A Flying Trip to Kitchener, Ontario

Before a name change in 1916, prompted by a world at war, the town's original name was Berlin. Knowing that history, it may come as little surprise that Kitchener is home to one of the largest Oktoberfest celebrations in the world. It’s a two-week party that features music, dancing, lederhosen, schnitzel, strudel, lots of beer, and more beer. And it joyously collides with Canadian Thanksgiving, including a huge Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Kitchener offers great restaurants and hotels, museums, concerts, and other attractions. So, get ready to raise a stein, eat well, laugh a lot, learn some German, sing real loud, dance like nobody's watching, and make new friends.

But be prepared. While flying from the States into Canada is a much easier way to enjoy Oktoberfest than traveling to Munich, it is an international trip that requires preparation for you and your aircraft.

Natural beauty is the hallmark of the approach to the Region of Waterloo International Airport (CYKF), which serves nearby Kitchener. Chances are, if you’re flying in from the U.S., you’ll be crossing over one of the Great Lakes—Huron or Erie or possibly Ontario. FLYING contributing editor Sam Weigel has some tips on packing over-water survival gear in his Taking Wing column in this issue. 

For those interested in keeping terra firma below you at all times, there are land bridge options approaching Kitchener from the east (near Buffalo, New York) and west (near Detroit and Port Huron, Michigan). 

Approaching from the east provides an opportunity to fly over Niagara Falls, which is actually three falls—Horseshoe Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, and American Falls. Also a sight to behold is the Rainbow Bridge that spans the Niagara River connecting the U.S. and Canada. The bridge is 200 feet above the water and 950 feet long. If you’d like a better view of the falls on your way to Kitchener, there is a published sightseeing procedure that you can fly that gets you up close and personal with the Rainbow Bridge, Horseshoe Falls, and Goat Island.

The airspace above the falls is very busy with both Canadian and American sightseeing tour operators, so you’ll need to be on your game and not get distracted by the awesomeness of 3 million gallons of water per minute tumbling over the rocks. The brief deviation around the falls is well worth the effort if you have passengers you want to dazzle. After all, seeing nature’s beauty from the air is one reason we do what we do as pilots.

If you’re paying attention when you cross from the States into Canada, look for the dashed line indicating the international border (it’s tough to see over the lakes). Once inside Canadian airspace, fiery autumn leaves and the change of seasons should be visible everywhere. Closer to your destination, the Grand River is visible as it winds around the region with its unique bridges, such as the Kissing Bridge, and a magical mix of rural landscapes and an urban center. 

With its recently renovated airline terminal, CYKF is the closest airport to downtown Kitchener. There are three fuel service options and two FBOs to choose from.

It is also designated as an airport of entry with customs agents on-site to make arrival from the States possible. It is also a reliever for Toronto area traffic and has its own commercial service, so depending on arrival time, Canada Border Services Agency may be busy. The airport website claims that customs can generally manage requests with a minimum of two hours’ notice. Planning ahead will mean you can get out of the aircraft faster if you need to make a comfort stop.

Those geared toward a more casual GA experience can fly into nearby Guelph Airport (CNC4), which is also an airport of entry. But with no customs office, arrangements are necessary to get agents to come from neighboring Waterloo.

The city of Guelph has a train that departs every four hours for downtown Kitchener if you want the full planes, trains, and automobiles experience.

While Munich’s Oktoberfest may be more famous, Kitchener’s version of the traditional autumn German celebration can match anything Germany has on tap. Think lederhosen, dirndls, Alpine hats, schnitzel and strudel.

Until October 19, dance and sing to traditional Bavarian songs, polka, and other music, and stuff yourself with traditional German foods. Oktoberfest in Kitchener takes over the town. Local German clubs, corporations, and businesses sponsor six festhallen, or festival halls, around town, drawing as many as 700,000 visitors from around the world.

The family-friendly fest features dance competitions and traditional German Oktoberfest sports (no, drinking isn’t one of them). And the annual Oktoberfest Thanksgiving Day Parade, set for October 14, draws upward of 200,000 people.

“We bring a community together to celebrate German culture,” said Tracy Van Kalsbeek, executive director of Oktoberfest.

But the celebration has become more diverse. And many of the events are free or low cost.

“Our festival has evolved into the importance of being welcoming and inclusive,” Van Kalsbeek said. “We want to do that in all the programming we’re doing.”

For more than 60 years, Jane Goodall has studied and fought to save the chimpanzee. On October 9 at 7 p.m. at Kitchener’s Centre in the Square, Goodall will talk about her work studying primate behavior and recounting her experiences in the African rainforest, as well as her hopes for the future. 

Sorry, it’s not about goats, but kids are welcome. Goat Fest is family friendly and features live music, craft beers, magicians, jugglers, sideshows, food trucks, and music. 

It’s a one-day hot sauce and craft beer event on September 28 at Kitchener’s iconic Concordia Club. Some 30 hot sauce makers from across Canada and elsewhere will come to celebrate flavors that will help festival-goers fight off the early autumn chill.

Featured will be the Canadian debut of the world’s hottest new pepper, Pepper X.

Unlike the American version of the holiday, Canada’s Thanksgiving comes in October and is more of a celebration of the season than an historical event.

This year, the parade is on October 14. Think Macy’s without the helium.

Of course, there’s an aviation attraction as part of the trip. Waterloo Warbirds is home to a small flock of vintage planes.

You can fly in jets from the Cold War era, including the T-33, L-29, and Soviet MiG-15, or a World War II-era Harvard Mk IIb. Pilots can ask to take the controls for a bit during their flight and maybe log a tenth or two.

Waterloo Warbirds is located at the Region of Waterloo International Airport. You’re right there anyway, so jump in a warbird.

Ontario province’s largest community museum, the Selling Museum, highlights local and traveling exhibits from around the world. Its second floor is home to a war memorial that honors those brave souls from the region who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

Victoria Park and the Market District are wildly popular, and the Innovation District, Canadian home to Google, BlackBerry, and other tech giants, makes this area Canada’s Silicon Valley. 

The Butterfly Conservatory in nearby Cambridge is a must-see if you’re looking for placid beauty. The conservatory features some 2,000 free-flying butterflies and moths. 

Canada has its own requirements for pilot qualifications, credentials, and aircraft equipment.

For example, FAA-issued pilot and medical certificates are valid, but BasicMed is not. So if you landed at a Canadian airport with BasicMed, you will not be able to fly it out. Pilots must also have a restricted radiotelephone operator permit issued by the Federal Communications Commission.

Customs will likely ask to see an airworthiness certificate, registration certificate, aircraft radio station license, operating limitations, and approved flight manual. ADS-B compliance is different in Canada based on where your flight plan might take you, so an equipment check is important.

Thankfully, there are plenty of resources to help pilots sort out the details and requirements. AOPA has information on its website about traveling to Canada. Transport Canada’s website (tc.canada.ca) might be the best source regarding what you need to know and do to make your entry into Canada smooth.

Typing “flying-canada-what-you-need-know” into a browser should bring up a specific page on the Transport Canada site that will save you a number of clicks.

This column first appeared in the October Issue 951 of the FLYING print edition.