Presented by:
The Westlock Flying Club
COPA Flight 139
Discover Aviation
September 9, 2023
FREE FLIGHTS FOR KIDS!
Participation in the Discover Aviation Program will help young people understand that a pilot is simply an ordinary individual with special skills developed through training and practice. The participants will learn the technology and science of flight and be shown the advantages of the hard work required to achieve a pilot’s license. Being in the cockpit of a working aircraft in flight will help to de-mystify the art and science of aviation. Many people remember this experience for the rest of their lives. This demonstration flight, as well as the day itself, is completely free.
Participants will experience:
- A chance to examine a working aircraft close up on the ground (static display).
- A short ground school session (about 20 minutes) conducted by a pilot who will explain what the various parts of an aircraft are, what they do and will answer questions about aviation and flying.
- A walk around, preferably conducted on a static display aircraft, to show them how pilots prepare for each flight and to brief them on the safety aspects of their flight.
- A flight in an aircraft where they will be able to observe all the facets of flight including start up, take off, cruising, landing, and shut down. The flight will take approximately 20 minutes, and be in the vicinity of Westlock, AB
- Total experience: 1.5 to 2.5 hours, including ground time, registration, and wait time for aircraft and pilots.
The event is scheduled to start at 9:00 am on Saturday, September 9, 2023, and is expected to wrap up around 2:00 pm, or whenever all the kids who attend have had a chance to experience everything. Note that flying depends on the weather though - if it's a rainy or overly window day, or if the clouds are too low, we may have to reschedule everything for the following day. If that happens, we'll contact everyone who registers with us to let them know.
Discover Aviation is intended for kids between 8 to 17 years of age, in the area around Westlock, Alberta (including communities in the vicinity of north Edmonton). If you live in a different area, you may want to check out local flying clubs in your community to see if they are planning on hosting such an event.
RESOURCES
TESTIMONIALS
The Westlock Flying Club has held Discover Aviation / COPA for Kids events in 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2021, and has taken more than 500 kids up for flights. Here are some of the comments we received afterwards:
REGISTRATION
As of August 16th, we have unfortunately filled up the number of places we have available. If you send information to register your child now, understand that you will be put on a waiting list. There is still a good reason to do that, since as the day gets closer, we tend to hear from a few families who won't be able to make it, freeing up some spots. If we have space for you, we will contact you as soon as it opens up!
If you would like to register your child for the waiting list, simply send an email to dan@syz.com and include the following:
- Parent/Guardian's Full Name
- Cell phone number
- Name, age (on September 9th), and gender of children aged 8-17 who wish to participate
Of course, if you have any comments or questions, please feel free to ask!
SPONSORS
As you can imagine, an event like this costs a lot to run, not to mention countless hours to organize. We are fortunate to have an incredibly supportive local community to help us out! We definitely couldn't do it without you all!
We will be adding more sponsors to this area shortly as the details are finalized.
Gold Sponsors
Of course, an event of this magnitude can only be held with the assistance of a great number of volunteers. If you fall into one of the following categories, please contact us:
PILOTS:
As you likely already realize, one of the greatest joys in aviation comes in being able to share it with other people. If you have access to an aircraft and are willing to donate your time and costs to help introduce kids to aviation, we'd love to hear from you! Insurance for the event is covered by the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association, so you do have to be a member of COPA to participate, as well as have a Vulnerable Sector Check done (we can help with that!).
LOCAL BUSINESSES:
This is a very positive event for the community, providing a unique opportunity to local children at absolutely no cost to them. Pilots and event organizers will be donating a great deal of their time and costs to make it happen, and we'd be grateful for any sponsorship you think your organization might be capable of providing!
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC:
There are a lot of tasks that need to be done, both before the event, and particularly during the day itself. If you want to be involved in helping a bunch of excited kids have an incredible experience, please be in touch!
Dan Charrois
780-961-2213
Thank you so much for a fantastic event! My kids LOVED it! They will forever treasure this memory. It was organized and ran smoothly.
DIANNE B.
You did an awesome job! I'm sure the children will remember this experience for years to come xx
ANN B.
Just amazing, thank you for the wonderful time. 5 stars, thank you all for putting on such a amazing event for the kids. Great planning. Will highly recommend.
RHAEL H.
Thank you so much for such an incredible experience!! The kids had so much fun and learned a lot. Their pilot Glen was awesome. Thanks again.
CHRISTINA P.
Great event... Thanks!
LISA H.
Thank you for the fantastic experience. My kids loved it. Well run and lots of fun!
SHERI N.
Thanks again! This was a great experience for both my kids!! Thanks for putting this together!
REBECCA C.
Post flight excitement! Huge thank you to COPA For Kids, the volunteer pilots and organizers, and the Westlock Airport.
REBECCA D.
My son had an awesome time. Thank you for putting on a well organized event for the kids to learn about aviation!
JENNIFER R.
What a great event! Thank you for hosting this. Thank you to all for donating your time, planes, fuel and knowledge for all the kids!! My son had a great time!
LEAH P.
Such an awesome event!! It was informative but also fun for the kids. Great job, and well done to all involved in organizing the event!!!!
LAURA B.
WHAT IS IT?
The Discover Aviation (formerly called COPA For Kids) Program is a - free of charge - aviation program that puts pilots together one-on-one with young people between 8 and 17 years of age to show them what aviation is all about and to give them an experience of being in the cockpit of an aircraft in flight.
WHERE IS IT?
The event will be held on Saturday, September 9, 2023 at the Westlock Airport (about an hour north of Edmonton, AB - see map below for details). Since flying is a weather-dependent activity, our "rain date" is September 10th. If you register your kids, we'll keep you up to date with any changes.
IS IT REALLY FREE?
Absolutely! One of the things that most pilots enjoy as much as flying itself is sharing it with others. We are fortunate enough to have a number of pilots from the area who are willing to donate their time and costs of operating their aircraft so there is no cost to the kids at all. All they need to bring is a smile!