Thank you to Airport Operations Class 19

AVAO Class 19 Volunteers
photo by Gordon Hindle

Every spring & fall the Boundary Bay Flying Club/ COPA Flight 5 organizes a COPA for Kids Day and the most recent one was held on September 21^st. The event is supported by volunteers and pilots who offer their time and aircraft to fly kids for free. The idea is to give a once in a lifetime opportunity for kids to be introduced to the experience of flight in a small aircraft - and possibly even inspire the dream of a career in aviation. Without the time, effort, and hard work that is put in by volunteers, this event could not happen, let alone reach the level of success it’s had.

On the 21^st we were lucky to have 11 enthusiastic students from the BCIT Airport Operations Class 19 give their support by volunteering their free time. They had only been notified four days in advance of the event, and given that they were only three weeks into their program, it was admirable to see them eager to get their hands dirty. Some of the volunteers guided kids from the front doors to the registration desk; others talked to the kids waiting for their flight; and some even worked on the apron guiding the kids and parents from terminal to the aircraft and back. The jobs, though simple, helped smooth out the day and ultimately are what helped us to introduce the joy of flight to over 120 kids!

On behalf of COPA Flight 5, I would like to say thank you to the volunteers from Airport Operations Class 19. They have already demonstrated the determination & initiative to get involved in the industry and be successful. At the end of the day pilots volunteered to do extra flights to take up the students as a thank-you, as it turns out the “thrill of flight” was introduced to 11 more “kids” that afternoon!

Sean Samuel