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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A day after the excitement of the Yellowknife Air Show this summer, 100 pilots from around North America are scheduled to descend on Yellowknife in a celebration of aviation.

John Lovelace, chair of the Century Flight Club of Canada and former host of Wings Over Canada, will be among 100 pilots descending on Yellowknife July 15 for the club's annual adventure. Here, Lovelace is seen at Lac La Ronge, Sask., last July. - photo courtesy of the Century Club of Canada

The Century Flight Club of Canada will be in Yellowknife with its Great Canadian Fly In from July 15 to July 20.

"Well, I think it's quite exciting," said Yvonne Quick, who has been involved in aviation for 40 years and is helping coordinate the event.

"You know, when you get 100 little airplanes coming in, that's promotion in itself. The fact that there is going to be a minimum of 200 people is certainly going to add to our tourism," Quick said.

Quick is working with airport management to find space for the planes, which range from the 21-foot Murphy Rebel on the smaller end to the 30-foot-long de Havilland Beaver on the larger side.

"There's lots of areas for parking because they are small and they can be put in pretty close together," said Quick.

John Lovelace, chair of the club and perhaps best known for spending more than 13 years hosting and producing the Wings Over Canada television series, said the Yellowknife fly-in is their most popular yet.

"You know, without laying it on thick, because it's going to sound like I am preaching to the choir, it is an unbelievable draw," said Lovelace. "And I'll tell you what. At the end of the year in pre-registrations, we are 200 per cent of where we were last year in pre-registrations."

As of Thursday, 86 people have pre-registered, Lovelace said, adding he expects pilots from as far away as California and Texas to make the trip.

"Everyone wants to get up there and there's a real mystique about flying up into the North and the old bush pilot heritage that you guys have," he said.

He said he sees the adventure bringing $1 million to the Yellowknife economy. "We feel the return business, tourism will carry on and in fact even multiply. I noticed that's happened in every area we've gone to."

The club has reserved 100 rooms at the Yellowknife Inn and Lovelace plans on making an hour-long documentary to be aired on the PBS television network.

Lovelace said he's confident that Yellowknife has enough space to park the planes, which, if they were lined up nose to tail, would stretch about a kilometre long.

"We're going to have to definitely be creative in where we're going to put them," said airport manager Steve Loutitt.

Loutitt said many of the planes, because they are small, will be pushed onto gravel areas around the airport.

"And so, we anticipate that we are going to be able to deal with the parking logistics, although it's something that does take time and planning," Loutitt said.

Mayor Gord Van Tighem, who has a pilot's licence, is also confident in the success of the event.

"I mean, that's what airports are made for, to manage traffic. If you want to see something really wicked, go to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, during the EAA fly-in when they get 400 or 500 airplanes that show up and each of you gets a third of the runway to land on," said Van Tighem.

As for the tourism dollars, he agrees it will be good for the city.

"Well, when the floatplanes come in, it works out to between $1,000 and $2,000 a day per plane. So, with 100 planes, it's fairly significant," he said. "It should be fun when they're here."

While in the North, the club will have several events including a banquet at the Old Town docks, and trips to Fort Smith, Fort Simpson and Hay River.

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