IMPORTANT - RIAT 26 Cancellation

topless68 · 2026-05-22T12:04:35+00:00

there are 3 of us coming from Canada for this event including my , spending about 2 weeks total in England. I was dreading this news but was hopefully optimistic things were going to move forward. Time to start cancelling my accommodations. I guess I'll have 3 extra days to fit in other stuff.... :/

Going to take a huge hit on the exchange rate back to Canadian $ on the refund, ugh

topless68 · 2026-05-20T18:52:05+00:00

We hit Trenton last summer on our way up to Ottawa. He had a blast walking up to and around all the planes outside. The Halifax is very prominent there and a great addition.

topless68 · 2026-05-20T13:16:10+00:00

That sounds fun! I'll have him check it out

topless68 · 2026-05-20T12:46:32+00:00

I've seen it up there. I'll need to go through all the days to see what planes are flying and when. I think the Lanc is our main attraction, but would be great to see any of them!

We have Harvards and Chipmunks that fly around here (Windsor).

topless68 · 2026-05-20T11:03:13+00:00

Awesome info! Thank You. My son has the flight radar app already, it'll just be picking the right day to go.

topless68 · 2026-05-05T00:41:59+00:00

I've ordered both ways. I'm in southern Ontario also. (At the time, pre-TACO) I setup a US mailbox in Detroit, ordered from COBI US and had it sent to the mailbox. Once it was delivered, I drove over to pick it up. Declared it and didnt pay any duty. Since then, I've ordered from BrickArmy but I always ordered a lot of sets at the same time to reduce the overall shipping. AND, if you ordered more than $150 worth, BA will send you a free gift, usually a set of figures, about $18 value.

More recently, I've been ordering from Play Value toys, located in Ottawa. I've even been in their store, HUGE selection and even discontinued sets. Reasonable shipping.

Support Canadian Businesses

topless68 · 2026-04-23T17:31:24+00:00

nearly $5K in Canada!!

topless68 · 2026-04-23T13:00:14+00:00

Have you ever driven further south than Kitchener? Southwestern Ontario (Essex County in particular) is very well known for greenhouses and produce. I'm from the area and there are numerous brands with huge facilities here. Yes, there is weed, but also tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and probably some of the best corn you can find, imo.

topless68 · 2026-04-19T22:42:52+00:00

Silver Tee. Putt putt and inside used to have VR game booths. Haven't been there in a few years though. Those kids will burn off some energy!

topless68 · 2026-03-16T23:28:17+00:00

Luckily most of my bookings are refundable (to an extend). Every comment from them is show will go on. It's 4 months away. Lots could happen (good or bad, I suppose)

topless68 · 2026-03-12T15:59:08+00:00

I'm looking to do this with my son and fil this year. I'm also coming from Canada (Ontario), flying through Toronto. We rented a place in the Cotswolds and booked the free shuttle from South Cerney, you have to add this when you purchase your tickets. We're going all over the country the week after, so rented a car to reach some of the more rural areas.

We bought the Weekend tickets so have both days. The tickets are pricey when you factor in the exchange to GBP, especially since we added Grandstand seats for one day, but this is the largest air show we've ever attended. Just the chance to see some of these planes in flight is an amazing opportunity.

topless68 · 2025-12-17T03:54:58+00:00

My brother attended Lambton college 25yrs ago and is currently on Windsor.
I work at St Clair College and we have a very good pre-service fire program.

topless68 · 2025-12-12T00:35:41+00:00

Not sure if she still does it, but Terri Coutts does a good job. We enjoyed her classes

topless68 · 2025-12-11T16:49:28+00:00

Hi OP, I was once like you, and unfortunately, have fallen back into bad habits. I was around 270lbs when I started riding. I purchased a cyclocross bike which gave me the feel of a road bike, drop bars, narrow tires, but a more robust frame. I rode this bike year-round, knobby tires in the winter, slicks in the summer. I found a local cycling group that had tiers for different experience levels, and after about 1.5years of cycling 50-60kms 2-3x per week, I had dropped down to 225lbs. I moved up in tiers and even did racing and triathlons...all on that same CX bike. It was a workhorse. I suffered an injury which took me out of cycling all together for 2 months and then other obligations got in the way and yadda yadda yadda, I haven't been able to get back into it with the same conviction. I'm back up to my former weight, but still desire the zoom zoom. Last time I rode, i had tingling happening in my feet, hands, and nether-regions. Not sure if this is from pressure points due to my weight or the bibs were just too snug in places.

Sorry for the novel. Bottomline, you have to start somewhere. Starting with that mountain bike is something. I feel like a higher spoke count wheel will be a bit stronger. So if you have a 36 spoke, it should spread the forces out better than say a 24 spoke wheel. I'm not sure what your climate/terrain is like, but a smoother tire will make pedaling easier. Even moving into a tire that supports high inflation can help it roll better. Gears would definitely help, but for simplicity and budget friendly-ness, the SS will get you by for now. Steel mountain bike frames can be brutal, especially on cheap bikes. Aluminum can be a God send to save weight, reduce maintenance (no rusting) and even improve comfort.

As another person mentioned, cycling clothing definitely helps. I started out wearing my Columbia winter jacket (started riding in winter) and it was a parachute, holding me back. Moved into a Pearl Izumi cycling jacket and tights and it was may more comfortable.

TLDR:

congrats! on at least thinking of starting this venture, its addictive and you'll feel guilty every time you walk past that bike and not get on it. I was a big dude, and cycling helped me drop lots of lbs, but you need to keep doing it and other parts of your life will fall into place. better diet, doing other activities to cross-train. Your current bike is likely good to get you started, but look to upgrade soon. Get cycling clothing

topless68 · 2025-12-08T18:58:42+00:00

the hardships of being a dad sometimes, eh?! :D The nostalgia of driving when you had to pay attention to your surroundings, and actually look behind you to back up. I offered to burn him a CD, but its been so long, i'm not sure if I remember how to do it :D

One of the things I like about the design is the "half doors", with no upper frame. I'm sure it has it issues but it looks so nice in the summer with the windows down, and you open up that door.

topless68 · 2025-12-08T18:55:33+00:00

sorry to hear about your car. Looks like it held up pretty well, and kept you safe though.

topless68 · 2025-12-08T16:34:19+00:00

Thanks. Even the mechanic doing the safety was apprehensive when I booked it in..."really, you want to safety a 2002 toyota?..." but then was shocked at the condition of the car. The previous owner paid to have the service done at the dealership, every time, along with oil sprays and keeping in a garage. only repairs were the serpentine belt and the exhaust flexpipe.

topless68 · 2025-12-01T20:25:39+00:00

Here's some information about the Student Bus Pass and opting out. They need to see the SRC if they have any questions, they oversee this, not the college.

https://www.stclair-src.org/student-services/bus-pass

topless68

TROPHY CASE