With a near-perfect day for flight, about 180 kids and their families came out to the Chatham-Kent municipal airport on Saturday to start the process of earning their wings.
‘Discover Aviation,’ previously known as COPA for Kids, is organized by the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association YCK Flight 203.
Participants could ask questions about flight as a future career, or just for fun, and the requirements needed.
They even received ground school, learning the basics of aviation and the parts of an aircraft, before taking to the air.
“Everything came together very well,” said Kelvin Halbauer, event organizer, as well as a director with COPA. “We hope it plants a seed for them to look towards a hobby, or maybe a career, in aviation.”
In recent years, the pandemic forced the cancellation of the annual event. However, this time kids were able to take free flights with local pilots, as they went on a brief tour of Chatham-Kent.
Maria Martinez, 11, and Jose Martinez, 16, of St. Catharines, and Brayden Vanhal, 10, of Blenheim, went up with pilot Mike Buckler.
“It was fun, seeing everything so small,” Jose said, noting the landscape looked like a movie scene.
Buckler, who has flown for nearly 12 years, has taken part in three events.
“It gives them a chance to do something they’ve never done before,” he said.
COPA has more than 200 regional and local chapters. Founded early in 2018 by a group of Chatham-Kent aviation enthusiasts, Flight 203 strives to promote aviation, safety and learning.
Another aim of Saturday’s event was to promote the local airport, which Halbauer called “underrecognized” in the community.
“We have a lot of business that goes on where people come in with their own aircraft,” he said. “We have transient activity (and) we have people that are local that do fly for business in and out of here.”
For more information on the organization, visit https://copayck.com/