Cornwall Airport Fly-In Breakfast

UPDATED: The 2018 Father’s Day Fly-In Breakfast will be on June 17th, 2017 from 8am-noon. 
From the event’s FB page:
“Open to the public. No reservation required. Drive or fly-in with your whole family. Breakfast: 8$ per person, 5$ for kids under 8.”


Our annual Father’s Day tradition for the last few years has been to drive down to Summerstown for their Fly-In Breakfast, where we eat a lot and sit on the grass to watch the planes take off and land. For over 40 years the Cornwall Flying Club /COPA Flight 59 has been holding the event, which sees pilots flying their small crafts into the Cornwall Regional Airport (CYCC) for a hearty breakfast, to visit with other pilots, and some offer flights to the public.

Last year there were dark and ominous skies, which made for a quick meal, and an even quicker getaway before a deluge of rain. So with blue skies and hot temperatures this past weekend we were raring to go. Breakfast is from 8am to 1pm and consists of pancakes, beans, toast, ham & sausages, eggs, plus coffee and the best thing ever!: McDonald’s Orange Drink.
It’s 8$ per person, 5$ for kids under 8. (Bring cash, I’m not sure they take anything else).
This year there was also a raffle for two nights at Mont Tremblant (5$ a ticket), and a 50/50 draw. So bring your monies!

Walk around the tarmac and get up close to the planes, see some vintage cars, and if you’re lucky a friendly (and brave) pilot will let your kids sit in the cockpit and try on the headsets. The boys got a lesson in flying from an Air Canada pilot there with his small Cessna, and we chatted for a while with a lady who’s flown down to Florida 11 times! (The boys thought it was awesome they have to land for potty breaks 😉 )

Last year I asked my then 7-year old if he wanted to go up in a plane, because at 25$ a person, it’s a pretty inexpensive (and exciting) way to see if he likes flying! And really, how often do these chances come up?
He was really hesitant then, but this year, after having sat in a cockpit, said “Yes!” when I asked.
Which I then almost immediately regretted because it meant my baby was going up in the sky!

My dad, a retired Air Canada mechanic agreed to go with him so I didn’t puke all over the place, and we put their names on the list, paid the 50$ for the two of them, requested the “blue plane”, and then visited the fire trucks while we waited. And then it was their turn and my stomach dropped.

Clutching his uncle’s GoPro, they loaded into the plane, taxied down the runway, and were up in the air for their 20 minute flight over Cornwall and the river, before I could say “I LOVE YOU!!!!”
And then they landed, and a BEAMING boy and his grandpa got out. He was positively giddy with excitement. It was such a great initiation and their flight instructor pilot was super nice. 

So, if you’re looking for something different to do on Father’s Day, I highly recommend driving the 45 minutes from Montreal’s West Island to Summerstown for breakfast, and if you’ve saved up, have a tour from the sky!

Things to bring:
-Water
-Cash
Breakfast: 8$ per person, 5$ for kids under 8
Flights: 25$ per person

-Sunscreen and hats (there is basically no shade, it’s on a runway.)
-Stroller or booster seat for eating. The breakfast is served buffet style from a hanger, with communal tables outside on the tarmac. There are no highchairs etc, don’t expect restaurant style seating 😉

There are other Fly-In events around Montreal each year including the one at the St-Lazare Flying Club on Sunday, June 10, 2018; the Iroquois Fly-In Breakfast; the Hawkesbury Flying Club annual BBQ and Corn Roast on in August; Brockville in September…
To see the full list of Ontario events you can click on this link: 2017 ONTARIO FLY-INS. Contact each airport for more details. 
If I can find the same sort of list for Quebec I’ll post that too!

2 Comments

  • Drew Vautour says:

    I’m a single Dad to an 8 year-old boy. It’s been me and him against the world since he was three years old. I am an older dad, never expected to have another child so late in life (had him at 48). I am always looking for new ways to entertain him, we camp a lot in the summer but when we are not camping and home on the weekends, it’s hard to find things to do. I found this site by complete accident while searching for interesting parks in and around Montreal. You have taken the guess work and the endless Google searches out of the equation and made my life so much easier! I love your site, it’s a work of love and it shows. Congrats to you and your family and thank you, from one parent to another, you have put smiles on my boy’s face and that is priceless 🙂

    • StrollerMom says:

      There are actually tears in my eyes as I read this. Thank-you so much for the kind words. I truly appreciate them.
      I sometimes wonder “Why am I doing this?”, and “I hope people find the site useful in some sort of way!” and you’ve given me lots of encouragement to keep doing it, and to keep exploring.
      I hope that my own 8-year old looks back at what we did with fond memories.

      p.s. Have you checked out the post for Parc de la Rivière-des-Mille-Îles? My boys really, really loved it. They also give initiation to fishing courses for kids 8-13, with a couple of dates coming up in September.
      We have some other great parks coming up (as soon as I finish writing them!), and a few more off-the-beaten-track activities we’ll be doing before the snow flies.

      Also, you sound like a pretty awesome and fun dad 🙂

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.