Back at the start of July, I made this 100% serious, entirely unironic, no-fooling-around trip report to document the high-end experience of flying in the back seat of a Cessna 172. Jokes aside, this is a little more of a fun video just showing what it's like for me to fold myself into the back of the aircraft type I've been flying for the past year, and depart Calgary on a short cross-country flight to Claresholm for pancakes!
The triangular runway layout at Claresholm, seen in the video, dates from its origins during World War 2 as one of the dozens of BCATP (British Commonwealth Air Training Plan) bases in Canada, many in Alberta. They almost all had that triangular layout with runways about 3,000 feet. Only one runway still active there. During its WW2 service it had 6 runways in 3 pairs, between 3,000 and 3,200 feet, as seen in the video. Many of those fields were closed and abandoned after WW2. Others, like that one, are still in use as the local airport. More than 130,000 pilots and other aircrew were trained for WW2 service at those BCATP bases in Canada. Over 70,000 were Canadian and the rest from various other Commonwealth countries like Australia, New Zealand, South Africa etc. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Commonwealth_Air_Training_Plan en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RCAF_Station_Claresholm en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claresholm_Industrial_Airport
Interesting. The old buildings there were repurposed in the 1980’s and it became the famous Flying N’ Inn. It was run by a woman called Jean Hoare who owned the Driftwood Ranch west of Nanton. I worked there! People would fly in for dinner from all over!
I miss flying over the prairies of Alberta with nothing but 'available landing sites' in every direction, as far as the eye can see! Nice video - thanks for the smiles, chuckles and ... memories.
Nice video, thanks ! I fly with my buddy in an older 172 out of Waterville NS and I used to skydive out of Claresholm for many summers when I lived in Calgary....nice trip down memory lane !!
That is the most pristine (inside and out) 172 I have ever seen. I guess they're still being manufactured but I've yet to come across one that was built before 2005 (in Canada).
4 หลายเดือนก่อน
The seats look so good. And the seatbelts seem to be car-style latches
Smallest plane i ever flew was a glider when I would do air cadets back in the day, I remember when we were on short final for some runway at Trenton AFB LOTS of wing randomly kicked in we banked like 25 degrees to the left, nothing crazy but definitely a memory
Papa Echo Whiskey! I remember having comms with that plane over at CEA3. I usually fly Cessna 150 GYTD out of Olds-Didsbury and I remember that plane was doing some night circuits in the much calmer airspace of a small municipal airport. I don't think it was you on the comms, but it's cool seeing to the plane I was talking to.
Great vid, Alex! Loved the humour of such a flight! It actually looked like you may have been just a little uncomfortable in the back seat! Best part though, was the seat designation!!
Interesting flight ; pretty roomy (for most people) in the back of a 172. Noticed that Harvard on the ground when you were arriving; then in the air at the end. Gotta get me a ride in one of those !!
That brought back memories of a Piper Archer recurring training flight I did out of Calgary way back in 1977, with some circuits at Springbank. What are those big square TV things up front? We had little round things in ours. I always enjoy your videos Alex. Thanks!
Interesting flight, Alex! Never flown on a Cessna (from what I can remember in my life), but I'm planning on doing at least one trip report with Cape Air to/from BOS. - Red
Alex thank you very much for the video I enjoyed it immensely. I am one of 3 people who watched your video. lol cheers to you Dion. Flight simulation and Aviation Enthusiasts TH-cam Dionm01
When it comes time for my PPL, I know I'll have a heck of a time with Air Traffic Communications. Maybe I'm getting too old for this, my brain doesn't compute fast enough....
Back at the start of July, I made this 100% serious, entirely unironic, no-fooling-around trip report to document the high-end experience of flying in the back seat of a Cessna 172. Jokes aside, this is a little more of a fun video just showing what it's like for me to fold myself into the back of the aircraft type I've been flying for the past year, and depart Calgary on a short cross-country flight to Claresholm for pancakes!
You keep going Alex I Love your Aviation Channel is Awesome!!!!!
Loving this content!! Please keep these GA trip reports coming!
That's gotta be the best boarding pass I've ever seen.
SEAT: YES
The after takeoff announcement had me 😂 but he sounded like a rookie… needed a few more ahhhhhhhhh’s in there.
The triangular runway layout at Claresholm, seen in the video, dates from its origins during World War 2 as one of the dozens of BCATP (British Commonwealth Air Training Plan) bases in Canada, many in Alberta. They almost all had that triangular layout with runways about 3,000 feet. Only one runway still active there. During its WW2 service it had 6 runways in 3 pairs, between 3,000 and 3,200 feet, as seen in the video. Many of those fields were closed and abandoned after WW2. Others, like that one, are still in use as the local airport. More than 130,000 pilots and other aircrew were trained for WW2 service at those BCATP bases in Canada. Over 70,000 were Canadian and the rest from various other Commonwealth countries like Australia, New Zealand, South Africa etc.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Commonwealth_Air_Training_Plan
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RCAF_Station_Claresholm
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claresholm_Industrial_Airport
Wow thanks for sharing, That’s very interesting!
Always love spotting those triangles!
Interesting. The old buildings there were repurposed in the 1980’s and it became the famous Flying N’ Inn. It was run by a woman called Jean Hoare who owned the Driftwood Ranch west of Nanton. I worked there! People would fly in for dinner from all over!
Great one Alex - makes me miss being at the controls even more.
Love the ending
Harvard music.
I've never heard "follow company traffic" for fellow flight school traffic, that gave me a good chuckle.
I absolutely LOVE that ticket they made for you !😊
I miss flying over the prairies of Alberta with nothing but 'available landing sites' in every direction, as far as the eye can see! Nice video - thanks for the smiles, chuckles and ... memories.
Best boarding pass I have seen, Kegan and Raf know what's what 😂 (proud instructor noises)
Did you get footage of the fly-in? That would be a nice video showing the fun GA planes of the region if you did.
Best trip report ever!! Makes me want to fly on that really cool "airline" C-GPEW. Too bad I cant find a place to buy a ticket....
NICE landing - give those boys a medal
JR
I’m impressed the 172 comes with a safety card!
Looks like a pretty tidy 172. Unreal views of the mountains and very well flown. Some cool machine at the fly-in too!
Nice video, thanks ! I fly with my buddy in an older 172 out of Waterville NS and I used to skydive out of Claresholm for many summers when I lived in Calgary....nice trip down memory lane !!
That is the most pristine (inside and out) 172 I have ever seen. I guess they're still being manufactured but I've yet to come across one that was built before 2005 (in Canada).
The seats look so good. And the seatbelts seem to be car-style latches
I graduated MRU in 2017. Great program.
My dad is a pilot for Westjet and a couple years ago he got me an opportunity to fly in a 172. It was definitely a fun time
I thoroughly enjoyed this! Great video
As a Pilot just getting back into flyin in Alberta, this was great. Subbed and liked!
Thank you so very much for the great video.
I love how these tiny planes have car style seatbelts
Thanks for the ride. Great video Alex. Driven through Claresholm countless times but never experienced flying in. The boarding pass is a keeper. LOL
Smallest plane i ever flew was a glider when I would do air cadets back in the day, I remember when we were on short final for some runway at Trenton AFB LOTS of wing randomly kicked in we banked like 25 degrees to the left, nothing crazy but definitely a memory
cool video alex young sir well done keep up the good work well done
Now THAT gotta be the best and most honest trip report ever!
Papa Echo Whiskey! I remember having comms with that plane over at CEA3. I usually fly Cessna 150 GYTD out of Olds-Didsbury and I remember that plane was doing some night circuits in the much calmer airspace of a small municipal airport. I don't think it was you on the comms, but it's cool seeing to the plane I was talking to.
Great vid, Alex! Loved the humour of such a flight! It actually looked like you may have been just a little uncomfortable in the back seat! Best part though, was the seat designation!!
Love the boarding pass haha!
Definitely a huge like on this video! Very cool.
Ha! I didn't even think this was one of you videos when I clicked on it. Was confused and pleased when I heard the narration begin haha
Interesting flight ; pretty roomy (for most people) in the back of a 172. Noticed that Harvard on the ground when you were arriving; then in the air at the end. Gotta get me a ride in one of those !!
Amazing report haha. Never had a chance to fly PEW. Looks like a nice ride.
Funny how it's the same ATIS voice throughout Canada; marine weather broadcast too; nice vid; thanks
Yeah LOL, instantly recognizable
I used to pass this small airport a lot and played in those tents they call a hockey rink at Edge school!
I got my private pilots license in a Cessna 172, Lots of good memories!
Alex. I just had a nice flight myself on Monday. On Westjet Encore. From Vancouver to Kelowna. And it was great.
Finally. Waiting for Queen Elizabeth Highway, Calgary to Edmonton car commute trip report now.
Good one.
In the description: Seat - Yes.
Last time I flew Mt. Royal Air the inflight meal was a handful of spaghetti (I had to reach into a black garbage bag to retrieve it).
I grew up near here, beautiful country side.
That brought back memories of a Piper Archer recurring training flight I did out of Calgary way back in 1977, with some circuits at Springbank. What are those big square TV things up front? We had little round things in ours. I always enjoy your videos Alex. Thanks!
Interesting flight, Alex! Never flown on a Cessna (from what I can remember in my life), but I'm planning on doing at least one trip report with Cape Air to/from BOS.
- Red
CEJ4 is my old stomping ground. I need to go back and say hello!
It was along time ago, Springbank is where I learned to fly.
Finally! Been looking forward to this one LMAO!
Alex thank you very much for the video I enjoyed it immensely. I am one of 3 people who watched your video. lol cheers to you Dion. Flight simulation and Aviation Enthusiasts TH-cam Dionm01
Pretty.cool!
I have stop in Claresholm many times on my way to Calgary did not know that there was an airport 🙂
When it comes time for my PPL, I know I'll have a heck of a time with Air Traffic Communications. Maybe I'm getting too old for this, my brain doesn't compute fast enough....
My Grandpa Larry Dickson was a controller at springbank for a long time
Return trip in a Piper? 😁
**HEAVY BLOCKED FREQUENCY NOISES**
Man was that funny, I couldnt stop laughing almost the whole video
Perhaps next time, take a more westerly track over the Porcupine Hills and @skarabraeranch
Which flight school would you recommend near Calgary?
"It's fine, 3 people are going to watch this" - Person no. 6865 to watch this...:D
How new is this plane? I have never seen a dash like that. Mind you it has been 30 plus years since I've been in a Cessna.
It rolled off the factory floor this year :)
You're looking at the G1000 NXi Avionics
Seat: Yes Lol, this was awesome!
Hey which licence do you need to have a fly one of these in alberta?
Back seat driver?
But seriously. How where the pancakes?
5/10 the flight was quick and direct but first class was below mediocre
Third!
goofy ah boarding pass
Those Cheyenne 400s are ugly lol