Romancing the sky: Pincher Creek aviators

Aviator Frank Wood and his Tomahawk at Pincher Creek Municipal Airport
T. Lucas photos

Toni Lucas, Pincher Creek Voice

There is a romance to the wide open sky.  Pincher Creek has a number of aviation enthusiasts that have heard this call and responded by launching themselves into the wild blue yonder as aviation enthusiasts.  A few among this group include Frank Wood, Al Cornyn, Jim Cameron, Dr. Tony Irving, and Eric Marshall.


Some members of this loose knit group of friends have built their own airplanes from kits, others have bought certified aircraft.  Some fly year round, others only in the summer.  What they all share is a love of travelling the skies and a respect for the machines that propel them upward and onward.

Frank Wood

Frank Wood with his Europa

Frank Wood owns two planes.  One is a 1979 Piper Tomahawk, or a PA 38.  His second is a Europa that he is currently converting from a carburetor to a fuel injection system.

"That's a kit again," Wood said, regarding the Europa that he's converting.  As part of this conversion he is putting in a new control system to fit the new fuel injection.  The plane will also have a new GPS system.  "It's a very fast aircraft.  They're not the easiest plane to fly, but it is a high performance aircraft."

 "I built some of it, a lot of it was built when I bought it."

"This is a certified aircraft,"  said Wood indicating The Piper Tomahawk.  "They only made them for four years, from 1978-1982.  I like this plane because it's a proven safe, certified aircraft, It was designed for safety and for economy.  That can be an important consideration as aviation fuel is about $8.00 a gallon.  This has to follow the same rules as any commercial aircraft.  I like this plane because it's a proven safe, certified aircraft, It was designed for safety and for economy.  It's quite an economical little plane to fly.  When it's cruising it burns about 5.5 gallons an hour."  Wood estimates that he has put in 15 hours in the air so far this summer.  "I go up quite a bit.  I probably put on as many hours as anybody around here.  I think it's the challenge, It's almost like fly fishing.  It's almost a seance.  That must be even better in a silent plane.  (Glider)."

Frank, Jim, and Eric

Wood got his pilots license once he was in his 60's.  "It's something I've always wanted to do, and I really enjoy it.  I love it."  Wood admitted that in his day to day life he doesn't like heights.  "It's different when you fly, but I do like to see the wings."  He was impressed by the number of home built aircraft owners  here in a town of 3,500 people.  There are 13 aircraft and 4 gliders that are privately owned and used by people who live in the area, according to Woods.  "I don't think you would find those numbers per capita anywhere else in Canada, maybe even North America."

"It's certainly not cheap," said Frank Wood. "Fuel is $8.00 a gallon, and fully comprehensive insurance for an average pilot for an average plane is $4,000 - $5,000 per year."  According to Wood a private pilot licence costs between $10,000 and $15,000 and the closest flight school is in Lethbridge.  To obtain your commercial licence would cost approximately another $10,000.  Licensing, inspections, mechanical work, and hanger fees are all be over and above that.  There is the cost buy plane, or the kit to make the plane and the cost of time.

Al Cornyn

Al Cornyn in his RV 6

"You can't get an airplane that performs like that for anywhere near what it costs to build one," said retired owner and pharmacist of Cornyn's Drug Store Al Cornyn.  "It's way more expensive to buy."  Cornyn has built both of his own planes.  He admits that that time does cost.   "If people were looking for me, I was working on the airplane.  They would say to my wife, 'Where is he?' and she'd say,  'He's with the other woman'."  The moniker stuck, and his first plane, a 2 seater RV 6, is named The Other Woman. It took him 3 1/2 years and a total of about 2,700 hours to build it.  His first flight in it was in August of 2000.

Al Cornyn's RV 6

"I always wanted to fly," Cornyn explained.  "When I got out of University, I started taking lessons, but I couldn't afford it.  So I got into hang gliders, they're cheaper.  That was a lot of fun.  It's a rush like nothing else.  On a nice day like this, you can fly off of Corner Mountain, or Table Mountain, and it's unbelievable, it's so much fun."  In the 1970's Cornyn was a hang glider pilot and dealer in addition to being a well respected local pharmacist.

While flying to Oshkosh, Wisconsin with Dr. Tony Irving, Irving suggested that Cornyn get his license.  'You're flying anyway.' Irving told Cornyn.  "He was going to Oshkosh because he wanted to build a home built airplane.  I ended up buying that one.  It was almost completed when he started building his."  His second project is an RV 10 that took him 7 years and about 3,700 hours to build.  It seats 4 and is named The Painted Lady, or the Red Baron as it has been called by friends.

Al Cornyn's Painted Lady (aka Red Baron)

This newer plane went for it's first flight in August 2012, and can make it from Pincher Creek Airport to Victoria in 2.5 hours.  "Just to go up and fly around, this one," he said indicating the two seater RV6 when asked which was his favorite.  "This one is a fun, very sporty, aerobatic airplane."  Both of his planes are RV series aircraft, named after the kit manufacturer,  Richard VanGrunsven.

Other than the paint jobs that were done in Wetaskiwin, both planes were built by Cornyn.  "That's why it took 3,700 hours," said Cornyn indicating the RV 10. Cornyn mentioned that the average person works at their job about 1,800 hour year.  Cornyn does all of his own maintenance.  "I go up just about every day I can."

Toni Lucas, photo by Frank Wood

Jim Cameron

Jim Cameron and his Cessna 170

"It's a good old airplane," said owner Jim Cameron, pointing to a four seater Cessna 170.  "This was the Volkswagen airplane of 1948.  It's been in continuous flying condition for the last 65 years, I guess.  I like to fly it once or twice a week."  Cameron has owned the plane for 31 years, and says that he really enjoys the freedom that it gives him.

Jim Cameron flagging in a plane full of motion picture types on June 25
(C. Davis photo)

Canadian Armed Services at Pincher Creek Airport

Second Lieutenant Jean-Paul Deagne and Captain Jackie Book

"We are on our way through.  We just did a mountain trainer in British Columbia, and now we're on our way back to Portage la Prairie," said Captain Jackie Book.  Book has family in the area and is somewhat acquainted with the Pincher Creek area.

Canadian Armed Services King Air

"I'm a pilot in training, and she's my instructor," said Second Lieutenant Jean-Paul Deagne.  The two were flying a King Air plane.

Mystery movie crew blows through Pincher Creek Municipal Airport

C. Davis photos

On June 25 a motion picture crew breezed through the Pincher Creek Airport and onto a big black bus, headed for parts unknown for an afternoon.  We'll tell you more when we know more... stay tuned.

Corrected for accuracy