For most people, the chance to fly in a small, private plane and experience flight up close and personal is something that never happens.
The COPA (Canadian Owners and Pilots Association) Flight 203 Chatham-Kent group is going to make that opportunity happen for kids aged eight to 17 on Sept. 8 – for free. All 150 registration spaces for the event were filled within hours of announcing it, so for some kids, they will have to wait until next year.
“We’ve really exceeded our expectations. Our national group said to expect 50 maybe 100 kids, but our 150 spots were full in a few hours,” said COPA member pilot and event co-organizer Dave Barnier.
One participant will be Aiden Hawgood, 13, of Chatham, who said he hopes to be a pilot at some point in the future.
According to Barnier, his group just wants to expose kids to the world of aviation and share with them the joy of flying. A pilot since 1998, Barnier has been flying for 20 years.
“I was exposed to flight when I was young and it piqued my interest, and we just want kids who might not have that same chance to have the opportunity to fly,” Barnier said. “I waited until I was 35 to get my licence and I want to share what we’re fortunate enough to do.”
Also helping organize the event is private pilot Aaron McPhail, who said he had a similar experience and just wants to share his love of flying with kids.
“I had the same thing as Dave happen to me when I was about Aiden’s age and I was hooked,” McPhail said. “A family friend took me out for a flight and I was fortunate to have that opportunity.”
Area media, as well as Hawgood, had the chance to see Chatham from seats in Barnier’s Piper Lance, a 6-seat single engine plane, in a short flight recently to help publicize the event. The plane, with a top speed of 220 knots, cruises at about 168 knots during a flight, according to Barnier, who ended the flight with a smooth-as-silk landing.
McPhail said there is joke among pilots that you spend $1,000 learning to fly and $50,000 learning to land.
Barnier said flights like the one they took Hawgood up on will be available with volunteer pilots taking the kids up after some ground school lessons. Kids will spend about two hours learning about planes and flying, followed by a short flight. Specific times for each group will be given during registration.
Even though registration is currently full, parents can go to www.copayck.com to check if there have been any cancellations. COPA for kids begins at 8 a.m. and runs to 2 p.m., with a rain date of Sept. 9 in case of bad weather.
The kids will be broken into two groups: ages eight-13 and 14-17. The younger group will receive a flight certificate at the end of the flight and the older kids will receive a pilot’s logbook as well as complimentary access to online ground school for a private pilot’s licence, sponsored by Hangaaar (www.hangaaar.com).
The event itself is sponsored by AIG Canada, the underwriters for COPA VIP Gold and Silver Aviation Programs.
