The sound of a jet booms through the sky in Osgoode, but the impressive speeding aircraft is all controlled from the ground. Flying enthusiasts are showing off their skills and the art of flying a radio-controlled (RC) aircraft at the Snake Island Jet Scramble throughout the weekend off Snake Island Road. Lewis Simon is among them. Simon has had a passion for flying the planes for decades even before he became a professional commercial pilot. “A little feeling of freedom you know?” he says of the experience of flying the small planes. “It’s modeled after a real Viper jet and I just I love the way it flies. I love the way it looks, it presents really nicely in the sky.” Each jet can cost between $6,000 to $20,000, Simon said. More than 25 RC pilots are flying at the event hosted by the Ottawa Valley Jets, a club in Ottawa for those who fly the planes. Simons’ 12-year-old son Christopher Simon is also among them. He says he’s been flying with his dad for a few years. “You take off and you feel like, ‘oh my God, I’m flying!’ And then you land and then you’re like, that’s the greatest thing I’ve ever felt in my life.” Brent Norman, co-president of the Ottawa Valley Jets, says the remote-controlled aircrafts can be about a quarter of the size of a real jet but can slice through the air at up to 300 km/h. Norman says the scramble allows people to get together twice a year to share their passion. He says people come from all backgrounds, and club members and visitors come from Toronto and Montreal to join. “We trade stories, we tease each other,” he said. “We have a peanut gallery going in the background, so we’re always rating everybody’s takeoff, landing, flights, everything else.” The event runs until Sunday, but Norman says it’s closed to the general public under Transport Canada Guidelines for safety reasons. Norman says those who are interested in learning more can reach out to the club to see the planes in action and to learn more. Enthusiasts say that being able to get together adds to the excitement. “It kind of pumps everybody up, gets the adrenaline going,” added pilot Chris Trump.
