Challenges and invitations

By Sherry Cooper 

I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday season and the New Year finds you well and enjoying aviation.

The New Year brings many new challenges to COPA and I hope you will take the time to get involved. For example, please take the time to study the latest fee proposal from Nav Canada for our sector of aviation. Please respond. This is a turning point for the air navigation system, in my opinion. (Links to the proposal can be found on the COPA website www.copanational.org).

We at COPA can tell them that our views represent 18,000 members, but for this issue Nav Canada needs to hear the effect of the change and what it may lead to, from as many members as possible.

INVITE A DIRECTOR

I know everyone has come through the season with so many commitments for their social time it is difficult to make all the rounds at Christmas. However, it is fun to try.

I have been to several aviation gatherings since December and it is always great to see people and talk about all those things that intrigue us or bother us or cost us. 

Communication is an important tool. We have our newspaper and website to keep you up to date but there is also another important resource in your area.

Our Directors are available to meet and receive your direct input on issues and opportunities that you consider important. I hope you will take all of us up on this offer to invite us to your aviation events in the coming year. 

We have a vested interest in what is going on in our local areas and reaching our members as well as potential members to get input. To truly represent our members we need to hear from you. 

Formal presentations are do-able and attending your meetings or Sunday morning coffee fly-ins work too.

The entire board is committed to this as many of you know, but we don’t always hear about a meeting or an event. Please invite us even if it is just to attend and listen, although these guys love to talk as well.

I can’t wait to see what this year will bring. As long as we’re still flying it can’t be bad.

Looking forward to seeing many of you soon!

Sherry Cooper is the CFI for Sky Wings Aviation Academy Ltd. in Red Deer, Alberta. She has 11 years flying experience with over 8000 hours. As a class 1 Flight Instructor she is involved daily with the challenges private pilot in Canada face in joining our ranks. Cooper is a COPA director representing Alberta and the Northwest Territories. She is also a private, commercial and Multi Engine DFTE, enjoys promoting general aviation and is a writer for the Pultz Instructor Manual, now in print.