There are many fly-ins across Canada and the United States during suitable flying weather that pilots and aviation lovers enjoy attending and one of the biggest in Canada is the Gathering of Classics Fly-in at Edenvale Aerodrome, Stayner in central Ontario (CNV8). Edenvale Aerodrome is a former BCATP (British Commonwealth Air Training Plan) satellite field, used during World War II as part of a nation-wide program to train Allied pilots and aircrews in support of the efforts to defeat the Nazi regime.

Edenvale was a support and alternate airfield for CFB Borden, the birthplace of the Canadian Air Force, during the war. It sports a long main runway and two shorter runways. There are no original buildings remaining on the airport though several modern hangars now grace the airport, with an additional 10 being built, as well as a restaurant, called The Hangar Bar & Grill, fuel and the reborn Canadian Air & Space Conservancy, formerly the Canadian Air & Space Museum.

Many aircraft make the trip to Edenvale from all parts of Ontario both in aeroplanes and in vehicles, which includes many classic cars/trucks for the events classic vehicle display. Young and old, whether you're a pilot, aviation enthusiast, classic car enthusiast or you just want to head out and enjoy a local event, there's something for everyone at the Gathering of Classics Fly-in.

Among the many visiting aircraft was the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association who attended the event with two of their Canadian built version of the T-6 Texan. Both Harvard aircraft flew several passenger flights with new members who enjoyed about a 20 minute flight around the area. The CHAA crews were kept busy briefing and strapping passengers in throughout much of the day. The Royal Canadian Air Force operated some 2000 Harvard aircraft during their lifetime with the RCAF.

The classic Cessna aircraft types flew in for the event, from the Cessna 140, 170, 150, 152, 172, 182 and 190, they came and went throughout the day. Cessna has always had a large piece of the general aviation market in North America. Used by flying clubs to train new pilots, many a pilot learned to fly and went solo in some type of Cessna aircraft. Today, thousands of Cessna aircraft continue to fly around the world in various roles including 'Joe-pilot' hopping into their aircraft to go for breakfast or lunch somewhere or attending a fly-in, flight training aircraft and as business aircraft.

Piper, another popular single engine aircraft with private pilots and flight centres throughout North America, are usually seen at fly-ins. Some of their more common models are the ever popular and loved Cub, Pacer/Tri-Pacer, Warrior, Cherokee and Arrow. The Piper Cub has been a favorite with many a young pilot and, at one time, may very well have been the first tail dragger a pilot learned to fly. They are sought after by many today and often fetch a hefty price. Piper aircraft such as the Cherokee and Warrior were also common sights at flying clubs. They were considered a relatively easy aircraft to fly, making them ideal for training.

There were newer aircraft that flew in such as the Cirrus and the Aerotechnik SportStar. The Cirrus Aircraft company offers a variety of more higher end, luxury and speedy aircraft to its customers such as the SR22/SR22T. With a cruise speed of over 200mph, you can go places quite a bit faster than you could in a Piper Cub, for example. The SportStar, sporting a Rotax 912 engine, has a cruise speed of 92kts and a stall speed of 42kts. In Canada, it can be registered and flown as an Ultralight or a fully designated aircraft. With a range of 700nm, you can go places in it and yet operate the aircraft from small airfields.

A couple of beautiful classics that visited the fly-in were a lovely Stinson Voyager. The Voyager was developed in the late 1930s with 6 model variants built, including the L-5 Sentinel, used by the US Army Air Force. Though the military versions were only used by 3 Air Forces (Brazil, Canada, US), they were a popular civilian aircraft with a cruise speed of 100mph and a range of roughly 350 miles. Another visiting classic was a North American Navion (built later by Ryan Aeronautical) is a rare sight in Canadian skies. The Navion, is a four-seat, retractable gear aircraft built in the 1940s, originally designed toward the civilian aviation market, but also flew with the US Army Air Force and several variants were built. The Navion has a cruise speed of 170mph, a range of almost 600 miles and a service ceiling of 18,000 feet.

Next week we'll return to the Edenvale Gathering of Classics for a look at some of the other aircraft that visited as well as classic vehicles and vendors.