{"id":353356,"date":"2024-01-11T09:33:43","date_gmt":"2024-01-11T14:33:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/skiesmag.com\/?post_type=features&p=353356"},"modified":"2024-01-11T16:13:06","modified_gmt":"2024-01-11T21:13:06","slug":"faces-of-flight-welcome-to-woodstock-aerodrome-where-aviation-meets-passion","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/skiesmag.com\/features\/faces-of-flight-welcome-to-woodstock-aerodrome-where-aviation-meets-passion\/","title":{"rendered":"Faces of Flight: Welcome to Woodstock Aerodrome, where aviation meets passion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This story begins in the rural countryside of Oxford County, Ont. It\u2019s a beautiful autumn day in Southwestern Ontario, and as you fly over the perfectly squared rows of farm fields, you can see the dust blow up from the combines harvesting their crop below. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just two nautical miles west of Woodstock, Ont., you\u2019ll find a beautifully kept 3,100-foot grass strip called Norm Beckham\/Bob Hewitt Field, or Woodstock Aerodrome (CPR5). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Hewitt airplane collection, based at Woodstock Aerodrome, includes a Cessna 185 amphib, a Stearman, a Harvard, a Vans RV-6, a Citabria, an Extra 300, and a Beech 18. Annie Vogel Photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Beckham, known as \u201cMr. Harvard,\u201d and Hewitt are both legendary figures in Canadian aviation, and the pair are the founding members of the Woodstock Ontario Flying Club, which calls CPR5 home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Established in 1968, the flying club is a member-driven, volunteer-based organization that promotes aviation in the surrounding community while providing economical flying opportunities to over 70 members, utilizing a Piper Cub, a Citabria, and a Cessna 172. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Out of the Hewitt family aircraft collection, Dave said he doesn\u2019t have a favourite; what he chooses to fly on any given day is mission-oriented. Joe Letourneau Photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Despite the passing of the club\u2019s founders, their legacy lives on through the passion of the dedicated members and continued support from the Hewitt family, which today owns half of the airfield property. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got a pretty sweet deal, in my opinion,\u201d Dave Hewitt, son of the late Bob Hewitt, told Skies during a visit to Woodstock Aerodrome. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dave is a pilot for the Mike Potter Collection; instructs at the annual Canadian Formation Clinic; and, is active in the Canadian aviation community. Annie Vogel Photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In exchange for using the property, the Woodstock Ontario Flying Club maintains the airfield. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy name might be in the CFS (Canada Flight Supplement), but don\u2019t let that make you think I do all the work around here,\u201d Dave laughed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Hewitt family has been working in partnership with the flying club since purchasing the land in 2002, with the intention to nurture the sense of community within aviation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dave towing his beloved Beech 18 at Woodstock Aerodrome. Annie Vogel Photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For Dave, aviation has played a role in his life for as long as he can remember. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere were four Harvards in my backyard all my life,\u201d he recalled. \u201cMy dad and Norm Beckham started collecting them in 1968.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growing up, Dave spent a significant amount of time servicing Harvards and organizing what his family called \u201cthe largest airshow on grass.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Throughout his aviation career, Dave has flown over 20 different aircraft types. Joe Letourneau Photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On occasion, he and his siblings would ride across the grass airstrip on their dirt bikes, only to be scolded by the flying club members afterwards. \u201cIt\u2019s those darn Hewitt kids!\u201d Dave mimicked as he recounted the story. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At 19 years old, he followed in his father\u2019s footsteps and became a pilot. Today, Dave is a pilot for the Mike Potter Collection; instructs at the annual Canadian Formation Clinic; and, is active in the Canadian aviation community. He is also a former member of the Canadian Harvard Aerobatic Team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Harvards to Hurricanes and P-51 Mustangs, Dave has flown over 20 different aircraft types. Though, he doesn\u2019t seem to have a preference on what he flies, as long as it gets him in the air. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dave (second from left) pictured with his wife, Trish, and their two sons in front of the Beech 18. Joe Letourneau Photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnything I can get my hands on, I\u2019ll try flying it,\u201d he shared. \u201cI can\u2019t say I have a favourite\u2026 Everything is mission-oriented for me. It depends on whether I want a nice calm evening, and I feel like being a barnstormer so I take out the open-cockpit Stearman and chug around at 500 feet over the trees; or, if I want to take six friends and go have a $700 hamburger, then I take the Beech 18.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the Love of Aviation <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As Dave\u2019s eyes scan over his airplanes, there is an adoring expression on his face. He\u2019s stoic, but there is a gentleness in his demeanour that makes him both approachable and sincere \u2014 the characteristics of a good role model and mentor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Stearman and the Harvard parked inside the hangar at Woodstock Aerodrome. Joe Letourneau Photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

He rolls open the doors to each of his hangars, and it\u2019s apparent how excited he is to share his fleet with us. One by one, he pulls out each aircraft either by hand or by tug. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Hewitt airplane collection is extensive. It includes a Cessna 185 amphib, a Stearman, a Harvard, a Vans RV-6, a Citabria, an Extra 300, and the pride and joy of the fleet, the Beech 18.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we sit in front of the hangars and conclude our visit to Woodstock Aerodrome, we ask Dave, \u201cWhat is it about aviation that pulls you in and keeps you passionate?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He pauses. \u201cWell, it\u2019s my hobby, and it\u2019s my love. It\u2019s the challenge of flying; the challenge of the perfect landing; the challenge of the perfect formation; the challenge of the perfect aerobatic manoeuvre; the poem that says, \u2018I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth\u2026\u2019 Until you\u2019ve done it, you really don\u2019t understand what those words mean.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dave grew up with Woodstock Aerodrome in his own backyard. In 2002, the Hewitt family purchased half of the airfield property. Annie Vogel Photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Discussing the enduring legacy of the Hewitt family, now spanning three generations of aviators, Dave said, \u201cTo have a third generation flying\u2026 it\u2019s pretty neat. We do some formation flying, and to fly off the wing of your son is quite surreal actually.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s clear that Norm Beckham and Bob Hewitt planted the seeds back in 1968 for what would become a thriving aviation community today. Bob\u2019s family \u2014 including Dave and his son \u2014 is proof that igniting passion in young minds pays like compound interest; it multiplies over time. Today, the Hewitt family remains committed to supporting its aviation community and continuing to instil passion in the aviators of tomorrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A pilot\u2019s home is a sacred space, and we express our heartfelt gratitude to the Hewitt family for graciously sharing their slice of heaven with our readers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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