[Wing] Special Flight Operations - Fly-By's

[Rob Prior]

Micheal Freund wrote:

>In regards to the Nelson fly-in on July23-24 I should like say further to Rob Prior's comments:  Although the fly-in will not include an airshow, all necessary documentation covering a fly past will be in place.  The permit for a fly-by is a seperate document from that necessary for an airshow.
>
I replied privately to Michael (or at least I thought I did), so wing 
members are no doubt wondering what my comments were.  I cautioned that 
a Fly-In could quickly and inadvertently be converted into an Airshow by 
the simple act of an aircraft or group of aircraft performing a 
pre-announced, or even an unannounced, fly-by.  There were a large 
number of fly-in's last summer where visiting aircraft were observed 
making low approaches by Transport Canada representatives.  Those events 
threatened to force TC to crack down on the regulations for simple 
fly-ins, threatening many small events across Canada.

My concern was that Nelson may be opening themselves up to criticism by 
some of it's detractors by encouraging the same thing to happen at this 
event.  However, it appears that the proper background work is being 
done in this regard, and the event will happen with the full knowledge, 
if not support, of Transport Canada.  I apologize if I caused any 
confusion or distress.

I look forward to seeing the fly-BY's at Nelson this year, and hope you 
can all make it.  Nelson is a beautiful little airport in one of the 
most scenic regions of BC, if you haven't been there I urge you to try 
and make  it out to this event.

Rob Prior
rv7 at b4.ca

PS - The latest revision of the CAR Part 623, Division I - Special 
Aviation Events, *C*hapter One - Air* Shows is available at:***
**<http://www.tc.gc.ca/CivilAviation/Regserv/Affairs/cars/Part6/Standards/623d1.htm>
It was revised on December 1st of 2004.  I encourage anyone who 
practises formation flying in Canada, and attends fly-ins in formation, 
to read through it carefully.

(Note, in particular, that Transport Canada's definition of a fly-past 
is significantly different than that of a fly-by.  Those legal types 
sure like playing with words we all thought we were familiar with.)