By: Phil Lightstone

Originally written for the 2024 March/April issue of Flight Magazine

Maurice Prud’homme began flying when he was 38 years old and is famous for his annual Mo’s Fly-In, typically held on the Ottawa River. Fast forward to 2024, Maurice or Mo as he prefers, has over 5,000 hours in his logbook, mostly in ultralight and recreational aircraft. He owns a Pelican GS, has been a COPA member since 1987 and is part of COPA Flight 169 Pontiac. In his prime, Mo flew 300 hours a year, but now rarely flies in the winter.

Born in 1947, Mo got his licence in 1985, but after the first few years of renting bought an aircraft. Mo recalls his first aircraft ride “I was eight or nine years old and I really wanted to go, however it was $5.00 and I only had $2.00, so I asked for a shorter flight. The pilot accepted and that is when I knew I wanted to be a pilot! I remember I was making .50 cent an hour at work. I kept on seeing these two ultralights and I finally had the nerve to ask how much they cost. They told me $3,000, which I finally bought. Few years later I took a course at the Carp Airport. When landing, we landed in a big water hole and it splashed everywhere, like a shower and I thought, this is so much fun.”

Mo joined Air Cadets and recalls: “that’s a funny story, I was one of seven kids, three brothers and three sisters. I was the mischievous one. My mom wanted to get rid of me and sent me to Air Cadets. They kept screaming at me to do things and I wouldn’t and then someone said to me “are you stupid?” that was it, I quit! I took all the cadet clothes off, only had my underwear left and I grabbed my bike and went home! I needed freedom.” Mo’s most memorable flight was when he worked in Fort-Coulonge for a maple syrup company. “I would take my airplane with my friend Colonel Carl Bertrand every day to go there and come back.”

Mo has owned several aircraft over the years. He took an aviation maintenance course in Toronto taught by Dave Loveman. He brought his own engine to the course giving him hands on experience. Over the years, Mo did all his own maintenance including replacing engines. “I currently own a Pelican GS and I also had another Pelican however I can’t remember the model. I had an accident with it back in the early days. There was wind and it caught the right wind and then broke the left wing. It stayed in my backyard for over 10 years. At one point I had the two airplanes, however only one was working.”

Mo’s second passion is food. While his first job was repairing gum machines, he has worked in over 60 restaurants until starting at the Parliament buildings at age 16. They paid him to go to Algonquin College to become a chef and even though he did not have a high school education, he passed the course and eventually became a chef with 30 cooks reporting to him. “All my staff disliked me because I always wanted perfection! When the Queen came to Canada, it took us one full year to prepare the supper. The meal cost $1,000 a person and dessert was Baked Alaska (they all had to be the same and perfect)”. From an assistant Chef he became the Acting Executive of the kitchen. “I was flying my aircraft to work every day from my house and the RCMP would check my plane. I even went to the Hilton Lac Leamy Casino with my aircraft, but that’s another story.” Mo retired just before his 50^th birthday.

Mo hosts a winter fly-in every year, but in 2023 started a fall fly-in. Mo’s 2024 Fly-In will be the 35^thconsecutive year. Since the fly-in’s inception, over 1,750 aircraft and helicopters have attended. One year, there was over 120 aircraft and helicopters. The event has been held on the Ottawa River, in front of Mo’s home. Last year, the event moved to the Pontiac Airpark (CPN2). As a world-renowned chef, Mo cooks a world class chili, with just the right heat to not only keep you warm (while on the ice) but your mouth burning. In fact, up until 2017, Mo single handedly organized and executed the fly-in. Richard Raymond, Louis Dufresne, Jean Robertson and Alain Goulet joined the all-volunteer team to ease Mo’s workload. The runway (16-34) is 3,280 feet x 100 feet, the surface is ice and snow and may be ploughed. Skis are recommended.

Mo’s aviation journey can be summed up as: “it’s the best, up in the air you are free”. Mo’s friends say “that I’m hard-headed. When I want something done, I get it done. One year for my Fly-In I got the Silver Dart all the way from Toronto. I had to pay for room and board for the driver and it cost me over $2,000 of my own money, but I love doing that. It’s my passion.” In 2020 Maurice received honorary membership into Aviateurs Québec.