Meet The Winners:

1: Flying Experience and Currency
I have been flying since 2003 and currently have over 7,400 hours, including 875 hours on single-engine land airplanes and 225 hours tailwheel. My career spans a wide range of Canadian aviation operations. I am currently flying as a Boeing 737 MAX Captain. I also have 400 hours as a FTD instructor on the 737 Max. I previously spent seven years doing aerial wildfire suppression, including a full summer in based in Whitehorse. The last two years I were spent as a Captain on the Lockheed L-188 Electra—where I completed more than 580 retardant drops. I also have earlier experience in charters, medevacs, ice strip & Arctic operations in BC, AB, MB, YT & the NWT. I also have also completed photo survey flying in Ecuador. I have also served as a 737 fixed-training-device instructor. I remain highly current in both commercial and general aviation, flying regularly in the mountainous and backcountry environments of British Columbia.

2: Aircraft Ownership
I currently own and fly a 1966 Maule M-4T, based in British Columbia. I have recently become a volunteer for the Pilot Wings of Rescue. I also previously owned a vintage 1940 Luscombe, which I purchased in 2022, further deepening my experience with classic and light tailwheel aircraft. In 2025, I submitted a Pooley’s Dawn to Dusk Challenge. It is a UK based aeronautical navigation contest. I circumnavigated Vancouver Island in my 1940 Luscombe. The aircraft cruises at 78 kias and has a 2.8 hour fuel range. I am a finalist and the awards ceremony will take place in February 2026.

3: COPA Flight or Flying Club Affiliations
I have been a COPA member since 2012 and am an active member of COPA Flight 209 – Squamish Flying Club and COPA Flight 194 – BC General Aviation Association, participating regularly in local GA activities and supporting community flying initiatives.

4: Main Reason for Wanting to Be a COPA Director
I am seeking a position on the COPA Board to help strengthen, protect, and advocate for general aviation in British Columbia and the Yukon. This region faces unique challenges—from mountain flying environments and airspace pressures to the preservation of local airports and backcountry access. I want to ensure that the needs and concerns of GA pilots are well-represented at the national level and that COPA continues to be a strong, effective voice for safety, access, and the long-term health of general aviation.

5: Most Important Skill I Bring to the Board
The most important skill I bring is sound, experience-based operational judgment—developed through airline command, complex special-operations flying, and years of aviation instruction. I have a demonstrated ability to assess issues clearly, communicate effectively, and make balanced, safety-centred decisions. These strengths, combined with deep engagement in the Western Canada GA community, position me to contribute meaningfully to COPA’s governance and strategic direction.

COPA Members:

I have had the honour of being one of your two British Columbia & Yukon Directors for almost four years now and serving as the Western Vice-chair on the COPA Executive Committee. Additionally, the COPA Board has recently appointed me to the NAV CANADA Advisory Committee wherein I will be bringing the voice of General Aviation to this national organisation.

I am seeking the privilege to continue my service to COPA for another term. I do so in part to aid in protecting the corporate memory and continuity of a lot of great work done as well as that work that is still in progress. I will continue using my life’s aviation work, knowledge and experience to help COPA members, as well as GA at large, with a myriad of aviation efforts ever-emerging over the horizon as in flight itself.

Born in Langley, BC, semi-retired now in Qualicum Beach, BC. COPA member since 1999, and Qualicum Beach Flying Club member (COPA Flight 76) since 1993 having served as Director, Vice-president, Air Show Chairperson/Emcee, and flown numerous Air Cadets and Discover Aviation future aviators.

Alumnus of UBC: Bachelor of Physical Education and Bachelor of Education. As a secondary teacher, I served on numerous committees, made a plethora of presentations, helped develop and run scholastic programmes, ran clubs, coached teams, chaperoned, and have served the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation. This helped me become a highly-effective Flight Instructor.

Having two children crazy about aviation, I slid out of teaching into aviation. Air Cadets was always a big part of our lives, and I am now a recently retired Tow Pilot and Glider Instructor with the Air Cadet Programme also having served as Site Commander, and Flight Safety Officer with the RCAF’s Advanced Flight Safety and Crash Investigator credentials.

We bought a C-172N, C-FSBS, in 2006, and have flown it throughout Canada and the Pacific Northwest. We attend fly-ins, air shows and air races. I own a hangar @ CAT4 where C-FSBS awaits each next flight.

A highlight aviation job was training RCAF pilots for Kelowna Aerospace/ 3 Canadian Forces Flight Training School in Manitoba: Commended for “Exceptional Dedication”; and Canadian Wings Aviation Training Centre Flight Safety Award for Dedication.

I have flown for several regional airlines out of CYVR, been a Course Presenter for TC-approved Flight Instructor Refresher Courses, I continue to work as a Freelance Flight Instructor in retirement, and have been a CFI of flight training organisations.

I am a Volunteer Pilot with Hope Air, and BC’s late 2021 flood disaster had me flying as a volunteer evacuating people and pets, flying essential cargo, and was part of Operation Elf all with The West Coast Pilot Club which has formalised into BC AERO for which the Chief of Defence Staff awarded me the Chief of Defence Staff Commendation in 2023.

My aviation knowledge, skill-set and experience will continue to be happily put to work as your COPA Director for British Columbia and Yukon in semi-retirement should I be fortunate to be re-elected; furthermore, I have thoroughly enjoyed serving my aviation community with its many challenging demands of keeping pace with a myriad of never-ending changes.

I am a private pilot based in Southern Ontario, flying primarily out of the Toronto and Golden Horseshoe region. I fly regularly and remain current with both local and cross-country VFR flights. My flying experience includes navigating some of the busiest and most constrained airspace in the country, giving me a clear understanding of the pressures faced by general aviation pilots in densely populated areas. I own a Piper PA-32 Cherokee Six, which gives me firsthand experience with aircraft maintenance, insurance, hangar access challenges, and long-distance GA travel within Canada and the USA.

I am currently affiliated with the broader Toronto-area GA community and maintain active relationships with multiple airports and flying groups throughout Southern Ontario. Although I am not currently part of a COPA Flight, I regularly engage with COPA events, communications, advocacy updates, and community discussions, and I understand both the strengths and the opportunities for growth within the organization.

My main reason for seeking a position on the COPA Board is simple: general aviation in Canada is facing rapid change, and COPA needs to adapt just as quickly. The loss of key airports, significant hangar shortages, restrictions in major control zones, and increasingly unpredictable weather due to climate change are all issues directly affecting everyday pilots. I want to help COPA take a more proactive, modern, and future-focused approach to advocacy—one that protects access, strengthens safety, and welcomes the next generation of Canadian pilots. I believe COPA must lead the effort to preserve and grow GA, not just respond to change after it happens.

The single most important skill I can bring to the Board is my ability to modernize systems, communication, and engagement through technology. My professional background is in the tech sector, where I build tools, platforms, and data-driven systems that simplify complex problems and make organizations more effective. I understand how to translate real-world pilot concerns into actionable, measurable advocacy priorities, and I know how to communicate those priorities in ways that resonate with younger pilots, new students, and long-time members alike.

COPA’s future depends on reaching new audiences, strengthening digital communication, and building momentum around the issues that matter most to pilots: airport preservation, fair airspace access, realistic weather and wildfire tools, and a welcoming environment for people entering aviation. I want to help COPA evolve with these challenges, amplify the voice of Canadian GA, and ensure that the freedom to fly remains strong for years to come.

Glen Powell has been a pilot since 2001, training at CYOO for his VFR PPL. As with many pilots, life got in the way and Glen stepped back from flying for about a decade before the itch became too great and he decided to buy a broken-down old Cessna 172B with severe hangar rash. 9 months of intensive work completely gutted and rebuilt that 172B C-FMVU into a leading-edge glass panel aircraft for the 21st century.

In 2025 Glen logged 255 hours of flight time and earned an Instrument Rating so that he could take full advantage of the equipment in C-FMVU.

Glen’s professional background is in film and advertising, having spent 30 years working on large professional films sets as a Producer / Head of Production and Director of Photography. In that time, he worked on the TV ad campaigns of some of the largest international brands and routinely oversaw film sets with 100+ technicians to bring projects in on time and budget.

As he winds down towards retirement YouTube is now the main focus, as he tries to show GA in a positive light to as many viewers as he can.