The weather cooperated, attendance was up and a good time was had by all! The occasion was the 2012 UPAC Convention; the place was Lubitz Field; the time was the third weekend in August from Friday evening until Sunday noon.
Two groups of people come to the UPAC convention. One group, usually locals or people who stay with locals, come for one or more days arriving each morning and leaving late afternoon or early evening.
The second group comes early and moves in for the weekend. Pilots fly-in and camp under their wings and drivers bring motor homes or tents. For this group, and anyone who happens to be around, the Café Les Aires is open at breakfast and supper times. During supper on Friday and Saturday nights, we can listen to Keith Murray sing the Golden Oldies while we eat. After supper, there is evening entertainment – movies with popcorn on Friday and Saturday nights, plus live entertainment in the Arch on Saturday after dark.
Regardless of which group they are in, all are interested in watching and talking about planes.
This year, as usual, volunteers arrived by both car and plane during the previous week. On Thursday evening, they were treated to pizza and a welcome, a thank you, and some last minute words of wisdom from Convention Chair, Orm Bowman.
On Friday morning, Dave and Lindsay Kubassek arrived very early and had the coffee perking and ready for sleepy campers and other early arrivals while they cooked a breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast at the Café.
Mark Taylor and his Flight Operations crew were on hand to direct fly-in attendees to the itinerant parking or under-wing camping area. TJ Lilliman had the Registration Booth open for those driving in and parking for the day or camping for the weekend.
Since there was nothing on the schedule until suppertime on Friday evening, everyone had a chance to visit and just relax … and of course do all of those last minute jobs that never seem to end. The Café was open for those who wanted something to eat at lunchtime. People arrived early so as not to miss any of the action.
The first scheduled event, the Convention Kick-off Supper with homemade chili, sausage on a bun, cake and homemade ice cream, started at 5:30 with songster Keith Murray on hand providing dinner music. This was followed by the movie Red Tails along with fresh kettle popcorn. With no fires allowed in the campground this year, (because of the extremely dry summer), everyone gathered around the bon fire near Convention Central where there was water close by just in case.
On Saturday morning campers were awakened by an early morning fly-by which let them know it was time to get up and get going. People and planes would be arriving early for the day’s events. Breakfast was already cooking; you could smell the bacon and coffee the closer you got to Café Les Aires.
The first forum about UAVs, what they can do, and the rules they currently operate under started at 9 am concluding with an outdoor demonstration. This was followed by the Annual General Meeting and then a break for lunch and the draw for prizes. The seminars started again at 1:30 with a presentation by Solar Ship followed by NAV Canada at 3.pm.
While the seminars were going on, there were also demonstrations and discussions with exhibitors. The runway was busy with planes coming and going all day. There was certainly lots to see and do all day.
The evening entertainment started again with Keith Murray singing during supper at the Café Les Aries. After dinner, the movie Family Flight was on the big screen. At dusk, Lauren Lee of Music By Firelight set up in the Arch and entertained a very appreciative audience.
We had some extra excitement at dusk. A powered paraglider pilot made a bad landing and broke his leg. We called 911 for paramedics to assess the pilot and since the police also responded, some of you may have gotten the impression that something a lot more serious had happened. I’m told that the pilot is recovering nicely.
After the entertainment, people retired to their homes or campsites or relaxed by the campfire near Convention Central – a quiet end to a very busy day for both attendees and volunteers. Good friends, good conversation, good memories!
Sunday was less hectic. The Café was once again open for any who wanted – or shall I say needed – their morning cup of coffee. Most of those coming for the day arrived early and enjoyed a relatively leisurely breakfast.
There was one seminar, a recurrency session, which started at 9:30. By mid-morning most exhibitors and campers were starting to pack up so they could get home in good time. By noon all of the official activities were over. Pilots who flew in for the day weren’t in a big a hurry to leave but those who had to fly home kept an eye on the weather and left when they needed to. The volunteers had a chance to relax at the Café Les Aires before the big clean up started.
See you next year! Put August 16-18, 2013 on your calendar now.
The UPAC convention was THE place to be to see a wide variety of aeroplanes. There was a sampling of everything from two and three axis ultralights to weight shift trikes to Rotoway Exec helicopters to autogyros and World War II trainers.
A glider arrive at noon on Saturday and left by tow plane later that afternoon.
There was also demonstration by Aeryon Labs of their 1kg UAV camera platform.
The list follows:
Aeronca K, Chief, and Champ
Aeroprakt A24
Aeros Sky Ranger
Bakeng Deuce
Beaver RX35, RX550 and RX650
Bright Lite 7
Cessna 140, 150, 170, and 172
Corben Baby Ace
Cubby Coupe (J-4)
Challenger
Chinook and Chinook Plus II
De Haviland Tiger Moth
Earthstar Thundergull and Odyssey
Ekolot Pathmaker
Piel Emeraude
Ercoupe
Evektor Sportstar
F1 Rocket
Fisher Dakota Hawk
Fleet Finch
Flight Design CTSW
Hatz biplane
Jodel D-9 and D-11
Just Aircraft Highlander
Karatoo
Kitfox
Kolb Firestar, Mark III Classic
Land Africa 912
Lazair
Luscombe
L-16 Replica Military Super Cub
Murphy Rebel
Pietenpol Air Camper
Piper Vagabond, Pacer, and J-3 Cub
Preceptor Ultra Pup
Quicksilver MX and MXII
Rans Airaile and Coyote
Savage Cub
SE5A replica
Searay
Taylorcraft
Tecnam Super Echo
Titan Tornado
Vans RV 6, 8, and 9
Woody Pusher
Zenair CH 601 and CH 701
Volksplane
X-Air
Zaklady 3X55 Trainer
Airborne Trikes
Rotoway Exec Helicopters
Magni Gyrocopters
Schleicher Ka-6 CR Glider
Citabria tow plane
UPAC would like to thank the following businesses and organizations for helping to make the 2012 UPAC Convention a great success:
Aerotrike Aviation
Aircraft Spruce and Specialty
Airmotive Technologies
Aveo Canada
Canadian Aviator
Canadian Owners & Pilots Association
Courtland Flying Club (formerly of Tillsonburg)
Fisher Flying Products
Hendren Enterprises
Lift Off Aviation
Loshaw Aero
Macpat-Rotac
Music by Firelight
NAV Canada
Ontario Playgrounds
Optical Depo
Pointer Avionics
Savage Canada
Smart Pilot
Solar Ship
SOSA Gliding Club
Stirling Ultralights
Tiger Boys Aircraft Works & Museum
www.aerotrikeaviation.net
www.aircraftspruce.com
airmotive@bellnet.ca
www.aveocanada.com
www.canadianaviatormagazine.com
www.copanational.org
www.tillsonburgflyingclub.com
www.fisherflying.com
mrhendren@sympatico.ca
liftoffaviation.com
kirk.loshaw@gmail.com
macpat@live.ca
www.musicbyfirelight.com
www.navcanada.com
www.ontarioplaygrounds.com
www.opticaldepo.ca
www.skyhunter406.com
www.savageaircraft.ca
www.smartpilot.ca
www.solarship.com
www.sosaglidingclub.com
www.stirlingultralights.com
www.tigerboys.com
The following individuals conducted workshops and/or donated prizes:
Joseph Cabral
The Dave Kubassek Family
Carol & Armel LeCunff
Bill & Andrew McCraw
Keith Murray
Mike Thorp
Our sixty plus volunteers deserve a special THANK YOU. The convention would not happen without you!