It’s a big metropolitan airport but there is a lot of GA at YYJ and one of the oldest and most active flying clubs and COPA flights anywhere is based there, likely because flying weather lasts all year long on the balmy west coast.
COPA participe au Colloque du Conseil des aéroports du Québec
Cette semaine, COPA a participé au colloque du Conseil des Aéroports du Québec (CAQ) à Rimouski (QC) où ont eu lieu plusieurs discussions sur les coûts associés au transport aérien régional et sa nécessité. Le transport aérien régional au Québec coûte environ 50% de plus que partout ailleurs au Canada, pourquoi? Air Canada accapare la grande majorité du marché de la province. La concurrence est-elle nécessaire pour faire baisser les prix? Ou est-ce simplement une question d’offre et de demande, avec une vision sur le futur au bénéfice des régions? Tout ça sera discuté au cours du Sommet sur le transport aérien régional au Québec qui aura lieu en février 2018.
Lors du forum, COPA a été invité à présenter son étude d’impact économique sur l’aviation générale qui a été très bien accueillie par les participants, principalement des gestionnaires et des opérateurs d’aéroport, ainsi que des joueurs clé de l’industrie. Le député provincial Guy Bourgeois, qui mènera le Sommet, a demandé à COPA de s’assurer que l’analyse économique soit déposée pour étude pour le Sommet du transport de 2018. COPA a aussi présenté son initiative de “Guide national des bourses au pilotage” à être publié au début 2018, qui a aussi suscité un très bon intérêt. Ce guide colligera toutes les informations en un seul document qui sera distribué à la grandeur du pays.
Cathay Launches Student Program
Cathay Pacific is the latest airline to look for more pilots and other employees with a high school program that launches in Toronto Oct. 18
The “I Can Fly (Canada) program will take select Grade 11 and Grade 12 students behind the scenes of Cathay’s Toronto operations for a look at all the career opportunities available at a modern airline.
“Through a series of lectures and field trips, Grade 11 and 12 students will learn about the diversity of this dynamic, fast-paced environment, and will discover if it is the right career path for them.” the company said in a news release.
The students will spend every Wednesday evening at the airport looking at Cathay’s operations and will expose them to the functions and roles of employees in cockpit and cabin crew, sales, engineering and safety and airport operations.
Graduation will take place on Nov. 29. Applications close Oct. 3 and can be made here.
Brampton Instructor, Student Killed
A Brampton Flight Centre instructor and her student were killed last week when the Cessna 150 they were in crashed into Lake Huron Sept. 21.
Instructor Veronica Draghici, 37, of Brampton, and student Dr. Edward Grodecki, 62, of Oakville, were on a night flight training near Goderich Airport when the mishap occurred. The London Free Press reported that witnesses saw a small aircraft “in distress” at the time of the crash but didn’t describe the circumstances.
Grodecki, a well-known oral and jaw surgeon, was reportedly upgrading his skills so he could use his pilot licence to reach remote First Nations settlements to treat patients.
“He was everywhere. He just wanted to keep working and it wasn’t for the money. He wanted to just help as many people as he could,” colleague Rachel Wright told the newspaper.
Draghici had worked at Brampton Flight Centre for nine years and was described as a generous and helpful colleague who was also a proud wife and mother.
“Veronica was such an inspiration,” said colleague Nanci Soldo.
A GoFundMe account has been established and raised more than $35,000 by Thursday morning.
Collingwood Turbines Terminated
The company proposing eight wind turbines in the flight paths for Collingwood and Stayner Airports in southern Ontario has abandoned the project according to a local media report. Bayshore Broadcasting reported last week that an official with WPD Canada confirmed in an email to the radio station that the company’s board of directors had decided not to proceed further with the controversial development but declined to elaborate further.
WPD Canada had until Sept. 15 to appeal an Ontario Environmental Review Tribunal decision to revoke the project’s Renewable Energy Approval on the grounds that the 150-metre towers would pose a serious risk to human health since they were planned for sites within long-established flight paths for Collingwood’s municipal airport and a private strip near Stayner. COPA Counsel Glenn Grenier and Southern Ontario Director Conrad Hatcher directed a vigorous legal opposition to the plan.
Members of a group that organized to fight the project when it was first announced 10 years ago are claiming victory. For Betty Schneider and her neighbours, the turbines were less of a hazard and more of a nuisance but she said residents of the local community can feel relieved. “Their property value has just gone back up to where it should be,” she said.
ICAO Drone Enable Meeting
Frank Hofmann (IAOPA representative to ICAO) and Bernard Gervais (IAOPA VP North America, COPA Pres. & CEO) were at the “Drone Enable, ICAO’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Industry Symposium” conference held in Montreal Sept. 22-23. The symposium was to bring industry, regulators, researchers and others together, to openly discuss the future of UAS Traffic Management (UTM), what we need to look for and how this needs to be addressed. Leaders like Thales, Amazon and others were there to present their work and their vision. Watch out for an article in an upcoming COPA Flight.
COPA Addresses Quebec Airports Meeting
This week COPA was at the Conseil des Aéroports du Québec (CAQ) symposium in Rimouski (QC) where there were many discussions about costs associated with regional air transport and its necessity. Regional air traffic in Quebec costs about 50% more than anywhere else in Canada, why? Air Canada has the vast majority of the market in the province. Is competition needed to bring it down? Or is it simply a question of offer and demand, without a clear outlook on the future and the benefit for regions? This will be taken up during the Quebec Regional Air Transport Summit Meeting to take place in February 2018
During the symposium, COPA was invited to present its economic impact study of general aviation which was appreciated and very well received by those present, mostly airport managers, operators and key industry players. Provincial MP Guy Bourgeois, who will lead the Summit, pressed COPA into making sure the study was submitted for the February 2018 Transport Summit. COPA also presented its initiative for a “National Aviation Scholarship Guide” to be published early 2018 which also garnered interest amongst the participants. The Scholarship guide will gather all information into one document, to be distributed across the country.
Places to Fly: Westport, ON
Annual “Pigs and Pies” Fly-In / Drive-In lunch hosted by the Rideau Lakes Flying Club. Sausages and pie served Oct. 7 from 11:00 until 14:00 (donations accepted to cover costs). Runway 07/25, 3118′ Com. 123.2
Co-ordinates (N) 43 39 93 (W) 76 23 92. Come join us for a great end to the summer and to the fabulous fall colours of Westport, Ontario. View the planes and enjoy the Westport hospitality. Floatplane pickup from main dock in Westport. Fun for the whole family. For more information, please contact Mike Miles at 613-276-6276 (drmikemiles@gmail.com) or Bill Green at 613 273-5282 (greenwj@rideau.net).
Edmonton Racer Competes At Reno
Edmonton pilot Scott Holmes placed fifth in the Silver Formula One race at the National Championship Air Races last weekend in Reno in his second outing at the world famous event. Holmes races a Cassutt III-M aircraft in the incubator of pylon racing. Formula One is the entry level of the event and Cassutts are the most popular airframe. They’re kit built aircraft but Holmes bought his complete in Florida a few years ago. “It’s quite inexpensive so anyone can do it,” said Holmes, an engineer and private pilot who learned to fly in Air Cadets. In Formula One, the tiny aircraft all have the same Continental 0-200 engines but because of their light weight and good aerodynamics they can reach speeds of 250 mph. Holmes averaged 180 mph in his race.
Holmes sought training from aerobatic champion Luke Penner and has consulted with Red Bull race pilot Pete McLeod. He described racing as “aggressive formation flying” and says it’s catching on with fans and a new generation of pilots. Holmes is one of 18 Reno racers who will compete in a pylon race in Thailand later this year. His aircraft went into a container immediately after the Reno race and is on its way across the Pacific. He said there is the possibility of a race in Canada in the future and more in North America.
Webster Winner Chosen
The winner of the 2017 Webster Memorial Trophy Competition was Liam Cohen from the Eastern Ontario Region. Cohen is currently a student at Seneca College in Peterborough, Ontario. Liam had the highest aggregate score across the flight assessment, simulator assessment, written examination, and interview. He was also the recipient of the NavCanada Trophy for Excellence by achieving the highest score among all regional competitors on the NavCanada written examination.
The runner-up was Owen Titerle, of the British Columbia Region. Owen is currently flying at Coastal Pacific Aviation in Abbotsford, B.C.
This year saw a dramatic shift in the way the finalists were assessed on the flight and simulator portions of the competition. In past years, the marking was exercise based and also based on the Private Pilot Licence Flight Test Guide. This year the assessment was scenario based. Several scenarios were given to the candidates throughout the flight and based on how the candidate handled the scenario, an assessment was made.
With a scenario based approach, the candidates were all on a level playing field, as they did not know what the scenarios were going to be until flight time. “The feedback from the finalists was extremely positive and we thank them for providing us with their ideas so next years scenarios can be improved upon and made even more challenging,” said Webster coordinator Brenda Reid.
COPA volunteers played a key role in staging the event, which was held at Mitchinson Flight Services in Saskatoon. Organizers praised the school for its hosting of the event.