was, on the coast a little north of Boston, we had blizzard conditions with a white out on Sunday. Low IFR and definitely not a day to be flying for fun. It would be good if next year there was an alternative (‘rain’) date to allow for such circumstances. Glad to hear things went well on the Canadian side. Geoff
Wx on 17th here was high winds, frequent snow squalls. Sounded like a little too much snow on Lake anyway. I’m good with 3″ light fluff, but wind slab and scour with 8″ pockets are unsafe for 8.50 tires.
rbrt_burley