02/28/2009. Remarks by Phil Gies: "The owner operates a fish bait company which operates from May-September. He has a minnow license for a couple of small lakes about 1/2 hour north of Kenora. When he started in 2001 or so, he flew a Husky Cub (modified Piper Super Cub) but that plane did a forced landing into a swamp in the winter and could not be fixed and flown out. He bought the Piper Express the following spring. C-FVNU started life as a Piper PA-20 Pacer but has been modified to be a superior floatplane called a "Piper Express".

Modifications were done in Manitoba by Stan Kowaski in 1995. It is hard to see but the aircraft also has modified wingtips. You will notice a changed cowling, when it was built it was likely equipped the original 125 hp Lycoming, by the time it arrived at our lake in 2003 it had already been modified to an 160 hp Lycoming. Since then that engine has been replaced by a 180 hp and fine pitch prop which provides significant performance gains.

To give an idea of C-FVNU's performance: from our shoreline directly across to the opposite shore is 1/2 mile (805 m), give or take 25 ft (7.5 m) as measured by my GPS. C-FVNU can land westbound over our cottage or take off east or west and clear the trees by about 50 ft (15 m). Quite the sight! When C-FVNU is at gross take off weight he usually takes off on a diagonal which offers about 3/4 mile (1,207 m) of open water. Its take off sightlines are not great as boats around the far point may not see him! As a rule when he lands, he does a high-speed circuit around the lake to choose his approach.

I really love floatplanes so for me, it doesn't get much better."