iators was made possible by the aircraft owners and pilots association. america is even more beautiful from the air. discover it yourself. lets go fly. join us at aopa.org. zaon flight systems. makers of the p-cast mrx and srx. fly safer zaon portable collision avoidance systems. be part of the most passionate community of aviation enthusiasts learn more at eaa.org/aviators or find us on facebook at eaahq. when the unexpected happens the lifesaver provides one hour of

nce giving you the time you need to land safely. in a missions darkest moment trust mid continent instruments. ♪ >> now, for the first time on tv... the stories and reports of the people who fly and the aircraft they fly. and you are invited in an exciting house-pumping new television series designed for everyone who has ever gazed skywards and dreamt of slipping the bonds of earth. the aviators. >> this week on the aviators we take a look at charter aviation. we check out some of the newest and coolest affordable helicopters. we get an inside look at the 2009 cross canada century flight. >> everyone is so terrifically excited about this. >> and we get to meet legendary air show pilot julie clark. >> i'm gonna show you an engine that you'll probably never see again. >> from the boundary bay airport, this is the aviators.

corporate and charter aviation are among the fastest-growing segments of the aviation industry, and will be drawing heavily from the pilot pool over the next decade. chartright air group is one company that's on the leading edge of this growing market. with over 25 corporate jets in their fleet, chartright has offices in toronto, vancouver, and moscow. chartright ceo adam keller, spoke to us at chartright's toronto headquarters. >> chartright was started in 1987. originally, it was a management company for a single private aircraft. but as the fleet grew and more and more people started to fly the charter machines, chartright became a commercial operation. growing through the 1990s, more and more aircraft were added. and we got to our position where we are today with 25 airplanes. there are two sides to our business. the one side is for the owner of the aircraft. we will take care of his asset, ensure that it complies with a we will make sure it's operated safely and that it's available for him when he needs it.

when he is not using the aircraft, we'll put it into the charter marketplace. and we'll put the aircraft out for rent, basically to anyone who would need it. >> chartright's fleet of corporate jets ranges from very light or entry-level jets to larger aircraft, such as the challenger 300. >> the challenger 300 is a new aircraft, so it's got all the latest amenities. it's a beautiful machine to ride on. and it's a very roomy cabin. they call it a super mid-size. and we have a lot of people moving from mid-size cabins to super mid-size. >> the life of a corporate pilot is very different from that of an airline captain. sara rependa talks to chief pilot wayne shea from the flight deck of the challenger. >> what made you decide to become a corporate pilot instead of an airline pilot? >> corporate aviation for me was sort of a natural segue from the ground job i did as a ground handle or "ramp rat", as we used to call ourselves. and i was introduced to a number of different corporate aviation divisions at that time. and it's just a natural progression for me to go into corporate as opposed to airline.

>> the entry level pilot time requirements for chartright is a thousand hours. but for adam and wayne, this is just one of the many things they look for in a potential pilot. >> virtually all pilots can fly an aircraft. so when somebody comes in the door, what we're looking for is the ability to manage the aircraft. >> as a corporate aviation flight department, you don't have the resources on the ground at every station you fly into that an airline would have. so, for instance, when air canada flies to st. john's newfoundland, they have a station at st. john's newfoundland with support with engineers and ground staff, et cetera. we fly to newfoundland, we rely on a third-party handler to do our handling. so you've got to be thinking on your feet. today's flight is a perfect example-- is the weather. here in toronto right now we're experiencing the largest snowstorm we've had this winter. we had to go through central de-ice facilities. so we'll incur a few delays that we wouldn't normally have, say, on a nice, clear summer day. >> private jets can be an efficient business tool. or th can be the supreme status symbol. seating anywhere from six in a learjet

to 36 passengers in a corporate-configured, mcdonnell douglas md-87. who can afford this airborne luxury? according to adam, chartright gets the usual suspects, such as movie stars, professional athletes, and rock stars. even groups of golfers who have pooled their money to head for their favorite golf course, have booked with chartright. regardless of who the client is, all these bookings start the same way. >> so you would call in to our customer service department, give them the details of the flight that you would like to go on. they will ask questions with regard to how many people, the size of aircraft that you would like. once they have that information, they'll prepare a quote for you. and if that's an acceptable number, you'll get transferred into flight operations. >> generally we receive a call from our operations department indicating that we have a flight, whether it's the next day or, in some cases, it can be as quick as two hours from now. and the first thing we do, of course, is start doing our homework by checking weather, checking the runway lengths, and available resources at the particular airport we're flying into. and, generally two hours prior to the flight, we come in, make sure our

paperwork is in order, check the weather again, check the airport, denote times, et cetera. do the walk around of the airplane. and once the airplane is on the ramp and completed our walk around, we make sure our catering's on board, fuel's on board, and all the-- any other sort of requests that our passengers may have. >> checking in for a charter flight couldn't be easier. this, says adam, is the number one benefit of flying with chartright. >> checking in is a five-minute process, as opposed to the airlines being sometimes two hours and more. other benefits include: a working environment, safety and security, and simply convenience. >> the cost of convenience is not cheap. charter bookings can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $10,000 an hour depending on the aircraft. not the most economical option when compared to an airline, however charter flights go where they want when they want. this is something pilots appreciate as much as the clients. >> what is your favorite part of being a corporate pilot? >> i think the-- the--

going to the destinations that's unknown. we go to so many different destinations and there's no set schedule. so unlike a scheduled airline where you know well in advance what your schedule is and where you're going, for us it's a phone call a day or two ahead-- in some cases, two hours ahead-- and we have no idea where we're going. an example would be getting a call 6:00 in the morning and by 6:00 that evening we're sitting in nice, france. having dinner on the beach. >> the charter market is extremely competitive with 4,000 corporate jets available to the market in north america on any given day. despite this, adam does not see chartright's competition as their biggest challenge. >> i think we have two primary challenges in operating this type of business. the first of which is finding the right staff who understand the service that we're in and are able to meet the demands of the client. and we've been very, very fortunate, we're just chock-a-block full of good people and they're giving good service. the second challenge is e cent.anding the service

they don't necessarily articulate that in a way that's easily understood. >> when those clients are onboard our aircraft the camera's off and most people have a tendency to relax and be themselves so the human side of these personalities come out when they're on their aircraft 'cause they're out of the lime light, they get a chance to relax, and they're in their own space. and we as professionals obviously give them that space. >> our single greatest success factor is our ability to understand what our clients want and to deliver them the service that they need. >> it's why they use corporate airplanes. >> one of the fastest growing segments of the amateur built aircraft movement is the homebuilt helicopter segment. these aircraft represent fantastic value when compared to their factory counterparts. for between $30-125,000 you can build and learn to fly your own personal helicopter. >> helicopters can be an affordable way to get in the air. with their ability to hover and dart, they're far more maneuverable than their fixed-wing counterparts. and rotor wing aircraft allow the pilot

to see and go places few can imagine. while the range may be limited compared to a fixed wing aircraft vertical take off and landing allow these little flying machines to squeeze in and out of some tight quarters. you can buy these small helicopters either fully assembled or in kits that you assemble yourself. either way, this segment of private aviation has one outstanding characteristic, they are very inexpensive to buy. >> this model is a mosquito. it was built by its owner in about six months at a cost of $31,000 this aircraft fits within the ultra-light category which means you don't need either a license or registration to fly it. its 65 horsepower engine will keep it in the air for about one hour on five gallons worth of gas. >> being an ultra-light the mosquito's speed and range are limited, at only 80 miles per hour for the speed, and 60 miles for the range. the idea with an ultra-light helicopter like this is not to go far but to enjoy the thrill of the flight. going low and slow, the mosquito allows you to buzz around an airfield while feeling the elements whip through the open cockpit.

the mosquito's modest windshield does provide some protection and could be considered luxurious when compared to other ultra-lights such as homebuilt gyro-planes. homebuilt gyro-planes are popular experimental craft. on a gyro-plane the t r is un-powered. a rear facing propeller provides thrust resulting in lift and causing the top rotor to auto-rotate. this unique way of flying allows gyro-planes to do some dramatic touch and gos. unfortunately, with both the mosquito and most homebuilt gyros there's no space for passengers. so while you may get to enjoy the earth in a unique way, you do so alone. for those looking to enjoy helicopters outside the ultra-light market there are other homebuilts that also accommodate passengers. >> b.j. schramm founded the homebuilt helicopter movement when he started rotorway international in 1967. the company's latest offering, this slick e600 talon is sold in kit form

and includes everything you need to get in the air, including the engine and the engine instruments. this particular helicopter will carry two people at 100 miles an hour while burning eight gallons of fuel per hour. one of the things unique to rotorway is not only do they sell aircraft kits they'll also teach you how to fly your helicopter and how to maintain an e-600 talon. >> while rotorway is the oldest of the homebuilt helicopter kit companies their is no shortage of up-and-coming kit builders. >> canadian home rotors offers this helicopter kit called a safari. al rulton won grand champion rotorcraft at airventure in 2008 with his machine. al tell us about some of the features that come from certified helicopters that are used in this homebuilt machine. >> well, certainly the most important thing would be the engine. it's a certified engine whether it's a lycoming or a superior engine. this is also the 360, so 180 horsepower, so there's lots of extra power in there. it's shaft driven, everything's-- there's no belts, the slippage, anything like that. it's very reliable, very safe, very easy to maintain and inspect which is hugely important.

quick walk around and you can see everything, there's nothing-- nothing hidden, nothing to be removed. we're all very happy with it so far. >> excellent. so let's take a tour of what we're looking at here. we've got the engine. >> yes, correct. >> and then up above that? >> well, this is the clutch. basically, as you-- as you spool up the engine the blades will slowly engage. it's got a fan system that blows down--all the air down through and cools off the engine. that's obviously the transmission sitting up top. to, to--everything's solid. it's a very well built rotorhead system, very strong. it's handling anything we need it to do very, very nicely. >> very nice. >> the beauty of a homebuilt aircraft is that you can customize it in ways not possible with a factory aircraft, from custom interiors to chromed fuel tanks. no two safaris look alike. building your own helicopter can be a significant investment in time, however. >> now you won an award because you did a great job putting this helicopter together. what's it like to build a helicopter? and how long does it take? >> it was--well, i was--

a little under three years when i built it the first time. some guys are able to build them in under a year. if you built one before, it's much quicker. but it's not that overwhelming. it's just one piece at a time. mine took a little longer because i got a few more bells and whistles on it than maybe someone else might put on. but most of them are just bling-bling. they're still the basic helicopter when you put 'em side by side. >> now this helicopter has two seats so how do you use it? >> strictly in a recreational standpoint. i fly with buddies. i fly with family members. we go to small airports around where i live, and visit other people and other helicopter people and it's just a lot of fun that way. i've got about two hours' range so i can get quite far if i need to. an average speed, it cruises between 70-80 miles an hour very comfortably all day long you can do that. very easy to control, i'm very happy with-- with the performance of it. >> the safari with its large front bubble has fantastic visibility allowing the pilot and passengers to see

everything around them. al gave us a closer look inside this bubble and the safari's rugged controls. >> so we can see the controstick, the cyclic stick. >> yeah. >> the collective and the anti-torque. you wanna explain how those work when you fly? >> okay. this is your cyclic, and this is would be-- i want to go forward, i push forward. i want to go back, i--back. and to turn the helicopter, i just move the controls either way right or left. if want to go up or down this is what changes the pitch-length. as i pull up it increases the pitch of the blades and i go up. this is my throttle. as i give it more pitch, i have to give it more gas, just like a car. you want to go faster, you have to put in the gas. these are my anti-torque pedals. the only reason they're there is take away the torque that your main blade-- as it goes one way if those blades weren't there your helicopter would continue turn. so they put the tail rotor blades on and it helps bring it around so you can control it, basically like a rudder on an air,plane then what really makes a helicopter so maneuverable close to the ground.

>> that's fantastic. now if a viewer was interested in learning to fly a helicopter how would they go about that? >> local airport, i personally took the training on the r22. i find it's the closest performance-wise. we--same engine, same horsepower, so that's my recommendation. it's a much smaller helicopter so when you're in this it's quite a surprise how much room you have when you're in this one. but it's by far the best one to take your training on, i found personally. >> well thanks very much, al, for showing us around your helicopter. >> okay. >> we can't wait to see what it looks like flying. >> all right. very good. thank you. >> july 2009 marked the 100th anniversary of flight in canada. to commemorate the event a group of pilots attempted the largest north american transcontinental flight by civilian aircraft. over 100 airplanes made up of over 50 different aircraft types departed the boundary bay airport in delta, british columbia, bound for baddeck, nova scotia, the birthplace of flight in canada. the flight was led by celebrity pilot

john lovelace known for his ten years of hosting the "wings over canada" tv series. >> ah, i tell you, it is-- it's really getting exciting. we really have a sense that everyone is so terrifically excited about this and i just hope we can keep this up. ♪ >> well i'm a bit of a new pilot, low time hours. and so there's a lot of unknowns and new experiences. both my wife and i have worked real hard to be prepared from a knowledge standpoint as well as from the equipment on the aircraft. we just purchased this aircraft last fall and so it's kind of an opportunity to really get to know it real well. and share some exciting time with my new wife. >> a team of 18 flight marshals and coordinators were drawn from both private and airline pilots as well as air traffic control. >> just relaying john's message here to peter to get to everybody else to stay on the ground

until the weather improves for the entire flight. >> a ground support command center accompanied the flight which required three drivers driving all night to keep up with the flight. >> and, so we've been sleeping in shifts but the job's got to be done. we'll be there, crack of dawn. >> consisting of eight legs and covering eight provinces the flight crossed the rocky mountains, the prairies, and the wilderness forests of northern ontario before flying through the congested air traffic areas in the toronto- montreal corridor. >> [radio in french] ♪ >> aircraft ranged from a tiger moth biplane to a modern jet-powered vodochody l39 albatros. >> this aircraft was made in 1983, in czechoslovakia and it was delivered to the romanian air force the same year. the romanian air force flew this aircraft until 1989 when the cold war ended. following the cold war, the airplane was basically parked for 12 years in someplace in romania. there's an organization in the us that made

a business of finding these airplanes, overhauling them, repainting them, putting north american electronics into them and selling them. ♪ >> a true canian classic made an appearance during the flight, the noorduyn norseman. >> i think the airplane first flew november 1935. this is a 1944 model. virtually the same, there was very few modifications to this airplane right from the start. it was built for the canadian bush pilots. they had an input into it. 'cause they designed in canada, right in offices in montreal. and it was also designed for the bush back then which was aviation. but it was-- you know, the high technology of the day. thing is with this airplane too the aircraft is actually a fabric, eh. there's a little bit of metal under the engine here and up to about here, and the rest is all fabric covered. the wing's spar, main strength of the wing is wood. ♪

>> most of the flight was conducted under visual flight rules, or vfr, at altitudes of 8,000 feet and below. ♪ the trip was not always smooth flying. >> i'm not liking this at all. we'll have a look, but i think we're going to have to... ♪ >> low visibility in sault ste marie and a massive weather front covering the entire eastern seaboard, coupled with risks of a fuel shortage threatened to derail the flight halfway through. >> yeah, how come? you ran out of fuel in the truck. >> the pumps are the only thing that's available? so let's get an sms message out to the pilots, telling them to get out to the pumps. ♪ >> prior to this, the largest formation flight of civilian aircraft recorded was 35 at oshkosh, wisconsin.

♪ organizers of the cross-canada flight calculate this record was broken on each of the eight flight legs with anywhere from 60-90 planes being airborne at the same time. >> we've got about 60 airplanes in the air, between there and here right now. and we just seem to be skirting this... >> we have a small flying club, and at best we'll get 20-30 guys in on a tuesday night. but when you get 100-200 pilots together in one vicinity, it's crazy. ♪ >> the flight concluded safely on canada's east coast with a final ceremony at the baddeck estate of telephone inventor alexander graham bell, and the site of the first flight in canada in 1909. ♪ >> the kids had a great time. canada's a phenomenal country. and thanks to mr. bell and his colleagues for getting this going. >> in all, 270,000 nautical miles were flown by the 108 aircraft that participated

in at least a portion of the flight. despite a handful of breakdowns, not a single scratch was put on any of the aircraft. the group is planning their next journey-- another 100 aircraft flight, this time into canada's yukon territory. ♪ >> so as long as people have dreamed of flying, they've dreamed of doing aerobatics in the air, just like the birds. and we're here with julie clark today who's one of those people who've been lucky enough to make a name for herself doing aerobatics in north america. hi julie. before we talk about this beautiful t34, i'd like to ask you, but you're one of the first people that was one of the ladies to operate in the cockpit of a commercial aircraft. tell us a bit about how that happened. >> back in the mid '70s nobody really wanted to break that mold and hire their first woman. and, even though i was very qualified, i'd been flying at that time more than nine years, had over 3,000 hours, two jet type ratings, nobody wanted to hire their first woman for their airlines. so i finally was hired in 1976.

>> so now you go and you spend nine years getting qualified to operate a commercial aircraft with passengers on it and you get a job doing that, but that's not enough. you decide you wanna do air shows. how did you get into the air show business? >> well, before i became an airplane pilot i actually flew t34s in the navy as a civilian flight instructor. and so i did that for a year and a half on a contract with the us navy in t34s and then right after i got on with the airlines i got involved in competition aerobatics in a pitts special. just the hankering-- i bought this airplane on a surplus bid in 1976. and i kind of just put it together. but i never really wanted to be an air show pilot. it really wasn't my burning desire. i wanted to be an airline captain. >> the story of this aircraft and how it came to be your aircraft is quite a story. you mentioned you bought it at auction but there's much more to the story than just that. >> well i bought it at an auction up in alaska, sight unseen, and just the whole story of bringing it home from alaska, telling my husband i had done this. and then i ended up restoring the airplane, which almost became like an obsession. and it took me four and half years to restore the airplane. did all my own work. and caused a divorce,

so i can't say that was a good thing, but that's been years ago. i endorse 21 great aviation companies besides being sponsored by chevron. and one of them is my engine, and the top of the line eagle engines that are ready in california is the golden eagle series turbo stratus. so i'm going to show you an engine that you'll probably never see again. it's actually gold-plated. >> want to give these people that are watching tv a chance to see it right here--look at that. >> here we go. yeah. >> so how many horsepower is this engine? >> well, it's rated for 285 but they--this is actually a polished imported blueprinted engine which they don't usually do in airplanes so it's rated for about 310. so it's still really kind of underpowered because i also have to carry one full tank of gas because the fuel is not baffled. and the minute you go vertical for a certain amount of time, the minute you hammerhead, come back down that's when the engine quits. to avoid that you have to have full fuel in one tank. >> a full tank of gas keeps it pressurized. >> which is 150 pounds-- >> so you're-- >> --exactly. >> switching tanks during your flight as well? >> no, i just run it off left tank, but if i have to go up and they say, "you're going to fly 20 miles to your airshow site."

well then i got to plan to fly it off the other tank and th fly on the full tank once i get to the air show site, like over water and things like that. >> now there's some guys that i know, they're a little bigger than you that fly this airplane and they call it a two-handed airplane. it's a fairly heavy airplane to do aerobatics in. >> it's heavy-handed it's not light at all. i have a t28, that thing is just so light on the controls. this thing is a dog. >> really? >> i mean, it's a nice dog. sorry. >> it's a beautiful looking dog. >> but um, it's just very heavy-handed on the controls. that's the only thing about it that's kind of negative. icas, the international council of air shows, which is the air show authority, they've been saying that air show audiences are actually up this year from last year like by 12%. that's huge. that's saying a whole lot. and it's still good family entertainment. it doesn't cost a real arm and a leg, and kids love airplanes. we need to keep the kids-- they are, like chevron says, "we have to introduce them to fuel now. because they're our drivers of tomrow." these are pilots of tomorrow. they come to an air show it's because they love airplanes. and they are our future and we need to keep that going. if i can inspire any people, one child,

one show every weekend, i feel like i've continued to help further our cause in keeping aviation alive and well. ♪ >> the aviators for everyone who has ever gazed skywards. >> for more information on today's segments visit: ♪ captioned by video caption corporation www.vicaps.com the aviators was made possible by the aircraft owners and pilots association. america is even more beautiful from the

air. discover it yourself. lets go fly. join us at aopa.org. zaon flight systems. makers of the p-cast mrx and srx. fly safer zaon portable collision avoidance systems. be part of the most passionate community of aviation enthusiasts learn more at eaa.org/aviators or find us on facebook at eaahq. when the unexpected happens the lifesaver provides one hour of emergency attitude reference giving you the time you need to land safely. in a missions darkest moment trust mid continent instruments.

>> i'm miranda esmonde-white. join me for a classical stretch workout to slenderize your legs. >> "classical stretch" is made possible in part by iberostar hotels and resorts with beach front resorts around the world. each resort features extensive gardens and large swimming pools with maximum respect for the surrounding environment. iberostar hotels and resorts. >> air jamaica soaring to new heights.