On recognizing accomplishments

The COPA Awards Program exists to recognize and commend COPA members and others who help promote private aviation in Canada.

Deserving individuals and/or groups who are nominated and approved for awards will receive attractive plaques to serve as a memento of their efforts on behalf of all of us aviators.

Tony Swain served as the Awards Chairman for more than a decade and ably administered the program virtually without help from others and accomplished a commendable record of service and bestowed awards to a broad spectrum of Canadians across our country.

Recently, with Tony’s retirement from the board, a full committee of three directors from across Canada has been appointed with two COPA staff members contributing to our efforts (Kevin Psutka and Tanya Storing our president and office manager respectively).

For a COPA member to nominate individuals or groups for an award, a form is available to do so on our website (www.copanational.org    – click on About COPA then click on Awards) and from time to time it will be published in our monthly magazine. It is also available from Tanya at COPA in Ottawa at any time. (tstoring@copanational.org)

There have been a few changes to the previous process to streamline the program and hopefully make it easier for nominations and presentations. One of these is the ability to make a nomination at anytime in the year – rather than the previous deadline concept. Additionally, this means the timing of the presentation can coincide with a local major event when significant numbers of area residents can be in attendance.

Some of the background processes have been simplified and recipients may now receive their awards in their place of choice i.e. their flying club or home etc…without the need to attend a convention a lengthy distance away.

Mind you, those who wish to receive their award at our annual COPA AGM may do so. Moreover, this will allow the nominator to advise local press of the presentation to provide local interest stories and of course help the general public to be aware of our mutual interests and the benefits bestowed on the community from airports and flying activity.

With each approved award, we request that the nominator arrange to have the award presented in a public place and with media of various sorts in attendance to facilitate our mutual goals. It would also be beneficial to forward a photo and write up on the honoured individual for publication in COPA Flight. (Incidentally, COPA directors may not be nominated for awards whilst serving their terms. COPA staff can’t be nominated either. This is the result of a motion that was passed in 1996 – in case you wonder why many of us are not receiving commendation for our work on your behalf).

However, COPA members can now readily nominate non-COPA members for an award where their efforts have advanced our common interests.

So, I ask you to think of those who work tirelessly to promote, protect and provide support to personal aviation in Canada and take the time to nominate those who deserve our adulation.