_ Flyers

Club

~ the result of
_hard work.

Formed ia 1975 as a non-profit
society by six dedicated private

pilots, the Blue Mountain Flyers -

Club now has more then a hun-

_ dred paid members and upwards
of fifty students, —

Over the years, the hard work-

ing group hay ‘sponsored: a-

number of community events in-
cluding-the Cl Challenge Cup
Snowmobile races, the Omineca
. Loggers’ Sports and the enor-

mously successful Vandethoot
’ Airshow, = -

As sacle organizers of the Air-
show since 1977, the Flyers have
aursed it from a centralized, one
day fly in to a weekend event of

" provincially significant propor-
- tions, ‘

Growth has been rapid during
the past year with increases in ac-
tive membership, staff and

. Facilities, and the purchase’ of ”

"three new airplanes, °
Currently, the Club owns two
Cesma 172's, and a 152 II

trainer. Since Noveniber, 1980, .

the flying school has. been
classified as a’ Cessna Pilot
Training Centre, one of four in

British Columbia. Because the ;

others are located in Williams
Lake, Fort St. John and Van-
couver, Vandethoof Is ‘recogniz-

ed as the major training facility ~

in the Central Interior,
Last year's airshow chairper-

. ‘Flight Training School came asa
bit. of a surprise.

“I called Wichita one any to"

_- find out where Cessna’s Cana-

. dian headquarters were’’, she
says, "'.., and [recelved a phone
call at home the next morning to
say that the CPC (Cessna Pilot
Centre) head for Canada would

be flying into Vanderhoof that
afternoon with the Cessna rep-
for B.C, and same other oe

ecutives’’, -

"A 182 flew in at four o'dock ;

that afternoon. Ie was ati incredi-
ble promotion.” —
-Borth says the Cessna
: representatives Linspected - the
Clubia facilities “and gave A

presentation to this year’s Chalr-
man, Wayne Deorksen, then in-
structor, Tom Young, and
engineer, Bill Davies.
“They were super: impressed
with our facilities", says Borth,
“and they liked the whole at
mosphere surrounding ‘the
Club... They were interested in
Vanderhoof because there is no
other! CPC flight centre in: the
Central Interior, The aircraft
potential in this-area is great, and
there is a atrong possibility that
Cessna could sell quite a few
planea,”” rn
“They _ were also impressed
with our reputation for the Air-

show. They knew the Flycra were

an active group.”

Other’ advancements include a
populat ight endorsement train-
ing program for private pilots,
the hiring’of a part time manager

- and: the installation of a lunch
counter in the airport clubhouse. -

Future growth is predicted for
the Flyers as membership grows,

Page 5+ Altshow Supplement, Vanderhoot, B.C., July 24 and 25

pertorme , Bud Graniey, will be back In Vanderhoot this summer with a contingent of aorcbatic Warbirds
called the Royal Fatle Squadron.

“or

Granley tops Royal Eagle Squadron

facilities expand - and public.

awareness increases,
Borth attributes. the rapid suc-

cess of the Club and its ventures’

to a variety of factors, saying

“that “‘the geography of Northern

B.C., its beauty, and its inac-
cessibllity by roads have made

_ many want to learn to fly".
son Susann Borth recalls that the.
invitation to’ become a Cessna.

“For: some ‘members, their

“business. requirements have been
met by the ability to fly, as they”

can cover greater distances in

shorter time and small aircraft

are very economical-to, operate.
Many members fly just for the
‘relaxation and. love of flying.

Seeing the earth from above puts -

everything in a bit different
perspective.” .

“Flight is mastery, safety and
‘Suceess, A. great feeling of ac-
‘complishment is gained through :

learning to fly."

~ “All the hours of donated time

and hard work by many, many

members simply from their tove

of sport-aviation have made the
Blue Mountain Fiyers what they .
are today."” oe

Bud Grantey, the darlsig
showstopper of last year is back
again, but this time he’s btinging
a team of fellow aerobatic pilots

‘to headline as the Royal Eagle

Squadron,
Granley, afi the’ attraction,

will perform, solo in one of the’
' pest “close in’ Warbird acts
“geen “anywhere, - His: powerful
: Performancs. in a. T-6 Harvard
by griiceful, '

A daredevil at heart, Granley~

will be”
symphonic music.

wi perform a heart stopping,
“tone of a kind" aerobatic com-
edy act. in an acrobatic Super
Cub, >.

Bob’ “Jones, a former Naval
pilot, ‘will join Graney in
another Harvard to perform dual
T-4 formation acrobatics in a
spectacular show ‘of combined
and opposing stunts that include

‘haminetheads, loops, rolls and

turns with breathtaking half

Cuban eights and join-ups. Their
‘grand finale is a plunging 270

degree rolling break to landing.
The other members ‘of the
team ‘include Airshow veteran

John Mrazek, a Czechoslovakian

businessman -who flies in ° shia

spare time and has practised
aerobatics since he obtalned his
“pilot's licence in 1970. He and
teammate, Keith McMann, a
corporate pilot for a large Cana-
dian firm, join Granley and
Jones for the exciting finale.

In the piece of resistance, the

four . Western. warbirds come...

together in an impressive array to
‘perform ‘their. renowned “spec

collage of seemingly effortless
crossovers; rolis, turns and a str-

ing of back- breaking ham-

merti¢ads.

“AM in: all, it is an impressive

show, backed by the confident

expertise of Bud Granley. He is 4
former bush pilot who jolned the’
Royal Canadian “Air Force and.

was sent in Germany for three
years where he performed at
military shows: in bis Harvard
and P-4) fighter. He returned to
Canada in 1960 and gave flying

lessons in Alberta for four years. -
. He joined United Airlines as a

pilot in 1964, and how resides
with. - bis. fi Bellevue,
:Washingtony

e*crazy formation", a a

Granley's Harvard .comes
from a respected line of fighter
planes, first created in 1935.
Although a well built model, the
line was retired from active ser-

vice early on as lighter, faster jets:

.toak its place.
Since then, the Harvard line
has been used successfully a5 a

i

training plane tor nilot daring

the second World War. The.
-planes are very rate these days as

manufacture ceased uring the |

1960"s.

Graniey’ s aerobatic model i isa
reconditioned SNJ-3, . built ‘io
1943. .

‘The fight o of

VANDERHOOF coe
“Acrobatics are att expression of
joy. They’re exuberant and ex-
hilarating", says Airshow Chair-

“man Wayne Deorksen.

- He should know. He went on a
promotional flight with daredevil
pilot John Mrazek last summer,

‘the day. before the Vanderhoof

Airshow. .
It was'a gloriously sunny day

* with only a few puffs.of white In

a cerulean sky. Half an hour.

before flight time, Deorksen -

‘says in retrospect.

Perteroes bud Graney ong

ineered an impromptu’ ra Frat” whi oom Wa kg 181 Vanderhot
rN ne resont toes eaconteg en it itina reams

ty ane PAERIISE sptetherten PEROT PSE OEE PEP I POLLED

4

-a lifetime

phoned the newspaper ‘office aod
announced that I was going with .
‘him as an advertising gimmick,
I went (despite tidings of
doom) because I couldn't think -
Of a graceful way to renege.
Besides, Deorksen made It sound
like the opportunity of a lifetime.
Once at the airport, J.
discovered that 1 would be going
up with performer Bud Granley
while Deorksen accompanied
Mrazek. We were going to fly in
formation aver the town. ‘
- My enthusiasm for the ride
began to fade quickly as Graniey
strapped me into my glass
“bubbled seat and produced a:

‘We ‘mounted steadily and
‘moved’ [nto formation. with

_Mrazek's Harvard, with Granley

taking the lead. Our wingtips ap-
peared only inches apart, a fact -
that caused Deorksen some con-
cern, :

-bottom= of .Grainley’s.-plane,. “a
could even read the tire size’’, he
“Tt was
somewhat unsettling."

- Moments later, Granley mov-
ed. into a lilting” series. of
acrobatic maneuvers that
metamorphosed into s thrilling

‘performance of hammerheads,

‘loops and. tums. My apprehea-.
sion was a thing of the past; 1”
"wanted to soar forever,

Doring our half hour flight, be

i ~explalned the mechanics of each

stunt then let me take the doa:
‘teols for my own series of ex-
citing, if shaky, maneuvers. .
‘Back on the -groygnd, |
“Deorluen, ‘a pilot himelf,.hook-
ed enthused,-if a slightly wan: I:
felt lke I'd been to “cloud 9”*..
and back with one of the wogld's

: _ of mont skillful: ‘performers, 4.
PPEPEELSTSSERIAS ANABERS RAMA ODA LUDEELEULEIETSTERIHINATELELES, saree

capacious comfort bag “just in :
sease’?, Then the engines roared
- and exhilaration took over.

ON ound every sivet om ‘the — ae