Hundreds of pilots and well over 100 air planes have landed in Innisfail for the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association 2019 Western Canada Convention and Fly In.2019

By Sheldon Spackman

General Aviation

WATCH: Hundreds of pilots land in Innisfail for COPA convention

Jun 7, 2019 | 10:22 AM

Over one hundred airplanes have landed in central Alberta for the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association’s (COPA) 2019 Western Canada Convention and Fly in, hosted by the Innisfail Flying Club.

Attended by pilots and General Aviation enthusiasts, the four-day event is open to the public or anyone with an interest in aviation.

People wishing solely to view the aircraft can do so by donation on Saturday, June 8 from 12:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

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Carter Mann, director of government affairs and communications for COPA, says it’s the first time the event has come to Innisfail and he thanks the Innisfail Flying Club, Town of Innisfail and Red Deer County (which recently opened a new terminal on site), for being such great hosts.

“It’s a chance for pilots and people who are fans of General Aviation to come together and celebrate our industry and our passion,” he exclaims. “Our organization has 16,000 members from every province and territory in Canada and so it really is an opportunity for everybody to get together and celebrate the best of Canadian General Aviation.”

Mann says the event also includes numerous opportunities for pilots.

“We’ve got a bunch of educational seminars and workshops that are happening over the course of the weekend for pilots to learn new things and brush up on some skills,” he adds. “We also have a pretty solid exhibitor trade show with some sponsors to see what the latest things are in the General Aviation world. Really it’s a big social thing.”

Mann anticipates several unique aircraft to be on display and taking to the skies during the four-day event.

“We’ve got a Thrush sprayer from the Aerial Applicators Association,” says Mann. “We’ve got a couple older vintage war planes that have come in, so we might see some more of that over the weekend. We do have an RC (Radio Controlled) demonstration happening on Saturday, so that should be pretty interesting.”

Mann says airports like the one in Innisfail are an important part of the country’s transportation network, can serve as an emergency lifeline and be a significant economic generator as well.

“If we don’t use these airports, we lose them,” warns Mann. “Your airport doesn’t necessarily have to have scheduled air service to provide an economic benefit to the community. In 2017, COPA commissioned a study that looked at the value that General Aviation puts into the Canadian economy and surprisingly, that number is up over $9 billion a year in terms of economic input, so it’s a pretty significant factor.”

For general admission passes or more information on COPA’s 2019 Western Canada Convention and Fly In, visit www.flyinnisfail.ca.