This article describes the third Float Plane Fly In. Dates and Activities of this years Fly In can be found on the Home page and the Events page of this Site.
Yellowknife is a city that lives by aviation; the very life-blood of the Northwest Territories. Its local economy is fueled by airports, waterdromes and heliports, with some 17 aviation companies who employ 225 pilots in the winter and 350 in the remainder of the year, excluding the profusion of pilots flying the lakes or just our enjoying the magnificent scenery. It has been estimated that 150 aircraft operate year round and add to their fleets each spring; from Boeing 727’s Boeing Stearmans, to Bell helicopters on skis, floats and wheels, which all come together and make the arctic work. Yellowknife is one of the busiest sea plane bases in the north, and is a take off place for prospectors, diamond drillers, geologists and mine owners.
Bush pilots, who’ve worked in the North, over the last century, have not been forgotten. Their names grace Yellowknife’s street signs. Their stories are told in the city’s history books, and their courage is honored through the Midnight Sun Float Plane Fly-In. Aviation enthusiasts across North America and around the world gather every second year for the spectacular Midnight Sun Float Plane Fly-In in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. Yellowknife is located on the edge of Great Slave Lake, which is one of the largest lakes in North America. Situated along the Canadian Shield in Canada’s Sun Arctic region amongst many lakes and rivers, this location offers a majestic view from the ground and air. This event is a celebration of bush pilots who lost their lives in helping others. In commemoration of the ‘Old Timer’ bush pilots, a gathering place tent will be erected on site and will be open to anyone interested in listening, and exchanging stories and flying adventures.
It all starts in Yellowknife’s ‘Old Town’. It’s like entering another era, an abundance of culture, rustic buildings and an atmosphere second to non. Standing tall in the middle of Old Town, is ‘The Rock’ that bush pilots flew past, announcing their arrival to the small bustling settlement of Yellowknife. Now you will find a monument/beacon perched atop The Rock, in memory of the pilots who opened up the aerial routes to link all four corners of Canada. The beacon is still used today to notify people in the area of departing and landing aircraft.
Pilots and visitors from all over Canada and the United States, including Hawaii and as far away as New Zealand, enjoyed the last two fly-ins. Over fifty aircraft landed in Yellowknife for the event, flying in on floats, amphibians and wheels. They came from all over to enjoy the midnight hours of daylight, fishing, golfing and of course swapping tales of flight. This year’s Fly-In will once again congregate at Max Ward’s, Wardair Float Base, the main site for the celebration.
The event will open with a barbecue dinner northern style, followed by the famous ‘Bush Pilots’ play by Stuck In A Snowbank theatre group. Saturday’s attractions include; public flightseeing tours, northern food lunch and the famous poker rally to local lodges, topped off with an evening banquet/dance and silent auction. Sunday starts with a pancake breakfast, more flightseeing tours and a safety seminar. The afternoon Memorial and Invitational Fly Past is a spectacular show where plane fly only a few 100 feet above your head. The Fly-In wraps up with a farewell barbecue at the Department of National Defence Building, where everyone winds down, exchanges numbers and goes their separate ways for another two years. So, far those who savor the romance of flying coupled with an unbeatable scenic adventure, this fly-in is something you must consider. It’s a Bush Pilots paradise-24 hours a day sun and 3 days of aviation fun.
Anyone interested in bringing their own plane (all types welcome), partaking in the festivities, or doing some fishing and soaking up some rays should contact the Northern Frontier Visitors Association.
Above & Beyond Magazine – Spring 1999
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