We flew a total of almost 6000 miles – from the Toronto area to the shores of the Pacific ocean, then allthe way across to the Atlantic before turning back and heading for home. Andoh, what I’ve learned from the once in a lifetime experience of the recentCross Canada Century Flight. Though there was a lot of it, it wasn’t just aboutthe flying. As the journey progressed it became even more about the people, theplaces, and the awesome wonder of this incredible country. 

We flew a total of almost 6000 miles – from the Toronto areato the shores of the Pacific ocean, then all the way across to the Atlanticbefore turning back and heading for home. And oh, what I’ve learned from theonce in a lifetime experience of the recent Cross Canada Century Flight. Thoughthere was a lot of it, it wasn’t just about the flying. As the journeyprogressed it became even more about the people, the places, and the awesomewonder of this incredible country.

It is easy to become regionalized in such a vast nation. But after havingexperienced the warm hospitality of a wide range of Canadians from across thecountry I have learned that I need to try harder to think about Canada as morethan just what I know from within my own regional “silo.”

As aviators, we were consistently greeted as heroes by hundreds, sometimesthousands, along with waving flags and bands playing. Though heroes we were notbut rather participants, like those who welcomed us, in a cross-country tributeto those who with their courage and ambition gave us aviation as know it today.All who sacrificed before us, risking their lives to make flying safer – evenpossible at all, are the heroes. And our journey was in honor of them.

A countdown of almost 2 years finally reached zero when on the morning of July17^th, 2009 good ol’ Cessna Foxtrot Lima Romeo India, our 206, firedup and became the first to launch from Boundary Bay, BC. It was only 18 hoursbefore that we were in the midst of our westbound crossing of the Rockies, afirst for everyone on board, to arrive at the opening ceremonies of the CenturyFlight. The next morning we were on our way over the colossal and wondrousmountain range again. Flying at the height of some of the peaks of the mammothRockies is truly the definition of the word “Awesome!”

The approximately 80 aircraft that departed British Columbia were joined byothers in Calgary, Alberta taking the count to close to 100 heading intoBrandon, Manitoba. Engine troubles befell one aircraft that rejoined the flighta little later on after a quick cylinder replacement. But it was upon our entryinto Ontario that the weather gods stopped smiling.

A series of systems north of Lake Superior scattered the flight to variousdiversion points. Some were lucky enough to beat the weather while most waitedfor openings as one system passed just ahead of the next one. Some simplycouldn’t get out. In fact, the much of the latter group were forced to stay putfor several days ending the journey for many of those aircraft.

Onward to Marathon then Sault Ste. Marie where weather onceagain delayed our arrival into Brampton, Ontario – my stomping grounds. Itseemed it was no sooner we finally got into Brampton that we were already planningour departure ahead of – you guessed it – more weather!

Into Quebec and over Maine our numbers dwindled a little more as weatherdiversions became necessary with increasing regularity – some brief, someextended. Over the course of our stay in Fredericton, New Brunswick we regainedseveral of our stragglers but weather continued to challenge the flight as itnarrowed the departure window to Sydney, Nova Scotia resulting in a somewhatsmaller contingent than expected at the official airport renaming ceremony thatwas planned to coincide with the arrival of the Century Flight.

Determined, those that were held back continued on when able, leading to animpressive presence at closing ceremonies held at the Alexander Graham Bellmuseum in Baddeck, Nova Scotia, overlooking the site of the first flight inCanadian history.

The odyssey completed, we said our warm goodbyes and dispersed. Some chose toextend their east coast stay, a few headed to Oshkosh, others returned to theirhomes near and far. The long-planned journey, despite some unavoidablechallenges, had concluded successfully – and more importantly, safely.

We’re now hard at work producing the television special that when it airs onPBS, Global, and History Television this fall will almost certainly be moreemotional personally than I had ever expected it would be. It will be a chanceto relive this journey of a lifetime that was shared by thousands across thecountry including a couple of hundred of my newest friends.