DougRonan wrote: ↑Thu Nov 15, 2018 10:48 pm
I am actually one of the current Board Members of COPA that some of you here speak favorably of and some not so much.
Thanks for weighing in! For the most part, I'm quite happy with the representation that COPA offers and I know that the board members do everything they can to promote and protect aviation. However, in this case, as I've mentioned in a previous post, I think the decision isn't in the best interests of the program.
DougRonan wrote: ↑Thu Nov 15, 2018 10:48 pm
The most important thing with COPA For Kids - (I can't believe I have to actual write this!) is THE KIDS!
I agree completely. And this is precisely why I think this is the wrong decision. I don't believe the decision was made primarily in the interest of the kids (especially considering there has never been a single incident in the history of the program), but instead it has to do with perceived liability to COPA and the program. In the big picture, this
will result in reduced availability for pilots, which
will result in less kids getting the experience. Not to say an issue can never arise in the future, but we can't possibly predict and insulate ourselves from every possibility. In the history of my involvement in the program, I've never once been asked by a parent asking if a police check has been done on the pilots. They apparently aren't concerned of this being a particular risk factor - why do we trust ourselves less than they trust us?
DougRonan wrote: ↑Thu Nov 15, 2018 10:48 pm
I have spent years and quite literally thousands of dollars to get every kid I come in contact with interested in flying
That's great - and an attitude shared by the vast majority of the pilots who do volunteer for COPA for Kids, so I think everyone involved is on the same page. We all want to do everything we can to expose as many kids as possible to aviation. Which is why I'll strongly support every effort to expand the program, and oppose changes which will have the effect of reducing it.
DougRonan wrote: ↑Thu Nov 15, 2018 10:48 pm
It is absolutely shameful to think that the guy with that 180 on floats that took me for a ride or anyone of the people that got any one of you into flying would have not done so over $25 - think very carefully about how absurd that really is!!
OK - so let's use that example. When the guy with the 180 offered to take you for a ride, was your (or your parents') first reaction to say "not unless you have a police check"? I'm sure he offered out of his own generosity, as does every COPA for Kids pilot I've ever met. The $25 is immaterial, but if you were to have questioned his integrity, he would have gone on his merry way without you and you would have never had that life changing experience.
Most of the pilots I've talked to have no issue over the $25 or whatever it costs. It's a drop in the bucket compared to what they are already contributing. For those who have an issue with the new requirement for a police check, its usually either:
a) "Looking a gift horse in the mouth", after having already offered to volunteer their time, aircraft, and expenses. Most pilots take their reputation very seriously, and it can be insulting to some when this reputation is questioned.
b) In honesty, many (most) people are procrastinators. Even if a pilot has every intention of getting a police check done, many will leave it too late to be involved in their local event. And some will figure that spending a couple of hours to get a police check done for a volunteer role they're only going to spend a couple of hours at anyway just isn't worth the trouble.
I'm not saying either of those scenarios are completely justified, but in reality both will negatively impact the involvement of local pilots. It's nice to think this decision is in the best interest of the kids, but when the dust settles, it's not.
Personally as a COPA for Kids pilot, I'll jump through the hoop of getting the check done if it's required - continuing to give the kids the experience of flight is far more important to me than anything else.
But I'm also a COPA for Kids organizer. That's a whole different story. Many of the pilots I've discussed this new requirement with are opposed to it. Some will likely refuse on principle due to (a). And realistically, many of the rest will fall into item (b) - a large portion of my pilots are "last minute" commitment types. Realistically, I'm planning to have half the pilots I normally do at the next event I hold. This will have a very detrimental impact on the number of kids we can take. We have no problem at all attracting kids - our events have averaged around 130 kids each (not bad for a rural part of the country with a population in the surrounding area of only around 10,000). We
do have a problem though getting enough pilots to meet the interest, and how will turning kids away help the program? This will only make things that much harder.
Though I know the decision was made with pure intentions, I fear it was not properly thought out, as I can't see it being anything other than a detriment to the program.
Dan