International Skiplane Fly-In Goes On

February 23, 2011 — Eight airplanes attended the third annual International Skiplane Fly-In held February 20 on frozen Lake Memphremagog on the Vermont U.S.-Quebec, Canada, border. Although warm weather early last week threatened to cancel the event due to unsafe ice conditions, cold temperatures for two days allowed airplanes to land and take off safely.

According to George Weller, who organized the event, aircraft included several Champs, a J-3 Cub, a variety of Cessnas, and a Kitfox. Two planes came in from Canada, including a man and his son from north of Montreal. Other points of origin were Post Mills, Vermont; Plattsburg, New York; and Rome, New York.

“The ice was solid,” Weller said. Pilots from opposite borders were authorized to cross to look at each other’s airplanes, visit, and eat their packed lunches together. Weller thanked the integrated border enforcement team, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the U.S. Border Patrol “for letting us once again hold this event.”

About the only squawk reported was the J-3’s breather pipe formed a lump of ice, causing a loss of oil en route.

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