protect your freedom to fly and land

[WET140]

I hope everyone that views this site has joined COPA and has written their letter to the Canadian Aviation Regulation Advisory Council. If not please do so NOW!! If you enjoy flying you're gonna need a place to take off and land and they aim to take that from us. We only have until April 8th to stand up for ourselves. I've been COPA member for fifteen years and always thought there were several important people standing up for our rights as aviators, fighting back against repression but in reality its just two overwhelmed guys in an office that need our help. Every single one of us needs to fight back against the new proposed laws that will close uncertified aerodromes and stop certified ones from future growth. Have you ever thought of buying a piece of land and putting a strip on it? Well you can forget it unless we do something to stop this legislation NOW. thanks guys & gals. go to copanational.org to get more info and send your letter today.

[WET140]

Thats great I see I've had 150 views in only a few hours but remeber we only have a few days to act! PLEASE tell everyone that cares about aviation or aviators to go to copanational.org it will only take a few minutes. At the very least copy and send the form letter and just add a couple comments of your own. You don't have to join copa to be heard. This new legislation will prevent any new airstrip from being created in southern ontario and anywhere else within 30 miles of a populated aera. This legislation also applies to the established private strips you already fly to! These new regulations will stop me from flying my floatplane off a small lake thats been used for small floatplanes for decades. This regulation could cause me to lose my livelihood! Flying my pawnee off private strips and farmers fields is a necessity to spray fields efficiently and stay in bussiness. Please guys lets get on this and stop them from changing the CARs and with it the future of aviation in Canada.

[WET140]

I hope the lack of input or reply to my posts is because everyone is busy writing CARAC and calling their MPPs or provincail transport ministers. Again, this critical issue is fundamental to our freedom to fly in Canada. The unprecedented discrimination against the interests of aviation enthusiasts is completely unacceptable and your comments to carac & transport canada should reflect that fact. The deadline for comments on the proposed changes is April 8th but please dont wait. Lets all do what we can to save the future of ga in Canada.

[CD]

Discussed previously in these threads as well:

AvCanada: The beginning of the end of small private airstrips
AvCanada: Getting involved to preserve our future...

As noted, the comment period on the regulatory change ends on April 8th, 2015:

CARAC Activity Details: Responsible Aerodrome Development / 2013-014

[sstaurus]

These new regulations will stop me from flying my floatplane off a small lake thats been used for small floatplanes for decades. This regulation could cause me to lose my livelihood! Flying my pawnee off private strips and farmers fields is a necessity to spray fields efficiently and stay in bussiness.

Will these regs really apply to any random field or lake? Or just areas that people want to designate as aerodromes? (ie be registered and listed in the CFS)

[WET140]

Aerodrome defined by the aeronautics act as: Any area of land, water ( including frozen) surface used, designed, preped, equipped or set apart for use either in whole or part for the arrival, departure, movement or servicing of aircraft and includes any buildings and equipment associated therewith.

[WET140]

Thank you CD. I find it diffucult to believe that any other topic is being discussed on this or any other aviation related website.

[POATC]

Sent to CARRAC, COPA, my MP and every contact in my address book who is involved in aviation.

To Whom it may concern;

I read about (NPA #2013-014) on the COPA National website ( https://www.copanational.org/Newregaerodrome2015.cfm ) and want to voice my opposition to this in strongest possible way. I agree with all of the comments in COPAs form letter and the COPA NPA Observations sheet, ( https://www.copanational.org/formletter2015.cfm ), but hope that taking the time to convey my own opposition might demonstrate my sincerity in my opposition to this proposal.
General Aviation in this country contributes positively to the country as a whole in many ways yet continuously faces more and more restrictions and pressures. There are many groups that volunteer their time and aircraft for such things as cleaning remote areas of parkland, transporting the ill and or their families to other cities for treatment, shipping animals for re-homing, introducing kids to aviation etc, etc. On the commercial side of General Aviation there is a lot economic impact at all levels, direct jobs, indirect jobs that rely on air transport for supplies and crewing, tourism, medivac etc. All of this requires aerodromes. As it is already, the aerodromes we have are all under continuous pressure from residential encroachment, rising land cost, airspace conflicts, noise sensitivity issues and of course, ever rising costs in general. Further, as restrictions are applied in one area they can have the result of pushing and concentrating the "perceived" problems into another area. As a pilot and flight instructor I realize that not everyone shares my passion for aviation and that my activities, may at times have a negative impact on these people. As such I continually strive to be courteous and to "piss everyone off equally".
It is my understanding that CARRAC was established with the intent of representing the overall viewpoint of the aviation community. This issue seems to be the exact opposite and that Transport Canada and our elected government slips this proposed amendment into an omnibus bill is a shameful disgrace.
I hope my comments make sense, they don't always when I get pissed off, and I hope the powers that be come to their senses.

John Gibbons

[WET140]

Thats great! Thank you John

[JungleMonkey]

The way I interpret that part about "set apart either in whole or in part" for landing etc. is that would apply to licenced water-dromes or strips. If it's not in the VFR supplement, it doesn't exist and therefore the rules don't apply. I'll land my floatplane wherever the heck I want.

Unfortunately, some governments exist for the government and for re-election. Not for the people. Every politician in the last 30 years who I have voted for has outright lied to get elected. I expect it. I always vote but it's like picking the least greasy turd from the bowl. I unfortunately missed the deadline due to not knowing about this campaign to further restrict our freedoms.

How about a new party? Perhaps the Western Independence Party of Canada (they might already exist I'll check)

[BGH]

I'd rather walk away from my 31 plus years of aircraft ownership than give copa any recognition at all & yes I was a member for over 22 years.

Daryl

[Panama Jack]

I'd rather walk away from my 31 plus years of aircraft ownership than give copa any recognition at all & yes I was a member for over 22 years.

Daryl

This is a fine example of a modern-day, classically-Canadian, aviation-related example of the popular expression "cut off your nose to spite your face." It helps explain why aviation is in decline in this country.

If you got issues with COPA, so be it. But they, along with EAA-Canada, UPAC, and thousands of pilots/aircraft owners are in unity on this issue, so it is not just a COPA thing.

[BGH]

I guess I should have provided a little more information so that I wouldn't upset Panama & probably a few others who chose not to speak so that the thread didn't get offtrack.

In the 1970's the BC government was lobied to prevent aircraft from being permitted to land in Garabaldi Lake,many put their eggs in the copa basket & copa not seeing a big deal didn't think that it was a big enough deal so goodbye garabaldi lake.In the 90's copa was again approached by a group of floatplane pilots regarding the government again being lobied to keep aircraft out of parks & even trying to prevent overflight of them - it took the people to make more noise than the lobiests & with lots of hard work from these people an agreement was signed between bc parks & the now bcfloatplane association.

Had it again been left just to copa we wouldn't be having such nice conversations with our government devisions.

What I should of said is we the people who feel that our rights are being trampled yet again by lobiests who have bent the government ear in another misinformed direction should stand up & be counted as opposing the lobiest's direction that they are steering the government.We should not rely on an organisation to do anything other than get the word out to all who are affected,not just their members.

The press release should of said that no matter what you fly if this goes through it could affect everyone from the ultralight field in the farmers pasture to the floatplane operator that lands on water & every other heavier than air vehicle that lands anywhere in Canada & even those tourists who visit our country in their own air vehicle.

Hope I cleared my position up a bit.

Daryl

[Panama Jack]

Thanks BGH for clarifying and for the history that I never was aware of.

I am not a COPA member, my only current membership is with EAA. I understand that a lot of folks have grievances against COPA but I also appreciate the good things they try to accomplish, despite their imperfections. Could there be a better organization? Probably. But one has yet to step up to the plate. Anyhow, COPA backs my personal position on the matter so I support COPA, EAA-Canada, UPAC, and anybody else who feels the same way in their movement against this initiative.

The real problem, as you pointed out, is that government bends to the winds of lobbiests and the average Canadian is too politically docile or completely apathetic. Freedoms are usually nipped away one bite at a time, rather than in one fell swoop. Sometimes I wish AOPA and their NRA-style of political action was representing GA concerns in Canada rather than the more slothy COPA. It would also be great if people would get a little more angry and involved in daily political matters rather than just threatening to punish the leading party du jour by voting them out off office during the next general election.

I sent my letter.