Last week we spent some time visiting COPA Flight 177's Cornfest Fly-in. We return this week to have a look at some of the other aircraft that visited the fly-in during the day.

Two crop dusting aircraft made the short flight from Lucan, Ontario to visit the fly-in. General Airspray Ltd brought their Grumman Ag Cat and their Thrush (510P) S2R-T34. These two workhorse aircraft are effective air spray aircraft and are generally busy throughout the growing season. The Ag Cat first flew in 1957. It has a crew of one, a cruise speed of 130mph (252km/h), a stall speed of 64mph (103km/h) and has an empty weight of 3,150lb (1,429kg) with a max take off weight of 7,020lbs (3,184kg). The Thrush, though originally designed with a radial engine, is now built & powered with a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-34 turbo-prop. This engine gives the aircraft much better performance and allows it to operate in much tighter spaces and from shorter airfields.

Of course, Cessna aircraft are ever apparent at fly-ins and Cornfest 2019 was no exception from the 2-seat 140 & 150 to the 4-seat 172, 182 and Cardinal. Cessna Aircraft Company was founded in 1927 and was once the largest producer of general aviation aircraft in the world. Due to the Great Depression, Cessna closed its doors in 1932 however, the Cessna CR-3 racer won the American Air Race in Chicago in 1933, setting a new world speed record at 237mph (381km/h). The company was purchased in 1934 by brothers Dwane & Dwight Wallace, nephews of founder, Clyde Cessna. The 120 & 140 were both produced in the mid 1940s with the 172 first flying in 1956. Cessna was purchased by General Dynamics in 1985. Today, the company no longer exists as Cessna but several of the line of Cessna aircraft are now built by Textron Aviation that include the Cessna Citation business jet.

Another unusual aircraft that made the trip was the Glasair Sportsman GS-2 with a funky and very visible paint scheme. The Sportsman GS-2 is a civil kit build, 4-seat, tricycle gear aircraft that can be constructed with a fibreglass or carbon fibre fuselage and has all metal wings and tail feathers. It can be equipped with a 180hp or 210hp engine. In the US, the aircraft complies with the FAA's 51% construction rule which allows it to be designated with a special certificate of airworthiness as an amateur-built aeroplane. Depending on the engine type, the Sportsman has a cruise speed of 158mph (254km/h), stall speed of 58mph (77km/h) with flaps extended, a service ceiling of 20,000 feet (6,100m) and a range of 829 miles (1,334 km).

Ultralight aircraft have become very popular in Canada and are always seen at fly-ins as well. In Canada, there are two types of ultralight aircraft including BULA (Basic Ultralight Aircraft) and AULA (Advanced Ultralight Aircraft). An ultralight aircraft in Canada must have a stall speed not to exceed 39knots (45mph) at the maximum take off weight. A BULA must have a maximum take off weight of no more than 1,200lbs (544kg) and an AULA must have a maximum take off weight of no more than 1232lbs (560kg) for a 2-seat and 770bls (350kg) for single. Two of the ultralight aircraft that visited the fly-in were a RANS Courier 7 and an aircraft listed as a "John Gordy Waco" which I suspect is a rebuilt and/or modified J3 Cub.

The only biplane that made an appearance, and is a common sight at Sexsmith fly-ins, was a bright blue Hatz Biplane CB-1 which was designed by John Hatz in the 1960s. It is a tandem, 2-seat aircraft with dual controls and has a steel tube fuselage and tail but with wooden wings. It has a maximum speed of 105mph (168km/h) and a range of 250 miles (402km). Also visiting was a lovely Bellanca Citabria. The Citab' first flew in 1964 and was designed by American Champion Aircraft. There were more than 5200 produced with two variants being built some years later, the Decathlon and Scout. The Citabria was originally fitted with a 100hp engine but different models throughout production years have had 115, 150, 160 and 180hp engines. With a 150hp engine, the Citab' has a cruise speed of 125mph (202km/h), stall speed of 49mph (80km/h) and a range of 473 miles (761km).

When the weather's good and you're in the mood to spend some time in your aeroplane or you feel like going for a drive, look for a fly-in, whether for breakfast or lunch, and make the trip to one of your local airports to help support the flying community. The people are always inviting and, as most of us know, pilots love to chat, whether about their aircraft or their flying experiences, you'll never be bored, and you'll have the opportunity to enjoy a bite to eat. Bring a friend. Bring your kids. Bring you friend's kids and introduce them to the world of aviation.

For more information about COPA Flight 177: copaexeter.ca

For more information about CHAA: harvards.com

For more information about COPA: copanational.org