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Category Archives: Important notice

Avgas Supply Quarantined

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**Update**

Imperial Oil has updated the avgas situation and has found some hopeful signs but is still recommending that fuel received between Dec. 28 and Feb. 13 not be used. The good news is that the fuel is unlikely to have caused any performance issues other than interference with fuel gauge sensors for those who have put it in their aircraft. Here is what Imperial had to say.

The company continues to work around the clock to understand the issue and explore interim supply solutions for customers.

Imperial has confirmed that avgas already lifted from Imperial’s Nanaimo, B.C. and Winnipeg, Man., terminals has no issues.

Otherwise, we are working on three potential solutions and will seek your input on these. Here is what they are: 

Scenario 1 – Best Case Scenario: Investigation indicates some delivered product cleared fit-for-use;

Scenario 2 – Blending; Investigation indicates the issue can be resolved by blending the off-spec with additional product;

Scenario 3 – Pump out and replace fuel in inventory.

As we communicated previously, the concern about this avgas is that as a result of the product quality issue, interference could occur with onboard fuel gauge sensors. We do not suspect potential for other performance issues. Until Imperial’s understanding of the issue improves and the most appropriate resupply options are identified, Imperial continues to advise to not use or distribute the product.

 

Transport Canada has issued the following nation-wide NOTAM:

180001 CYHQ NATIONAL
CYHQ POTENTIAL QUALITY ISSUE OF FUEL 100LL (JET A NOT AFFECTED)
DISTRIBUTED BY IMPERIAL OIL (EXTENT UNKNOWN)
VERIFY LOCALLY FOR AVBL
1802160008 TIL APRX 1802231800

Avgas supplies across the country delivered since late December have been quarantined, forcing retailers to temporarily halt sales. During the quality control process, it was discovered the conductivity level of the fuel did not meet specifications. The quarantine means that many FBOs and airport fuel suppliers have closed their avgas pumps until a solution to the problem is found. FlightFuels spokesman Craig Tanselli told COPA Flight the problem originated with the  Edmonton Esso refinery that produces all the avgas for the whole country. He said his company is checking inventories to see if there is any unaffected avgas that they can sell but for the time being there are no avgas sales. Many airports have issued NOTAMs advising they cannot sell avgas. Jet fuel is not affected. Several airports who received their fuel prior to December 28, 2017 are reporting that their supply has been tested and found to be within specifications. COPA is monitoring the situation and will provide updates as they become available.

COPA Supports 100LL Replacement

Since 2014, COPA and other stakeholders have been collaborating on research by the National Research Council (NRC) of Ottawa to study the effectiveness of a drop-in 100LL replacement fuel in the Canadian context. Phases 1 and 2 of the project are complete, and Phase 3 – fuel testing in the NRC’s altitude chamber – is expected to be completed this year. The NRC is testing the candidate fuels in a variety of piston engine test rigs, as well as in their Harvard Mk. IV.

COPA’s contribution to the project is made possible thanks to the Freedom to Fly Fund which supports initiatives that impact general aviation in Canada on a national or regional scale. To date, the Fund has supported several high-profile projects, including the landmark Supreme Court decision upholding the federal purview to regulate aeronautics and the recent battle over wind turbines in close vicinity to aerodromes in Southern Ontario.

Neil Armstrong Scholarship Applications Due March 1

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Each year COPA awards deserving young Canadians funds to help them assist them in the early stages of learning to fly and becoming part of our general aviation community.

Created in memory of one of Canada’s foremost aviators and past COPA Board Chair, the Neil J. Armstrong Scholarship provides deserving students with the means to get their start.

The scholarship consists of three awards: 1 Ab Initio and 2 advanced flight training awards, available to qualified applicants aged 15-21.

Applications are now being accepted and must be received by COPA no later than March 1st, 2018.

For more information, including complete eligibility guidelines, and to submit applications, visit our website: http://www.copanational.org/en/scholarship

Neil Armstrong Scholarship Applications Open

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Each year COPA awards deserving young Canadians funds to help them assist them in the early stages of learning to fly and becoming part of our general aviation community.

Created in memory of one of Canada’s foremost aviators and past COPA Board Chair, the Neil J. Armstrong Scholarship provides deserving students with the means to get their start.

The scholarship consists of three awards: 1 Ab Initio and 2 advanced flight training awards, available to qualified applicants aged 15-21.

Applications are now being accepted and must be received by COPA no later than March 1st, 2018.

For more information, including complete eligibility guidelines, and to submit applications, visit our website: http://www.copanational.org/en/scholarship

Replacement Option For Ameri-King ELTs

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ELT manufacturer Orolia has announced it has developed a new version of its Integra model made to replace 14,500 Ameri-King ELTs that were the subject of an airworthiness directive last year. In 2016, the FAA pulled the certification of Ameri-King ELTs and ordered the company to stop producing them. Hundreds of Canadian owners were also affected. The new Kannad Americano-Fit pack is specifically designed to be a certified retrofit for the banned Ameri-King units, which are still installed in thousands of aircraft. AD allows the ELTs to remain in aircraft but requires an annual inspection that will make them expensive to hang on to.

The special model will be available through Aircraft Spruce, Mid Continent, and other avionics suppliers. “We’ve produced more than 65,000 ELTs through the years,” said Christian Belleux, aviation product line director at Orolia, in a news release this week. “The Integra, with its 10-year warranty, is one of our most popular models, and now we’ve made it even easier to install as a replacement for the affected Ameri-King models.”

BC Hangar Assessments Reach New Levels

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Hangar owners across BC have received an unwelcome late-Christmas present in the form of significantly higher assessments on their airport hangars this year.

For BC residents, January means the annual arrival of property assessment notices from BC Assessment which are used by municipal governments and others to determine, among other things, whether your property taxes might go up or down. COPA has been made aware by several of our members, notably on Vancouver Island, that some assessments this year are up as much as over 150%. This is seemingly due to an agency-directed reclassification of hangars to “Industrial Warehouses”, a decision that puts the buildings in the same classification as commercial storage facilities in areas such as downtown cores.

In collaboration with our legal counsel, COPA is currently exploring options to challenge this new interpretation on behalf of our members. We are looking to hear from anyone who may have been affected by this and we ask you to please contact our office at: takeaction@copanational.org. In the meantime, property owners have until January 31st to appeal their assessments to BC Assessment. We strongly encourage anyone who feels their hangar has been over valued to file an appeal before the deadline to preserve the available legal avenues.

As the situation develops we will provide more updates.

Stephenville (NL) ILS Preserved

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Nav Canada has canceled plans to decommission the ILS at Stephenville, NL Airport and COPA was among those who asked the air navigation services provider to take a second look. Nav Canada was set to pull out the ILS because it’s so infrequently used but as COPA and many others pointed out, it’s a valuable alternate for St. John’s. There was a good example in late October when an American Airlines Boeing 777 made an emergency landing there with a cracked windshield.

“It bears recognition that the low CYJT IFR traffic levels would not normally support the retention of the ILS; however, its importance in supporting CYJT as a regional IFR alternate was highlighted through the consultation process,” said Marcel Pinon, the manager for level of service and aeronautical studies at Nav Canada. “As a direct result of stakeholder feedback the current ILS equipment is to be retained and replaced in 2018.”

No Landing Fees at Boundary Bay (BC)

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In follow-up to an article before Christmas about a proposal by Alpha Aviation, operators of the Boundary Bay Airport (CZBB), to implement landing fees on all aircraft, we are pleased to report that after discussions between COPA, regional GA stakeholders including the BC General Aviation Association (COPA Flight 192), and management at Alpha Aviation, a moratorium is being implemented on fees for general aviation aircraft under 3,000kg (6,600lbs) and those aircraft will not be subject to a minimum fuel purchase for visits up to 2 hours in length.

COPA applauds management’s decision and commends Alpha for its continued commitment to supporting general aviation at the Boundary Bay Airport, one of the busiest airports in Canada. “Alpha Aviation and the Boundary Bay Airport have a well-established track record as friends of general aviation, including hosting COPA Flight 5’s annual COPA for Kids event – one of the most successful COPA for Kids events in the country,” said President and CEO Bernard Gervais. “We are pleased that management was willing to listen to the concerns brought forth by COPA and others in the GA community that implementing these fees would have a serious negative effect on GA in the region.”

As part of its interventions to Alpha, COPA highlighted the statistics in its 2017 Study on the Economic Impact of General Aviation in Canada, explaining that airports known to be “GA-Friendly” are consistently some of the most active airports in Canadian communities and can be major economic drivers in their regions. General Aviation contributes approximately $9.3B in direct and indirect economic output to the Canadian economy and supports approximately 36,000 jobs in businesses such as airport restaurants, maintenance facilities, and other services – many of which are found at Boundary Bay. COPA takes an active role of promoting to the GA pilots airports that are known to be friendly to the industry. We encourage pilots to do their part to support these airports by visiting often, patronizing tenant businesses, and purchasing fuel. For more information and to find airports recognized by COPA as GA Friendly, visit the Places to Fly page on our website at: http://www.copanational.org/places-to-fly.

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]COPA Board of Directors Election 2018

Every two years half of the positions on the COPA Board of Directors are up for election.  In 2018 a total of seven positions representing the following regions will need to be elected:

Quebec (2 positions) – currently held by Jean Messier and Jonathan Beauchesne

Southern Ontario (3 positions) –currently held by Phil Englishman, Conrad Hatcher and Cheryl Marek

British Columbia & Yukon (2 positions) – currently held by Joe Hessberger and 1 vacant position

Any COPA member in good standing may run for a position in the region in which they live.  If you have a passion for general aviation and feel you have something to contribute to COPA both on the Board and as a regional representative, please consider volunteering for this very important work.  The term of office for this election shall commence at the summer Board meeting in June 2018 and continue until the summer Board meeting in 2022.

Nominations for these seven positions are now being accepted.

  • The deadline for receiving nominations is Thursday, February 8th, 2018. Candidates will be announced in the March COPA Flight and on the website.
  • The election will close on Monday, April 2nd, 2018. Ballots will be counted and results will be announced in the May COPA Flight magazine and on the website.
  • Based on the new Canadian Governance rules for no-for-profit guidelines, the slate of Directors elected in the regions will be presented to the COPA membership for ratification at the Annual General Meeting on June 23th.

Candidates should:

  • have a strong belief in COPA’s mission
  • have a passion for aviation
  • have a high standard of personal ethics
  • want to make a lasting contribution to general aviation
  • be able to spend a minimum or 15 days per year on COPA business (at three Board meetings per year and at regional events)
  • have ready access to email for Board communications

Nominations for a Director must be made in writing by at least five voting members from the same region (defined as paid-up regular members, their family members and persons designated by corporate members when they applied for membership).

Completed nomination forms must be received at the COPA office by 12:00 noon on Thursday, February 8th, 2018.

Forms are available here for download:

COPA Director Nomination 2018 form

Candidate Questionnaire 2018

Candidate Bio Form 2018

A list of candidates will be published in the March COPA Flight, along with information about the candidates and instructions on how to vote.

Voting is conducted online.  Alternatively, members will be able to request that a paper ballot be mailed to them.

In order to provide voters with comparative information on candidates, nominees will be requested to complete a candidate questionnaire and a 200 to 300 word biography, both which are to be submitted with the nomination form.

Facts to be included in the nominee’s bio:

  • Flying experience and currency
  • Aircraft ownership if any
  • COPA Flight or flying club affiliations
  • What is your main reason for wanting to be a COPA Director?
  • What is the single most important skill you feel you can bring to the Board?

Consider who you would like to see representing you on the Board and nominate them today, or if you would like to run yourself find a few members to nominate you.  Don’t hesitate. COPA needs good people to pursue its mission.

The COPA mission:  To advance, promote, and preserve the Canadian freedom to fly.

Nominee biography/platform:  Please include the candidate questionnaire, and in 200 to 300 words, a biography from the nominee that will be helpful to COPA members casting ballots in an election.

Interested candidates who wish to request an information package about being a COPA Director can email or call Tessa Toutant, Event Coordinator at 613-236-4901×107 or ttoutant@copanational.org[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

COPA Directors Not Seeking Re-Election

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Two sitting members of COPA’s board of directors have decided not to run for re-election, meaning there will be plenty of opportunities for those looking to help COPA in its mission to preserve Canadian pilots’ freedom to fly. B.C. and Yukon Director Joe Hessberger has decided to step aside after serving the past two years as a director. Since former director Tim Cole retired last December and his seat was not filled, there are two seats open in B.C. and Yukon. Southern Ontario director Phil Englishman is also stepping aside. New directors will join the board at the COPA Convention and Trade Show in Saint John, New Brunswick June 21-23.

Any COPA member in good standing may run for a position in the region in which they live.  If you have a passion for general aviation and feel you have something to contribute to COPA both on the Board and as a regional representative, please consider volunteering for this very important work.  The term of office for this election shall commence at the summer Board meeting in June 2018 and continue until the summer Board meeting in 2022. Nomination deadline is Feb. 8 and the elections will close April 2.

COPA Founder John Bogie To Hall of Fame

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COPA Co-Founder John Bogie will be inducted into the Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame in 2018.

He is one of four inductees and will be joined by Gen. Paul D. Manson, O.C., C.M.M., C.D., Dr. John Maris and Dr. Dwight Gregory Powell, O.C. at a ceremony  June 7, 2018, in the Sunwest Aviation hangar at Calgary International Airport.

Bogie and Margaret Carson founded COPA in 1952 and has been active in the organization since its inception. Below is the Hall of Fame’s biography of Bogie.

Born into an aviation family in the United States, John Bogie has made his home in Canada since the early1950s, following service in the United States Navy, work as an airport operator, and as a very young charter pilot. In Canada, he quickly made a name for his charter and resource exploration work for Laurentian Air Services and Spartan Air Services, including the flight that identified the major iron deposit at Gagnon, Quebec.

Complementing his civilian flying, in 1952 Bogie became, with Margaret Carson, a co-founder of the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA), serving as its first President and Chairman. Since that time, he has been an unswerving supporter of COPA, seeing it grow from modest beginnings to some 17,000 members.

He served in most of COPA’s executive capacities and continues as an honorary director and life member. He still attends as many COPA events as he can, now into his 90s. His COPA accomplishments include simplified medicals for pilots and aviation liability group insurance now used by commercial carriers.

John  helped to create the Experimental Aircraft Association Canada organization, as well as a civilian pilot group for Search and Rescue as an adjunct to the military. Another entity he helped bring into being was the Canadian Business Aircraft Association (CBAA), first as an arm of COPA and then as a distinct entity. His Laurentian Air Services career ultimately took him to the presidency, to many initiatives to diversify its operations and to embrace the bilingual nature of the environment in which his company operated.

A subsequent stroke of initiative allowed him to buy a large consignment of ex-US Army Beavers which were rebuilt and put onto the Canadian market. This constituted the largest single aircraft purchase of its kind in Canada and made Laurentian the Canadian centre for Beaver activity. John Bogie has continued to support Canadian aviation long after his retirement in 1992. He continues to enjoy the respect and affection of the aviation community to this day.

Manson is a former Chief of Defense Staff and was in charge of implementing the CF-18 into RCAF service. Maris is a test pilot and well known innovator in electronic and other aviation products and Powell is an expert in medical evacuation services and the founder of STARS.