UPAC’s Convention – the best Grass-Roots Event in Canada!
Location
Lubitz Field (CLB2)is a farm strip located to the west of the Kitchener/Cambridge area of southern Ontario. The farm is about 13 air miles SW of the Waterloo Wellington Regional Airport (CYKF), about 20 air miles ESE of Stratford Airport (CYSA) and about 16 air miles NNW of Brantford Airport (CYFD). I
CLB2 is about an hour’s drive west of Toronto and about 45 minutes east of London. GPS Coordinates are N43°18.3’; W80° 32.9’. The mailing address is Bright but the nearest town is Plattsville. The physical address is 907289 Township Rd. #12 in
Blandford-Blenheim Township, Oxford County.
Find it on Google Earth by typing in ‘907289 Township Rd. 12, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada.’ If you have ‘places’ enabled you should see a little airplane symbol at the airstrip. The name will be Lubitz Field CLB2 or Plattsville Aerodrome.
The Schedule
Official activities start at 5:30pm Friday August 18th with the Convention Kickoff Chili Supper
Saturday is the big day. Start with breakfast at the Café Les Aries. Then take in a seminar. These include:
Morning
9:00 Rotax engine fuel discussion with John Baker of RotacRepair
10:00 Oh Crap! What to do When it Hits the Fan.with David Donaldson
11:00 Hands on Ignition issues with John Baker
Afternoon
12:30 Draw for prizes. Get your tickets early!
1:30 Transport Canada’s Uwe Goehl – Ultralight Working Group
2:30 Kevin Brown of A.I.M. for Safety – Mobile app for managing aircraft inspection and maintenance
3:30 UPAC AGM
Supporters/Exhibitors – in no particular order
(* will have a booth; others will be on site and have made donations)
Icom Canada* www.icomcanada.com
Fisher Flying Products* www.fisherflying.com
Rotacrepair.ca* www.rotacrepair.ca
Zenair * www.zenair.com
Aircraft Mfg Floats* www.myfloats.com
Transport Canada* www.canada.ca/general-aviation-safety
Toronto Powered Paragliding* www.torontopoweredparagliding.com
Aircraft Spruce & Speciality www.aircraftspruce.ca
Paragliding.ca https://paragliding.ca
Lost Aviator Coffee Ltd. www.lostaviatorcoffee.com
Skyward Balloons www.skywardballoons.com
A.I.M. for Safety www.aimforsafety.ca
Esta Chocolates https://estachocolates.com
Hammond Aviation www.hammondaviation.com
Lift Off Aviation http://liftoffaviation.com
Harpreet Walia – Instructor
Aerotrike Aviation www.aerotrikeaviation.net
Courtland Flying Club https://courtlandflyingclub.com
Hamilton Aero Club
Tiger Boys
Exhibitors, pick up an envelope at the registration booth. It will have your booth location and unloading and parking instructions.
The Draw prizes
This year a Ballon ride, an Icom radio and lots of discovery flights are on the list of prizes … so far. More donations will be coming in on Saturday morning.
The deadline to donate a prize is noon on Saturday. All items will be gratefully accepted. Drop prizes off at the east end of the white arch building where the donor’s name and prize will be added to the list.
The list of prizes is at the east end of the white arch building. Tickets will be for sale there. Get yours early! You must be present to win.
Food
The Café Les Aires will be open Friday night for the Chili Kickoff Supper.
Breakfast is available both Saturday and Sunday morning until 10:30. The Café will close for clean up before opening again at 11 for lunch.
Sammy’s Schnitzel is on the menu for lunch along with burgers and hot dogs.
Saturday night supper will be Tony’s Thai Curry Chicken.
Breakfast and lunch will be available on Sunday.
Admission
Drive-in or fly-in! There is no charge for visitors, exhibitors or campers; however, donations will be gratefully accepted. They help offset the costs of fuel and maintenance for the chain saws, weed eaters, lawn mowers, propane, tractors, outhouses, etc.
Flying in
CLB2 is open for normal operations during the convention. Use proper circuit procedures at all times. Field elevation is 980 ft ASL Circuit are left-hand and circuit height for ultralights is 500 ft AGL and 1,000 ft AGL for conventional aircraft. Adjust approach speed to fit in.
The east-west grass runway is 1,980 ft. long and 80 ft. wide with clear approaches. There is a parallel taxiway south of the runway. South of that (from west to east) there is a large rectangular hangar, a white fabric arch, and two rows of T-hangars; this where exhibitors will be. All buildings have white roofs.
There are three non-standard wind socks. One on the north side of the T-hangar row; one on top of the large rectangular hangar, and the last one at the NE corner of the fenced pasture. There will also be Canadian flags ‘blowin’ in the wind’ at various locations on the grounds.
The field UNICOM is unmanned. If you want to broadcast position reports or monitor traffic the frequency 123.2. Be aware that 5 other frequencies are in use in the area. Do not assume that everyone is on your frequency and that they can hear you and don’t assume you can hear everyone else.
As well, there will be many NORDO pilots flying in who will not hear your broadcast. Keep a sharp look out for other aircraft at all times! It’s a “see and be seen” situation! Proper circuit procedures are important, especially at high traffic times like you’ll find during the convention.
Bring your own tie downs. Also bring your own two-stroke oil. We can supply auto gasoline on request, let Flight Ops know. There is no aviation fuel.
If you are coming from the northeast, be aware that the Waterloo International Airport Control Zone is Class C; you need a functioning Mode C transponder as well as a radio to enter the control zone. With no transponder, you will have to go around or above the Control Zone. The Control Zone extends upwards to 3,000 ft AGL; you’ll need to be higher than that to get over it. Be aware that there is also transponder airspace at 6,500 ft. AGL and above.
The Waterloo Wellington Flying Club has a practice area overhead. Keep a good look out. Students and instructors will be focusing on their maneuvers, and not necessarily looking out the window.
Cautions:
There may be balloon launches from the airfield in the early morning or evening. And … Foot-launched powered paragliders may be operating in the early mornings and evenings
Under-Wing Camping
Let the marshaller know when you arrive that you want to camp with your plane Or we can take you and your gear to the drive-in camping area.
After shut down, please check in with pilot registration and get an up-to-date schedule for the weekend and make a donation to help cover expenses.
Drive-in Camping
Camping for motorhomes, RVs, and tents is free – donations appreciated! Come early and help with convention preparations or use the airfield as a base to explore the region.
Conditions are “primitive” which means no running water or hydro … only outhouses. There are no hookups and no pump out facilities. Fill your water tanks before you arrive.
The main camping area is an open field on high and dry ground west of the UPAC Headquarters building. Bring your own shade!
Because of the dry stubble/straw left from the crop this year, fires will not be allowed.
Keep late night and early morning noise to a minimum to make everyone’s stay more comfortable. Shut down generators between 9 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. Remember to bring insect repellent and sunscreen!
Treat the campgrounds as though they were your own backyard. Pick up any trash you find, even if it’s not yours.
Other Accommodation
There is no official convention hotel. For hotel and other information, check out the web sites for the surrounding areas:
Oxford County www.tourismoxford.ca
Woodstock www.cityofwoodstock.ca
Cambridge, www.cambridgetourism.com;
Kitchener/Waterloo, www.explorewaterlooregion.com;
St. Jacobs, Ontario (Mennonite Country) www.stjacobs.com and www.woolwich.ca; Brantford, Ontario www.visitbrantford.ca;
Pets
Pets are allowed but they must be leashed at all times. Dogs running loose can disturb convention attendees. It is your responsibility to make sure your pet does not disturb others. Remember to stoop and scoop.
Driving in
from the EAST…
Take the 401 west to exit #268 – Plattsville and Ayr. At the light, turn left and follow Cedar Creek Rd (also called regional road 97/Oxford Rd. 8) towards Plattsville. At the third crossroad, (Blenheim Rd.), turn left. At the next corner, turn right onto Township Road 12, a gravel road. Go roughly a mile (1.5 km) where you will cross an iron bridge. As you come off the bridge, the driveway is on the right.
from the WEST…
Take the 401 east to exit 250 and go to Drumbo. At the 4-way stop in the middle of Drumbo, turn left towards Washington (County Rd 3). Go over the bridge over the 401 and the bridge over the Nith River. Turn right onto Township Rd. 12, which is a gravel road. Go about two miles (3 km) to an iron bridge. The driveway is on the left just before the bridge.
from the SOUTH…
Take the 403 west past Brantford to the exit for Brant Country Road 25 and go right. At the ‘T’ intersection, turn left and then take the first right onto County Road 3 to Princeton. Continue north to Drumbo. At the 4-way stop in Drumbo, go straight ahead towards Washington (County Rd 3). Go past the bridge over the 401 and the bridge over the Nith River. Turn right at Township Rd. 12; this is a gravel road. Go about 2 (3 km) miles to an iron bridge. Just before the bridge, you’ll see the driveway on the left.
from the NORTH…
From Highways 7 and 8, take the exit for New Dundee. Go straight through the 4 way stop in town to a T-intersection, turn right onto Waterloo-Oxford Rd. Then turn left onto the Blenheim Rd. Go across Cedar Creek Rd. At the next intersection, turn right onto Township Road 12. This is a gravel road. Go roughly another mile (1.5km) where you will cross an iron bridge. As you come off the bridge, the driveway is on the right