Aircraft Rental/Flying Clubs

[BrianHA]

Good day ladies and gents,

I am an 800 hour Private Pilot, currently actively flying from Abbotsford, British Columbia, where I am a member of the Abbotsford Flying Club. I regularly fly the club's Cessna 172s or the Piper Archer II PA 28-181. I manage to fly at least an hour every week.

I am relocating to Montreal for employment reasons. My new employer and job will be at Dorval Airport in Montreal, and I hope to live as close to Dorval airport as possible for convenient access to my new job. But once I am reasonably settled in, in a few days or few short weeks, I would be eager to find a suitable aircraft rental arrangement to fly as regularly as possible.

Has anyone here have any advise on the most suitable airport and establishment that I can go to for a check out and aircraft rental? I think I wouldn't mind flying in and out of St. Hubert airport or perhaps even Mirabel Airport, or any other airport someone here might be able to recommend. Does anyone know of any good Flying Clubs in the Montreal area? Any and all information will be much appreciated. I'll check this forum frequently for a response from anyone, or if anyone wishes to write to me directly, please feel free to do so at brianha@shaw.ca

Many thanks.

Brian.

[boogs82]

Dorval to Mirabel - 50.6 km distance. I don't think there's any flying club out of there.
Dorval to St-Hubert - 33.8 km distance and there are clubs out of St-Hubert.

[BrianHA]

Thank you boogs82. Any recommendations on a Flying Club or other rental place out of St. Hubert airport please? Thanks.

Brian.

[Big Pistons Forever]

There is also Laurentide Aviation at Cedars South of Montreal.

[KK7]

As BPF suggests, Cedres is likely your best bet, or for a longer jaunt there is also Cornwall farther down highway 20/401. CYHU would be terrible to get to from the CYUL side of the island, especially in rush hour.

[boogs82]

As BPF suggests, Cedres is likely your best bet, or for a longer jaunt there is also Cornwall farther down highway 20/401. CYHU would be terrible to get to from the CYUL side of the island, especially in rush hour.

Especially with the Champlain Bridge construction that is (or has?) starting.

[BrianHA]

Thanks boogs82, KK7 and BPF. I am very grateful for your advice gents. This is very interesting. I've been doing some research, and having never traveled east of Calgary, Alberta, in the 15 years that I've lived in Canada, I was trying to sort out the ideal place to live in the Montreal area, that would be convenient for both work as well as flying. So far I've only contemplated Saint-Hubert airport for flying; a). because I didn't know about Cornwall regional or Cornwall aviation, and b). because I wanted a towered airport to become familiar with tower and terminal traffic procedures as quickly as possible. Cornwall looks like a UNICOM/MF set up. If you gents fly in the area, which airports do each of you fly out of? I've also just discovered that there is such a thing as the Cornwall Flying Club, at Cornwall regional, that might be promising also, if they'll accept me as a member.

I really liked the look of Saint-Hubert airport, but I certainly am not interested in getting stuck in endlessly maddening traffic while trying to enjoy a leisurely flight in the local area on a day off.

For living, I was thinking along the lines of an apartment in the Shaughnessy Village area, which I figured was about half way between work at Dorval airport and weekend flying out of Saint-Hubert. At first I had thought Rue Charon. But upon further research, the Shaughnessy area looks like a little more gentler area to live than Rue Charon would be. Any thoughts on this gents?

Again please accept my heartfelt thanks for your kind input and suggestions. Very many thanks.

Brian.

[boogs82]

Hey Brian,

I can't give you much advice about the clubs as I fly in Ontario. The problem with construction in Montreal is that it's never ending. Can just look at the west end of Quebec coming into Montreal on Hwy 40. It's been under construction since before I left the area in 2007.

When I lived in the area I was in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu as I was posted to the base there. It was a nice area. A bit of a hike to work maybe but definitely an easy ride to St-Hubert. Another option is to life along the South Shore area.

[Chris M]

Laurentide Aviation at Les Cedres is a fun, easygoing club but the airport is pretty rough. The runway is in sorry shape, massive patched areas and the occasional pothole. They have several 152s and a couple 172s (just one last time I was there but I believe GERM should be running again). MUQ is a decent airplane, a 172P with long range tanks. Should be in the 20K hour range by now.

[timel]

Avoid St-hubert schools, you may have to wait up to 40 mins taxing on the ground, it's pilots factories administred plus if you live in Dorval you may not want cross the bridges.

I think les cedres is good, otherwise you have alm or cargair at mascouche that are all right too. Nothing like flying clubs just flying schools.

[Etihad]

There is a school out of CYUL. Dorval Aviation based out of the Signature/Starlink FBO.