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story MAUREEN SCOTT    photos STEVE UHRANEY The next time you are stuck in the Friday afternoon gridlock of cottage traffic, take a quick look up. You might just see Mississauga’s Michael Greer in a Cameron Air Cessna float plane commuting to his cottage on Lake of Bays. For the last three years, Mike has been “treating” himself once or twice a month to a magic carpet ride—leaving Friday afternoon to meet up with his wife Michele and their four boys who are already at the lake enjoying cottage life. “On weekends, I would watch in envy as other cottagers were arriving and taking off by float plane,” says Mike. “That’s how I first discovered Cameron Air. The weekend is so short. It’s great to arrive relaxed, refreshed and rejuvenated.” The Greers own Stepcon Industries in Mississauga—a roadway grate manufacturing company. “After a hectic work week, I would not be looking forward to the 2 or 3 hour drive to the cottage,” says Mike. “The Cameron Air flight takes about 40 minutes from the Toronto Island Airport to when they drop me off at my dock. I know others who have cottages on the same lake or nearby so we can share the flight and the cost.” Twice a year, at Thanksgiving and during their beloved “Italian Weekend,” Mike and Michele charter Cameron Air for an afternoon to provide sightseeing flights for family and friends. “To see the trees from overhead as the leaves are changing colour is amazing!” exclaims Mike. “It’s therapeutic to be in the air and gaze out at the beauty of Ontario’s north and to tour Muskoka.” Cameron Air offers executive air charter and float plane services, plus scenic flights with their fleet of amphibious Cessna 206 (3/4 passenger) and Cessna 208 Caravans, which hold up to 8 or 9 passengers. “Eight golfers and eight sets of clubs,” says Cameron Air Owner Graham Wishart. “There is a huge demand for golf excursions to the Muskokas.” Cameron Air offers excursions to several renowned courses in the area, including Bigwin Island and Lake Joseph Golf Course. “Our business is everything from scenic flights, charters and business travel, and the phones are busier than ever,” says Graham. “We have our regulars who fly to the cottage every weekend and we fly to northern Ontario, Quebec, mining towns and fishing spots.” Graham says they can fly almost anywhere a customer asks, whether it be meeting a client in New York City or heading to James Bay or Labrador. He says they often pick up people at the Buttonville Airport or at Pearson International and fly them to and from their cottage. “Some of the big names in Hollywood have been in the right hand seat of our aircraft!” The price? Well it depends on the size of plane and the length of the trip, so Graham suggests you call for a specific quote. Graham invited us along to experience a ride to Lake Joseph in the luxurious Caravan - one of the largest float planes of its type. We settled into the buttery soft, caramel leather high back chairs and listened as pilots Keyson Law and Mike Wanless described the safety features and procedures. It's difficult to describe the thrill of flying past the CN Tower and over the city. “It’s amazing to see the city like you’ve never seen it before,” said Mike. Flying at a cruising speed of 150 knots or 290 kilometers per hour, at altitudes from 2,000 to 5,500 feet, it was one smooth ride. The fields looked like patch-work quilts, brown, green and tan strips of farmland. We glance out the window as we pass over Georgian Bay and Lake Simcoe, the Taboo Golf Course and Lake Joseph, where we eventually land. Flying over the maze of lakes and islands, some looking no wider than a sliver of land, we ask pilots Key and Mike how the heck they don’t get lost. “We use mapping software and then ask customers to point out reference points or details that make their cottage distinguishable such as the colour of their boathouse or the shape of their dock,” explained Mike. “We often fly with two pilots, so we have covered most of these lakes and can find just about anything.” Key and Mike became best friends while attending flight school at Sault College in Sault Ste. Marie and are now roommates in Toronto. “This has to be the best job in the world,” smiles Key who has just jumped on the dock after showing us his flying skills, taking off and landing several times while our photographer snapped photos. On the return trip, Mike points out a few landmarks; Windermere Resort, The Red Leaves Marriott Hotel, Cleveland House. It is with great regret that we leave this magical playground and part company with Key and Mike. Mike Greer perhaps sums it up best: “This has to be considered a treat and it’s well worth the cost for the convenience. You’ll feel like a star and it is exhilarating to arrive in style!”  GL

ABOVE: Cameron Air pilot, Keyson Law, touches down on Lake Joseph in the Cessna 208 (Caravan) ABOVE: Keyson (left) and Mike Wanless (right) at the controls  flying over Muskoka. ABOVE: Mike and Key stand on the dock at Lake Joseph Golf Club with the 208 tied up behind them. ABOVE: One of many islands scattered all over the lakes of Muskoka. BELOW: The Cameron Air Cessna 208 heads straight for us on the dock.