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Paul A. Hayes

 

 

A continuous member of COPA for more than 40 years, I have been most honoured to have served as a director of COPA for the last four years and during that time, as National Secretary on your Executive Committee.

I was also formerly flight captain of COPA Flight 44 and president of the Buttonville Flying Club. I received my RCAF pilot wings in 1953 going on to serve 39 years in the regular and reserve air force, flying jet fighters, transports and helicopters.

I retired from the CAF as a Brigadier-General, and today, I maintain a commercial license with my instrument rating and maintain my flying currency on a Cessna Turbo 182RG aircraft. I have logged over 7,500 flying hours.

In addition to my past four years as a director of COPA, I bring considerable past experience interacting at the board level, having served as a director for: the Canadian International Air Show, Ontario Air Cadet League and Toronto Port Authority. Additionally, I have served as National president of the Air Force Association of Canada, senior vice-chair of the Conference of Defence Associations, president of Branch 165 of the Royal Canadian Legion (Fort York) and chair of the Board of Governors of the Toronto Corps of Commissionaires.

In addition to being active in the past four years as a director, flying into many of the aerodromes in Southern Ontario for such events as fly-ins, air shows and rust removers, I continue to be active on a number of fronts in supporting the activities of our national president in a number of important areas so as to continue to protect our important sector of aviation in Southern Ontario:

  • Participating on the Nav Canada working committee on the substantial restructuring of the Windsor-Toronto-Montreal airspace.
  • Reorganization of the airspace in the Greater Toronto Area, including the restructuring of several of the control zones, elements of the class C airspace, and the establishment of new VFR flight routes.
  • Representations to the provincial Minister of Transportation in promoting the re-activation of the Province’s municipal airports program.
  • Continuing support in conjunction with other interested groups in deferring or reversing the potential losses of airport ground infrastructure through the proposed closing of airports, such as Toronto/Buttonville.
  • Continuing promotion of the need for the federal government to create a more current and relevant GA policy by Transport Canada. The benefits of general aviation to Canadian society are significant, but obviously not appropriately recognized or valued by the federal government.

Your support in the COPA election is appreciated.