AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

COPA New Wings Scholarship

The COPA New Wings Scholarship helps make flying more accessible and affordable in Canada by providing up to $5,000 towards eligible training costs for an outstanding aspiring pilot, 21 years of age or older, each year.

The scholarship was introduced in 2023 and is generously supported by Diamond Doors.

COPA New Wings Scholarship Photo

Apply for the scholarship

Applications for the 2026 COPA Scholarship Program are open from December 15, 2025 until 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, March 13, 2026

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Make a donation

Interested in contributing to the future of General Aviation? COPA’S Flight Safety Foundation, which supports all its scholarship opportunities exclusively rely upon the generous donations of our flying community. To make a donation and to support a new generation of deserving flyers, please visit the following link:

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Criteria & Conditions

Eligible Applicants

  • Applicants must be at least 21 years of age as of the application deadline.
  • Applicants must be a citizen or permanent resident of Canada.
  • Applicants must not at the time of application, been granted any pilot privileges including: Private Pilot’s License, Recreational Pilot License, Ultra Light Pilot Permit or Soaring / Glider License. (Applicants may be the holder of a student pilot permit)
  • Preferably, they have completed at least ten (10) hours of flight training at the time of applying.
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Ineligible Applicants

  • Individuals who have been granted any pilot privileges, including, without limitation, a Private Pilots License, Recreational Pilot License, Ultra Light Pilot Permit or a Soaring/Glider License. (Applicants may however be the holder of a student pilot permit).
  • Applicants may receive other scholarships and bursaries to assist with their flight training, however applicants who have been awarded the Royal Canadian Air Cadet Power Flying Scholarship, or any other programs that result in a Private Pilot License will not be eligible for the COPA New Wings Scholarship.
  • To ensure that as many aviators can benefit, recipients of COPA scholarships and bursaries from previous years are not eligible to re-apply.

Recipient Conditions

The winning candidate(s) may select the facility at which the flight training is to be taken, subject to the approval of COPA. The training facility shall be a licensed Flying School or educational institute in Canada with facilities satisfactory to COPA and shall agree to the conditions of the scholarship. COPA will pay the Flight Training Unit directly and may disburse funds to cover instructional materials and other course costs at the beginning of training. Recipient(s) of the COPA New Wings Scholarship will be given a 1-year complimentary COPA membership and will need to maintain their membership in good standing for the entirety of the training period.

Winning candidates agree to participate in future COPA promotional activities.

Training shall be completed in a reasonable period of time, usually not longer than one year from commencement. In the event the recipient does not make satisfactory progress or does not conduct himself/herself in a manner consistent with the intention of the Fund, COPA shall have the right to revoke the award and to cease paying any further costs of training. Progress reports from the training facility will be provided to COPA as required.

Eligible Expenses

  • costs of ground school, including books and required materials for the courses;
  • costs of instructor time and training aircraft;
  • the direct flight training portion of tuition in programs offered by secondary or post-secondary schools, including colleges and universities.

Costs Not Covered:

  • Non flight training tuition costs at secondary or post-secondary schools, including colleges and universities. Those seeking assistance with such costs should apply to the Scholarship and bursary programs usually available through those institutions. (E.g., Scholarships cannot be used to pay any part of the tuition of a college or university program where flight training costs are subsidized).
  • Personal meals or transportation to and from the training facility.
  • Clothing.
  • Aviation equipment or supplies which are not required for the program (ex: headsets, flight bags, e-tablets, etc).

Funds will only be disbursed to the flight school, not directly to the recipient, and can only be used to cover training costs incurred after the awarding of the scholarship. Training completed prior to the scholarship award is not eligible for funding.

Any funds remaining at the conclusion of training will be reinvested in COPA’s Flight Safety Foundation for future scholarship awards.

Past Recipients

The COPA New Wings scholarship was introduced in 2023 and is generously supported by Diamond Doors.

2025

Filip Figiel (Primary Flight Training), Mississauga, ON,  COPA New Wings Scholarship
Jack Anderson (Advanced Flight Training), Barrie, ON, COPA New Wings Scholarship

2024

Kumar C., (Primary Flight Training), Whitehorse, Yukon, COPA New Wings Scholarship
Amelia Walsh, (Advanced Flight Training), Orillia, ON,COPA New Wings Scholarship

2023

Amanda Poirier (Advanced Flight Training), Lindsay, ON, COPA New Wings Scholarship