Flying ultralights is generally easy and relaxed when it comes to airport procedures. Most of the fields we land at are uncontrolled and usually very quiet. It is quite easy to catch on to airport procedures and radio protocol for the smaller local strips. That all changed when Garrett Komm and Wayne Winters suggested we fly club ultralights into Calgary International Airport (YYC) for Aviation Days. The Aviation Museum had arranged special permission for us to fly into the international airport without the usual mandatory published aircraft type information and transponder equipment.

For most of us grass strip fugitives, the mere notion of exposing ourselves to a razor-tongued ATC sends chills coursing down our spines. However, the seductive lure of flying an ultralight into the Forbidden City is quite intoxicating…

Club president Garrett Komm arranged a Nav Canada briefing for anyone interested in tackling the daunting Calgary International Airport. We met at Garrett Komm’s office, a Sylvan Learning Centre. Very appropriate as we all sat like kids on the first day of school, wondering what the hell we were in for. Brian Vasseur was the exception to this, having had a lot of Calgary International experience. He was trying to reassure and coach us with the thought that this is not as big a deal as we think. The rep from Nav Canada was also very reassuring as he presented us with what to expect and assured us that ATC was expecting us and was well aware that our experience level was a bit on the green side.

“Can we all come in together… as a formation?” we asked hopefully, thinking there is safety in numbers when it comes to fending off ATC. No, that didn’t fly as ATC wanted to deal with us one at a time and fit us in whenever there was a suitable opening.

OK, I am in. I will give it my best shot and see what happens. Saturday morning came a lot faster than I expected. My plan was to arrive at YYC around 8 AM, which was in the middle of the 7 to 9 AM window we had been allotted. Last-minute checking and double-checking… procedures, radio frequencies, telephone notification, and aircraft preflight checks ate up the morning quickly. But I made the target departure time by a whisker.

Run-up complete, I am sitting at the end of Indus runway 28, ready to roll, stomach churning; wondering what I have missed and all the possible blunders that I could propagate in the next 30 minutes. Takeoff is routine and within an all-too-brief few minutes I am over Chestermere, our designated call-in point. I am thinking, “should I circle a bit and collect myself before I call ATC?” I tune into Calgary tower frequency and monitor the radio traffic for a few minutes. Everything is calm, and nothing unusual or terrifying is happening; pretty routine low-volume traffic. I realize there is absolutely no reason for me to wait; this is as good a time as any….

My stomach tenses… “Calgary Tower, it’s Merlin Ultralight Charlie India Charlie Zulu Golf.” At the second I released the push-to-talk button, I realized my brain had frozen; I had forgotten most of the information I was supposed to give them: my position, my altitude, acknowledging I have the current ATIS information… I braced for ATC to berate me like my 7th-grade math teacher. Almost instantly, the radio snaps to life. “Charlie Zulu Golf, Calgary Tower, good morning. Winds are calm, altimeter is 30.09, proceed west along 17th Avenue and we will try to pick you up on radar.”

Hey wait a minute… this isn’t so bad; he acknowledged me just like a real airplane… no abuse, simple instructions! Maybe, just maybe, I can pull this off without becoming the butt of jokes around the airport for the next 2 weeks.

A few minutes later, “Charlie Zulu Golf, proceed directly to 25.” Wow! That was easy. This is getting better by the minute. In spite of marginal visibility due to smoke, it was easy to make my way to runway 25. Before I could even panic about my next call to ATC… “Charlie Zulu Golf, Calgary Tower, clear to land 25.” With all the formalities out of the way, I am free to concentrate on landing. The last thing I want to do is botch my first landing at YYC. Thankfully, the landing goes without a hitch. The runway looks 100 miles long.

As I taxi along the seemingly endless runway… “Charlie Zulu Golf, Calgary Tower, hold short of taxiway Charlie for Jazz Jet to cross 25.” Did I hear that right? Little old Ultralight Charlie Zulu Golf is to hold short for a JAZZ Jet? You bet your #@$ I’ll hold short…

“Charlie Zulu Golf, Calgary Tower, you’re clear to exit on taxiway Charlie, contact ground 121.9.”

Ultralight Charlie Zulu Golf has arrived, without mishap, at Calgary International Airport… YEEEEESSSS!!!!!!