by Heather Schacker, Manager, Aviation Safety Promotion and Education, Technical Program Evaluation and Coordination, Civil Aviation, Transport Canada
Transport Canada ( TC ) had the privilege of attending the 2019 Canadian Owners and Pilots Association ( COPA ) Convention in Innisfail, Alta., where we had the opportunity to meet and talk to a number of aviation enthusiasts. We spent three days engaging with general aviation pilots, aircraft maintenance engineers, and members of the aviation community, and we’re excited to share some of the highlights of the Convention with you!
TC would like to start by thanking COPA for hosting the Convention and inviting us to participate. It was at the 2017 COPA Convention that TC launched the General Aviation Safety Campaign ( GASC ) in partnership with COPA , and this campaign continues to grow and be successful thanks to COPA’s support. TC would also like to thank members of the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association ( CASARA ) for their participation in the GASC . TC is looking forward to working with CASARA to continue to improve safety in the general aviation community.
TC continues to be amazed by the level of engagement in the general aviation community, and we are thrilled to have had the opportunity to be a part of it.
If you were at the Convention, you might have had the chance to come see us at our booth. We met so many great general aviation enthusiasts, and we were so encouraged by everyone’s commitment to general aviation safety! Thank you to everyone who took the time to come by and talk with us. And thank you to those who were able to complete our General Aviation Safety survey and our Aircraft Owners and Pilots survey. The information you provided will help us to continue to improve safety in the general aviation community. If you would like to complete either of these surveys, please send an email to: TC.GeneralAviation-AviationGenerale.Tc@tc.gc.ca
TC ’s National Safety Seminar was launched at the 2018 COPA convention, so the 2019 Convention was the perfect place to present the 2019 version of the safety seminar. Thank you to staff from the TC Calgary and Edmonton offices who came out to present the seminar and interact with the community. It was great to see so much engagement from the audience. TC will continue presenting these seminars across the country. More information on these seminars.
With so many people in town for the Convention, it was a great opportunity to host our GASC focus group. This focus group has been providing advice and guidance for the campaign since its launch in 2017. Thank you to everyone who participated in the focus group meeting; the engagement was unparalleled. It underscored how dedicated the general aviation community is to improving safety, and this dedication will propel the campaign forward during its final year.
As the campaign comes to a close in April 2020, it will transition to a General Aviation Safety program with a mandate of continuing to improve safety in the general aviation community. Be sure to check out the GASC website for updates on the new program, as well as articles, videos, and other general aviation safety information.
