Blog Posts

2021 midnight sun fly in... save the dates!

4/25/2020

Planning is underway for the 2021 Midnight Sun Fly In to be held in Yellowknife, NT from July 8 - 11, 2021. This biennial event is hosted by the Midnight Sun Fly In Association and welcomes float, amphibious and wheel planes to the spectacular Northwest Territories.

The Northwest Territories Floatplane Association traditionally sponsors a fly-out event during the Midnight Sun Fly In. Previous events have included fly-out picnics to nearby beaches, poker rallies, and a fly-out lunch at a popular fishing lodge. Stay tuned for further details in spring 2021.

2020 membership renewal

3/1/2020

Annual membership dues for NWTFA/COPA108 are $35 and cover membership for the calendar year. All memberships are individual and are now payable for the 2020 year. Membership dues help cover the cost of our annual Rust Remover, social programs, AGM and spring BBQ, and other events and initiatives. Strong membership is essential in building our recognition as a significant voice of general aviation in the Northwest Territories.

Whether you are a new member or are renewing your membership, please complete the Membership Application in full, to assist in keeping our mailing list and member directory accurate and up to date. Please also subscribe to our electronic newsletter to receive our news going forward.

2019 chili cook-off winner

11/1/2019

Congratulations to Carol Van Tighem as the winner of the 2019 Chili Cook-Off! In a break with tradition, and thanks in part to a limited number of chili entries, Carol emerged triumphant with her pecan-mandarin-spinach salad.

Annual Freeze-up party and chili cook-off - october 19, 2019

10/5/2019

The annual Freeze-Up Party and Chili Cook-Off will be held on Saturday, October 19, 2019 commencing at 6:30 pm at 125 Dagenais Drive, Yellowknife, NT. All NWTFA/COPA108 members, families and friends are welcome. NWTFA will provide cutlery, dinner rolls and non-alcoholic beverages. Please RSVP by October 18, 2019.

Bring a potluck dish to share or cook up some chili to enter in our annual cook-off. New competitors are expected this year and members are already perfecting their secret recipes so rivalry will be intense again this year.

Fishing lake work party

7/31/2019

NWTFA members spent a sunny day at Fishing Lake on July 22, 2019 for our fly-out picnic and work party. Members cleaned up a considerable amount of garbage littering the beach and shack areas and removed it from the site in their floatplanes. Junk included beer cans, bits of food wrapping, a broken toilet seat, shredded tarps, and beat up metal pipe. Many hands made for quick work and the site is now safer and tidier for all to enjoy. Thanks to those members who participated! We plan to choose another site for similar improvement next summer.

fishing lake site clean-up - July 20, 2019

7/9/2019

Fishing Lake is a popular fishing and camping destination for many NWTFA/COPA 108 members and is frequently visited by Yellowknife residents and tourists wishing to enjoy the pristine wilderness of the Northwest Territories. Unfortunately, a significant amount of junk and debris has accumulated on the northern beach over recent years.

NWTFA/COPA 108 is planning a fly-out to Fishing Lake on July 20, 2019 for the purpose of a general site clean-up. We'll combine it with a cookout and some relaxation. Plan to attend and lend a helping hand. Please RSVP by clicking here so that we can assess food requirements.

Fly-out picnic at midnight sun fly in - July 13, 2019

7/8/2019

NWTFA/COPA 108 will be hosting a Fly-Out Picnic in conjunction with the 2019 Midnight Sun Fly In. The picnic will consist of a lunch at Plummers Great Slave Lake Lodge. The lodge has a 5600’ gravel airstrip and a registered waterdrome, so all types of aircraft can participate. All NWTFA/COPA 108 members and their guests are invited to attend.

There will be a small charge per person for lunch depending on the number of persons attending. Be prepared for mosquitoes and black flies so bring ample bug dope and appropriate clothing. Float pilots should expect to get their feet wet. Bring ample rope to secure your aircraft if you are on straight floats.

Please RSVP by clicking here so that we can estimate the number of participants and assess food requirements and cost. More details will follow once finalized.

2019 rust remover

4/20/2019

The 2019 Rust Remover is scheduled for Saturday, May 11, 2019 at Northern United Place in Yellowknife, NT. The program will be approved by Transport Canada to qualify as recurrent training for private pilots. The agenda includes the following topics:

Presentation on pilot decision making (Transport Canada)
Overview of aviation medical examinations (Dr. Bing Guthrie)
Review of Canadian airspace and WX cams (NAV CANADA)
Presentation on flight planning (NAV CANADA)

Thanks to Luluz Market for sponsoring this event by catering lunch.

Registration is free for current NWTFA/COPA108 members and $35 for non-members. (Annual membership is coincidentally only $35.) Please purchase/renew membership online and register online in advance.

yellowknife summer multi-use areas

4/14/2019

Lakes in the Yellowknife area offer many commercial and recreational opportunities for residents and visitors during open-water months. Water areas are shared by users of floatplanes, sailboats, power boats, personal watercraft, canoes, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards and more.

All users have a shared responsibility for the safety of themselves and others. Exercise caution and situational awareness to avoid and manage potential conflict with other users. For more information on water activities in areas where floatplanes operate, and the capabilities and limitations inherent in the various uses, please refer to our Yellowknife Summer Multi-Use brochure.

2019 midnight sun fly in

3/9/2019

Registration is now open for pilots and passengers planning to attend the 2019 Midnight Sun Fly In to be held in Yellowknife this summer. Check out the Midnight Sun Fly In Association website for more information.

The Northwest Territories Floatplane Association plans to host a fly-out picnic or other flying event during the Fly In. All NWTFA members will be invited to participate and volunteers are always needed.

new international member... donald goodman

2/26/2019

Our newest member is Donald Goodman of Bellingham, Washington, USA. Don flies a Cessna 182P on Aerocet 3500L floats. Immediately after putting the plane on floats, Don flew it north to Yellowknife for the 2015 Midnight Sun Fly In and then on to Oshkosh before heading home to Washington. Read about his adventure in "Bellingham to Oshkosh on Straight Floats". We expect to see Don back in Yellowknife for the 2019 Midnight Sun Fly In this summer.

Copa for kids - new requirement for pilots

2/26/2019

COPA National has implemented a policy requiring all volunteer pilots participating in COPA for Kids events to undergo a Vulnerable Sector Check ("VSC"). Processing time for a VSC averages 3 weeks so it is important to apply well in advance of any COPA for Kids event. COPA National requires that a VSC be renewed every 3 years but will accept a VSC completed for another organization within the previous 3 years.

In the Northwest Territories, application for a VSC must be made at the local RCMP detachment. The pilot must attend in person and present an explanatory letter from COPA National, photo identification and proof of residency. There is no fee and fingerprinting is not usually required. Once obtained, the pilot must submit the VSC directly to COPA National by fax to 613-236-8646 or by email to copa@copanational.org. NWTFA encourages any pilot intending to participate in our COPS for Kids event to apply for a VSC as soon as possible.

2019 membership renewal

2/24/2019

Annual membership dues for NWTFA/COPA108 are $35 and cover membership for the calendar year. All memberships are individual and are now payable for the 2019 year. Membership dues help cover the cost of our annual Rust Remover, social programs, AGM and spring BBQ, and COPA for Kids. Strong membership is essential in building our recognition as a significant voice of general aviation in the Northwest Territories.

Whether you are a new member or are renewing your membership, please complete the Membership Application in full, to assist in keeping our mailing list and member directory accurate and up to date. Please also subscribe to our electronic newsletter to receive our news going forward.

2019 rust remover and agm - save the date!

2/24/2019

The 2019 Rust Remover will be held on Yellowknife, NT on May 11, 2019. Transport Canada has confirmed its attendance for delivery of a new general aviation seminar developed in conjunction with COPA National to satisfy the recurrent training requirement for private pilots. Registration details will follow once the program has been finalized. The Annual General Meeting will be held on the same date.

2018 chili cook-off

11/17/2018

Congratulations to Kevin Brezinski as the winner of the 2018 Chili Cook-Off. Kevin is a repeat winner with his special recipe of mushroom-free chili made with maple baked beans.

enroute to yellowknife

10/14/2018

In an effort to assist general aviation pilots interested in visiting Yellowknife and the Northwest Territories, we have recently added a new section to our website entitled "Enroute to Yellowknife". This section provides profiles of various stopovers enroute to Yellowknife from southern Canada. Each profile consists of a dedicated web page providing aerodrome data, coordinates, site description, anecdotal information and photographs of the enroute stopover. Each profile also includes a pdf download providing all information in a convenient printable format. This section is a work in progress and submissions from NWTFA members and other pilots are welcome.

freeze-up party and chili cook-off

10/14/2018

The annual Freeze-Up Party and Chili Cook-Off will be held on Saturday, October 27, 2018 commencing at 6:30 pm at 125 Dagenais Drive, Yellowknife, NT. All NWTFA/COPA108 members, families and friends are welcome.

Bring a potluck dish to share or cook up some chili to enter in our annual cook-off. Some members are already perfecting their secret recipes so competition is expected to be intense again this year. NWTFA will provide cutlery, dinner rolls and non-alcoholic beverages.

Len Smith - 2017 Winner

New member: Charles Christenson

10/14/2018

Our newest NWTFA member is Charles Christenson of Kent, Washington, USA. Charlie flies a 1967 Cessna 182 on Aerocet 3400 amphibious floats with over 40 modifications including an 86-inch prop and 300 hp engine. He describes it as a great seaplane that gets into the best fishing spots while providing for easy access to fuel.

Charlie has been flying professionally for over 40 years. He started pumping gas at a flight school in Minnesota at age 15 and worked his way up to flight instructor by age 18. He obtained a Canadian commercial license at age 19 and started his bush career flying a standard Beaver on floats for a fishing lodge in Ontario. He headed north to Alaska at age 21 to fly C-185, C-207, turbine Beaver and Twin Otter aircraft.

After 5 years in Alaska, Charlie returned south and flew for commuter and major airlines, working up to captain on the 737-200. He eventually turned to contract flying with gigs including captain on a 737-400 in Turkey and flying a 737-800 in England. For the past 14 years, he has been an instructor/line training pilot with Boeing, where he flies the B737, B777 and B787.

Charlie is counting down the days to retirement, so he can return to his passion of flying his C-182 around Alaska and into the Northwest Territories. He’s been to Yellowknife and loved it so we’re hoping to see him back here soon, perhaps for the 2019 Midnight Sun Fly In!

Charlie and his dad with N212CC

A day of relaxing, Lake Cushman, WA

Sitting on a rocky island, Baker Lake, WA

Clam digging off Cutts Island, Puget Sound, WA

2018 agm and bbq/potluck

4/29/2018

The 2018 Annual General Meeting of the Northwest Territories Floatplane Association will be held at Cookhouse K2 at Fred Henne Park on Saturday, May 12, 2018 starting at 5:30 pm. The AGM is combined with a BBQ/Potluck as our social event for the opening of float season.

Further details appear in the AGM Notice. Members are asked to bring a salad, dessert or munchies to round out our potluck meal. NWTFA will supply burgers, smokies, hot dogs, soft drinks and juice. Please RSVP to Hal Logsdon at logsdon@theedge.ca so that we can estimate how much food to order. The AGM will be conducted after the BBQ/potluck. The director positions of Treasurer, Secretary and Director at Large will be elected at the AGM this year.

2018 rust remover

4/24/2018

The annual "Rust Remover" hosted by the Northwest Territories Floatplane Association/COPA Flight 108 will be held on Saturday, May 12, 2018 from 9:15 am to 3:00 pm at the Northern United Place auditorium in Yellowknife, NT. Lunch will be provided. Participation qualifies as the recurrent training requirement for private pilots. Program details and speaker information appear in the agenda opposite. For further information, contact Hal Logsdon at 873-5569.

This seminar is free for NWTFA/COPA 108 members. The fee for non-members is $35. Memberships can be purchased in advance through our online membership application and will also be available at the door.

Pre-registration is required for this seminar. Members and non-members are encouraged to register online as soon as possible to obtain a registration ticket for presentation at the seminar.

The NWTFA/COPA 108 annual general meeting and break-up party will also be held on May 12, 2018.

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