‘Fly-in BBQ’ slightly hurt by weather

Foreboding skies and afternoon rains may have kept away most aircraft from the eighth-annual “Fly-in Drive-in BBQ” on Saturday, but the popular event still drew a fair crowd to the Fort Frances Airport.
Bruce Caldwell, who has organized the event since its inception, said Monday that more than 220 people came through the gate.
“Considering the day, it turned out very good,” he noted. “I’m quite pleased with it.”
The event saw only three airplanes fly in for the day, but one of them was the very popular OPP Pilatus PC 12/45 fixed-wing aircraft here from Thunder Bay.
The pilots—Cst. Scott Rome and Sgt. Dwayne Bolen—showed off the plane, which is used for everything from search-and-rescue to transporting criminals, and features everything from a thermal imaging camera to handcuffs connected to the floor in the cabin.
“They’re good PR people,” noted Caldwell. “They do a good job.”
Caldwell added he’s going to try again next year to get a search-and-rescue plane in from Winnipeg.
Area residents also brought by 13 vintage cars and 12 radio-controlled airplanes to show off Saturday. The latter did a little flying until the rains came at 1:30 p.m., said Caldwell.
Ed Halvorsen earned the People’s Choice plaque for his Ford Roadster Rumble Seat while Leo Arrigo’s radio-controlled plane was voted the people’s favourite.
Ron Weedon, a Kakabeka Falls pilot who has visited the event for the past seven years, was among the handful who flew in Saturday. For his commitment to the fly-in event, his plane will appear on a coaster to be made by Cher and Mark Pruys.
And once again, the local 908 Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron was at the “Fly-in Drive-in BBQ” preparing and selling both breakfast and lunch at the airport, as well as holding a garage sale.
Proceeds will be used for squadron events.
The “Fly-in Drive-in BBQ” has become an annual event designed to showcase the local airport by having private pilots fly in here for the day, as well as support the local Air Cadets.