By Tony Swain
BCAC SPECIAL EVENT...
On May 10, 2002, Mary and I attended the British Aviation Council Special
Luncheon to hear BC Finance Minister, The Honourable Gary Collins, speak to the
Council members. This Minister definitely has an aviation background, taking his
license at Coastal Pacific in the 1980s, and spending five years as an
instructor, and was a very good one, from all accounts.
Attendees were mostly influential business and commercial aviation people from
Vancouver International, Langley, Pitt Meadows, Boundary Bay, and numerous
political people from the Richmond area, whose population benefit directly from
jobs at the airports. It was a great turnout of over 100 people, including of
course, we two from Delta.
We shared a table with local aviation icons, Don Watson and Bill Marr, who love
to chat with Mary. Ken Dandy, vice-president and general manager of Innotech
Executive Air, sat by my good ear, and he turned out to be chair of the Aviation
Hall of Fame Induction Dinner we were to attend in a couple of weeks. Across
from Mary was B.C.’s Chief Justice Don Brenner, who asked about COPA and said he
reads my stuff all the time. He has a Beaver on floats!
THE MINISTER SPEAKS...
After lunch, Minister Collins gave an upbeat talk about how the government is
working toward achieving the things it was elected to do, and pointed out that
we shouldn’t always believe the way things are reported in the press. Major
mandates were health, education, improving the economic climate, and fiscal
responsibility.
The Ministerial Accountability Act, intends to address the problem of Fiscal
Responsibility, by making the political people “carry the can.” They hope to do
this by withholding 20 per cent of an MLA’s salary pending his department or
ministry meeting the promised targets. Ministers will be also expected to put
the word out about their progress as they go. Interesting.
Minister Collins assured us his government’s actions had already improved the
economic climate, and now that some of the more repressive business taxes are
being reduced or phased out, business is moving back in. He mentioned in passing
property taxes and similar items, which got my attention.
WHAT ABOUT HANGARS?...
Questions from the floor were varied. Thanks to BCAC President Jerry Lloyd, COPA
got the last shot. I asked where the minister’s office was on the question of
the present commercial tax assessment of non-commercial hangars, per our
president’s letter to him?
Minister Collins answered that, as we could see, they had been very busy with
the complicated business of governing what had sadly become a “Have not”
province, but he would look into it as soon as he got back to his office. He
didn’t recall when such a letter arrived.
“Twelfth of March!” quipped I. Everybody laughed. He promised to see if he could
find it.
“Got a copy right here!” said I...
He laughed and responded... “That’s the kind of thing I like to see!”
...and Jerry Lloyd, followed with... “And I’ve got one in the mail to you on the
same subject.” Lot’s of applause and laughter. ....So there you go. We put the
question.
LUCKY LETTER...
Later, the minister graciously allowed BCAC’s official photographer to pose a
shot of him actually receiving the letter from me! Lucky I had it. It was really
my crib reminder copy of Kevin’s to me that I ran off before we left the house,
and had all the salient statements highlighted in yellow marker. It was
fortunate that I thought to do it on COPA letterhead!
I also got to chat with the new BCAC Chair Craig Richmond, and took the
opportunity to thank new Richmond MLA and ex Mayor Halsey-Grant, for his support
of Delta during the tough days, and discuss this Hangar Tax assessment thing a
little further. He agreed that, as was done in Ontario, the present situation
needed serious review. We shall see. Maybe some more letters to the minister,
etc, would keep the subject on the front burner?
Jerry Lloyd said later that any correspondence to the Premier, or Transport
Minister on aviation matters should be copied to Halsey-Grant, Minister of
State, because he meets with the Premier once a week, and is genuinely concerned
about aviation stuff. Opportunities like these can make all the difference on
issues that concern us. We now expect Minister Collins to follow through and
rethink his earlier reply suggesting we pursue another minister.
PSUTKA MEETS BOUNDARY BAY...
A great turnout greeted COPA President Kevin Psutka at Boundary Bay Airport
Terminal Lounge for his Townhall Meeting on May 25. The rejuvenated Vancouver
COPA Flight 5 did a great job setting up the venue, getting chairs and
projectors and all. Well done guys, and particularly to your new Flight Captain
Al Fielder, who arranged all this with the welcome assistance of Airport Manager
Ran Vered.
Unfortunately Ran couldn’t be there for the day, so our thanks to him here.
Psutka brought the group up to speed on the various challenges that we face
since September 11, and pointed out the numerous things COPA has accomplished
over recent years. The questions were thoughtful, and Kevin’s answers well
received. We were pleased to see a number of flight instructors taking things in
at the back of the room. People listened carefully, and nobody left during the
presentation. It’s pleasing to know that members are seriously concerned about
the state of our hobby.
Kevin presented Al Fielder with Vancouver Flight 5’s new Charter Certificate. A
real pleasure was the presentation of a small COPA crystal box to Harry Pride,
for his 50 years of COPA membership. He was modest about receiving this memento,
but Kevin reminded him that it was support like his fifty years ago that allowed
us to grow and be where we are today. Without the support of pilots like him,
there would be no COPA. Thanks Harry.
After the meeting, people chatted over coffee, then all gathered on the ramp to
admire Beat Meyer’s beautiful new labour of love, his homebuilt Sea Bird?
amphibian. A fitting close to an interesting gathering.
LANGLEY TOWN HALL MEET...
Sunday the weather was poor as we drove out the “Number One” to the Canadian
Museum of Flight at Langley Airport. What a great setting for Kevin’s
presentation. We helped set up chairs surrounded by the magnificent collection
of museum aircraft... Lysander, Fleet Fawn, SE5a, Tiger Moth, and the Flying
Doctor Jack Pickup’s fabulous COPA Award winning WACO Custom Cabin AQC-6. The
supporting aviation memorabilia that surround these aircraft are totally
fascinating. If you haven’t been there, you’d better make a point of it! A
friendly audience greeted us, and Kevin ran through his excellent presentation
once more, and as before, his remarks and responses were seriously appreciated.
After some energetic questions, everyone relaxed over coffee and donuts, and
lapsed into hangar stories.
We thanked the museum for hosting the event, particularly COPA Good Show Award
winner Sandy Tinsley who organised everything. Unfortunately Sandy had to leave,
and we missed out on photographs to illustrate the event. However, the museum is
now proud to have three COPA awards in house, as General Manager Gogi Goguillot
was one of the last recipients of the prestigious COPA/AOPA Silver Tray in 1996,
which is now mounted and hangs in a glass case in the COPA Offices reception
area in Ottawa.
COPA VISITS CHILLIWACK...
It turned out that Kevin did his military boot camp at Canadian Forces Base
Chilliwack, which is really at Yarrow. So he was reminiscing about night marches
down this canal bank, and up that mountain. He spent much of his free time in
Chilliwack, which isn’t the most intuitive place to drive around, so his
expertise was invaluable to us for finding the airport.
My skilful driving got us to the new Chilliwack Flying Club right on time. There
was one member there to greet us, but he was real busy on the computer. The
others had wandered off. So I did a quick sweep of the ramp, terminal and COPA
Award Pie Cafe. Back on the ramp I found Kevin with his head in a pretty Cessna
140 rattling on about things with the owner. Gordon Firkus appeared from his
hangar, and a few more guys drifted in, so we decided to hold an informal round
table discussion that went very well. We talked about the new Owner-maintenance
regulations, and the homebuilding 51 percent rule, and the like. A whole lot of
talk about cross-border flights to the USA and how some Canadians had been fined
$5,000 for not contacting U.S. Customs by phone direct, and relying on faxing
flight plans, talking to Flight Service personnel, and the like. You must speak
directly to US Customs and Immigration, and be within 15 minutes of your agreed
arrival time.
The Chilliwack Flying Club house is an excellent facility. First class.
Apparently it was originally a temporary school room, and is a great improvement
over their old place in the terminal. All too soon, as Kevin had an evening
dinner engagement in Vancouver, we thanked everyone for their interest, and got
back on the road.
The weekend had been very satisfactory, with much interesting discussion. Your
directors discuss these things all the time via e-mail or at the director
meetings, and it’s good for the regular members to go face to face with those
they trust to protect their flying interests. Thanks everyone for your support.
HALL OF FAME BANQUET…
Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame 29th Annual Induction Dinner and Ceremonies were
a truly magnificent affair. Inductees, members and guests were resplendent in
their evening dress, be-medalled mess dress uniforms, squadron blazers, and all.
Our ladies were fabulous, young and old, in their flowing evening gowns and
scintillating jewelry.
The guests were from every corner of Canada! It was incredible. The event was
held superbly at the new Fairmont Vancouver Airport Hotel, which connects
directly to the east end of the International Concourse of Vancouver’s
International Airport. The BC Aviation Council excelled themselves with the
presentation of this fantastic evening.
The new inductees into the Hall of fame for 2002 were Air Marshall Clarence R.
Dunlap, Daniel E. McIvor, and Donald S. McClure. The Belt of Orion Award for
Excellence was awarded to the Canadian Aviation Artist’s Association. In 1993
COPA won this prestigious award for it’s efforts on behalf of general aviation
in Canada. Kevin Psutka represented us this year, and his 16-year-old daughter
Stephanie accompanied him.
THE COPA CONNECTIONS...
Mary and I were guests of Blain Fowler, there with his wife Marlene, old friends
of ours from the Western Warbirds, and recipient of a 2001 COPA Award of Merit
for being an outstanding leader in the local and Canadian aviation community. He
is a director of the Alberta division of the Hall of Fame, and is from Camrose,
Alta.
Amazingly, two other 2001 COPA Award winners were there, George Miller, Langley
airport manager, and Sandy Tinsley, Canadian Museum of Flight energetic
volunteer.
SPLENDID AFFAIR...
We were delighted to find our friends Don Watson and Bill Marr active inductees
in the Hall’s activities, and I was surprised at how many inductees I had known
personally.
During the excellent meal, a small music combo, set up just by our table and
serenaded us with popular 1950’s melodies, which really was the icing on our
cake, though I fear our younger companion would have preferred something a bit
more energetic. Afterward, we managed to organize the COPA Award presentation to
Blain Fowler, by the beautiful large model Spitfire at the dais. Stephanie
Psutka was our fancy digital photographer, and it wasn’t easy to do among the
milling crowd distracting things.
RAAC 85 AWARDS BANQUET...
Mary and I would like to thank RAAC Chapter 85 for inviting us to their Annual
Awards Banquet at the Sundance Inn last April. As always there were many
deserving winners, and some very desirable door prizes.
DELTA NOTES...
The new fuel facility at Delta is now operational, however, because of our
location in a public park, and that sometimes the field is very quiet, we have
placed a lock on our hose cabinet, and the caretaker or other volunteer may need
to be called out.
The GVRD hired a consultant to negotiate a compromise with our concerned
neighbour, and as you may be aware, in a compromise, you lose some, and rarely
gain some. At this time we are not sure what the present outcome will be, but be
sure to read your Canada Flight Supplement entry for Delta carefully before
flying in and out. Adjustments to our Good Neighbour Policy occur from time to
time without any apparent reason to pilots not involved in the committee
activities.
A large holding pond has been built to the northwest of the approaches to
Delta’s runway 07, and this has confused the references to “the ditch” in the
last CFS . Please read carefully the new references to such ditches. Also watch
for a 30-degree turn angled north after take off from runway 25, and similarly
on approach to 07. These only require a gentle turn, and a heightened awareness
of your flying speed. Please do not indulge in any “show off” flying when
visiting Delta. Fly in as professional manner as possible. Your highest
consideration for the concerns of all our neighbours are much appreciated. Thank
you.
OLDEST REC PILOT???...
Had an interesting call from new COPA member ‘Sonny’ Shah, of Victoria, North
Saanich this evening. During the Second World War he was in the Fleet Air Arm,
and in 1944 the Royal Canadian Navy, serving as a mechanic on HMCS Bonaventure,
Magnificent and Warrior.
He tells me that he just received his Recreational Pilot Permit, dated November
8, 2001, after taking his test in mid-September at the Victoria Flying Club. He
was 76 years and 26 days old. Locally he is known as “The most senior person in
recent memory” to be so permitted. His question is, “Is he the oldest new permit
holder in Canada?” You tell me?
THE CONVENTION...
I write this on June first, a few weeks before our COPA Convention, and before
the Penhold NATO Reunion. So you’ll have to wait till next month or more for my
report. Mary and I hope to visit the UK in July or August, so my report may be a
while yet. Enjoy the summer and fly safe...
Tony Swain has been a COPA member for over 20 years and has been an active
participant in many aviation groups. He flies many types of aircraft and is
concerned about the rights of sport pilots.