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Maurice
Baril Commander-In-Chief
General Baril is in charge of Canada's Armed
Forces and has flown in CF-18 Hornet fighters, C-130 Hercules transports
and CH-146 Griffin helicopters. An enthusiastic Challenger owner since
1999, he says his Challenger provides by far the most fun! When he retires
Maurice plans on using his Challenger on floats to access some of
his secret fishing holes that are not accessible to conventional float
planes.
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Norm
Hull CF-104 Starfighter Pilot
Retired Squadron Leader Norm Hull has flown
military fighters, civilian transport jets and helicopters. Following his
military career he worked as an aircraft accident investigator for the
Canadian Aviation Safety Board. Norm states unequivocally that the two
biggest thrills of his life were his first flight in a supersonic CF-104
Starfighter and his first flight low and slow in his amphib Challenger.
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Claude
Roy Association Leader
Major Claude Roy performs frequently in his
Challenger at Ottawa's "National Capital Airshow". He has set
FAI world records for speed in an amphibious aircraft in this class. Claude
has enjoyed flying his Challenger to the Saguenay River (for some airborne
whale watching), James Bay (on skis in the middle of winter!), Oshkosh
2000 in Wisconsin (the first Canadian ultralight to cross the U.S. border)
and Georgian Bay (to see the 30,000 Islands).
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Jim
Henry Aeronautical Engineer
Jim Henry has forgotten more about aircraft
structures and design than most people will ever know. A good part of his
career was spent as Director of Engineering for Canadair (now a division
of Bombardier Aerospace) where he was involved with the development of
the Challenger business jet. Now largely retired, Jim still does engineering
contract work for Transport Canada and a diverse variety of aircraft manufacturers.
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Michael
Flahault Aviation Artist
Mike has flown General Aviation aircraft of
many types and sizes but states: "I have never had so much fun flying
as when I am in my Challenger. The experience of building my Challenger
was one of the most satisfying things I have ever done, eclipsed only by
the actual flying. Many of the skills required in the assembly of the Challenger
are similar to those used in basic model building."
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Jean
Millette DC-10 Captain
"My original impression of ultralights
was of flying garden chairs! I've done pretty much all you can do in aviation,
from flying bush planes to fighters to giant airliners. Each has its unique
appeal but flying my Challenger is probably the most fun I've ever had
in an airplane. I assembled the Challenger myself which I found to be a
thoroughly enjoyable and very fulfilling experience."
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Norman
Lethbridge Labrador Guide
With over 6400 hours in ultralights and having
been flying in some of the most severe conditions imaginable, Norman has
developed some strong opinions on his Challenger.
"It’s in a league of its own in rough weather conditions and is extremely
capable in a crosswind. Most other planes need much bigger engines to get
near this kind of speed, and then they consume a lot more fuel."
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Gary
Weller Insurance Executive
"This last vacation was superb! I flew
the Challenger to my cottage 5-1/2 hours away. We are blessed with many
lakes only accessible by ATVs. We landed on one lake and surprised two
fishermen who had made the all day trek into the lake over logging roads.
After exchanging some fish stories we then made the 20 minute flight back
to my place in time for dinner!"
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Jacques
Voynaud School Teacher
Jacques collected information about many types
of ultralights and shopped for more than a year before coming back to his
very first love, the Challenger. He says: "There is no other ultralight
offering this level of capability and performance. Add to it an excellent
safety record and you get the best quality/price on the market." Jacques
says to GA pilots: "Try it, you might find out what flying is all
about!"
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Nadine
Buckley Graphic Designer
“To fly the Challenger is an incredible experience.
It’s the total freedom that got to me. This is not a world full of air
traffic controllers, complicated machinery and regimentation. Turning off
the engine and soaring in silence is not the kind of thing you do with
a Cessna! It’s not just the flying experience though, it’s everything that
comes with it. All I can say is: Just do it!”
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Ray
Nash Marine Mechanic
Ray was first interested in aviation through
ultralights and regularly read articles about the Challenger. His eventual
selection of the Challenger was based on the very high number of aircraft
produced (1,500 at the time) with parts and information widely available.
"With my previous ultralight, the company went out of business and
when I needed assistance no one was around to help."
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Wayne
Irvine Commercial Diver
Wayne's interest in aviation is ageless. He
ordered a Challenger II and what followed were "a few months of very,
very enjoyable assembly and finishing time that will remain a lifetime
memory". Wayne's ski flights to the annual Challenger Owners Association
winter fly-in in 1996, 1998 and 2000 were each 1,000 mile return trips
and earned him the coveted Farthest Flown awards for all three years.
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Click the owner's name to read the profile.
Click the picture for an enlargement plus caption.
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