Pilots to Pilots 2009

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Messages from around the globe with the most recent at the top

RE: BUTTONVILLE

ed: If everyone takes the time to send a letter, perhaps the Transport Minister will begin to understand the devastating effect that the closure of Buttonville Airport would have. Please spread the word for aviation supporters to check our web site for the background: www.copanational.org/non-members/body_files/kp09038.htm  and then contact their MPs and Minister Baird.

Dear Minister Baird

I was deeply concerned to learn that your initial reaction to the impending withdrawal of the GTAA's support for Buttonville Airport was to remain neutral. Buttonville Airport plays a critical role in the general aviation and communications infrastructure of Toronto and Southern Ontario. I am also deeply concerned that my government appears to have little or no understanding of the role general aviation has played in the history of Canada, nor of the important role it plays today. I am further concerned that my government apparently has no plan in place to support this important sector of our communications infrastructure for the future.

I am sure you have read the numbers regarding the jobs, business opportunities and tax revenue that will be negatively affected at Buttonville if it closes. Multiply this by a factor of hundreds or thousands to understand what the official neglect of general aviation in this country will cost, both financially and culturally.

Communities across Canada depend on general aviation for their very lifelines to the outside world. People like Wiley Post and Max Ward were general aviation pilots who recognized this, and became Canadian heroes who filled this need.

Whenever you take a ride on a government jet to some remote part of Canada to fulfill your duties as Minister, you are taking advantage of the general aviation system on a general aviation flight.

When Hope Air pilots volunteer their time and their small aircraft to transport medical patients from remote communities to hospital appointments in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, London or Ottawa, those patients' lives are being improved through the benefits of general aviation. In large part, Hope Air and its volunteers fill a gap the health care system cannot fulfill.

Other volunteer pilots help in search and rescue, wild life protection and environmental surveys - among other activities. There are no commercial operators who can, or are willing to take our place in these activities.

Private pilots, who spend significant amounts on travel, bring much needed revenue to small communities, fishing camps, and cities from coast to coast. We buy gas, pay for hotel rooms, patronize restaurants, stores, theatres and tourist attractions. Without the ability to fly, I may never have chosen to visit places like Hanover or Killarney, or Pelee Island. But I made friends and left money in those places - and learned a great deal about the country I call home.

There is an infrastructure in place in the general aviation world that trains future pilots for both commercial and private flying (including some of our astronauts), pumps their gas, repairs their airplanes, provides supplies and other support, collects taxes, provides storage space, safety services and continuing education.

The Canadian West may have been brought into Confederation by the railroads, but the rest of Canada, from Halifax to the Queen Charlottes to Inuvik was stitched together by the airways (and not always by the airlines), and by enterprising men and women who understood that the airways could not be reserved for the military and the big-business airlines.

This country is what it has become because, to a surprisingly large degree, everyone who flies has contributed in a significant way to its existence. And we still do!

Toronto Buttonville Airport is the only airport in the greater Toronto area with the facilities and ability to provide for the needs of the general aviation community. The withdrawal of GTAA support without a plan for an alternative, and the lack of a national policy to support general aviation, will result in significant jobs, businesses and tax revenues being lost.

I am dismayed that you apparently fail to understand the role general aviation plays in our history and our future as a nation. I ask you to reconsider your response to the GTAA/Buttonville issue, and also to consider addressing the need for a policy in support of the future of general aviation in Canada.

ROBERT KISIN

RE: NELSON AIRPORT

Six years ago the continued existence of the Nelson Airport, in British Columbia, was threaten by a city council with visions of redeveloping the airport lands. There were claims that the airport was a money losing asset and that immense benefits could accrue to city taxpayers by building residential housing on site.

The threat stirred the local pilot community into action and a number of initiatives were undertaken to promote and save the airport. These included a study documenting the economic spin-off from the airport and the production of a promotional video, partially funded by the COPA Special Action Fund (SAF).

In addition, the Nelson Pilot’s Association (NPA, COPA Flight 87) became more active in the community, particularly during the 2005 municipal election which resulted in the possible airport closure becoming a major campaign issue. An Airport Appreciation Day was held which has evolved into the current Nelson Flight Fest (This year’s date, July 25), an event which draws more than 3,000 visitors to the airport and which has become the city’s biggest family event of the summer.

We are pleased to report that in the past few years the relationship between NPA and City Hall has changed from suspicion and fear to one of partnership and cooperation. An airport advisory committee was re-established and it has recommended a number of initiatives to city council which have been implemented. Today NPA has a contract with the city to provide daytime staff during the summer months to assist itinerant aircraft with fuelling, parking, looking after the grounds maintenance and identifying commercial traffic for the purpose of collecting landing and parking fees (non-commercial flights only pay overnight parking fees).

During the winter months NPA continues to employ a student part-time to provide janitorial services in the terminal building.

The SAF contribution from COPA was a great help to NPA at a crucial time. Now we are happy to be in a position to repay some of the assistance received with a $1,000 contribution to the SAF.

We also encourage other COPA Flights to break into their piggy bank and join us and other flights that have already done so.

RICK SAUTER
Nelson Pilots Association

ed. This is an excellent example of the purpose for COPA's Special Action Fund. We have seen successful outcomes such as at Nelson, but there remain significant challenges to our freedom to fly that require financial resources in order to achieve results. Please read more about the need to donate in this newspaper.

RE: REVENUE CANADA

I would like to first of all express my appreciation for a letter that I received sometime back (Oct, 2007) from John Quarterman regarding the necessity of currency in flying. This was one of many letters that I submitted to Revenue Canada in an appeal. It has been a long and tedious procedure but I am pleased to announce that I was able to reverse a decision made against me and my company.

I am the owner of a small electronics manufacturing company and we provide systems primarily for the marine industry here on the west coast. A large part of our business is the supply of internal communications systems, machinery alarm panels and other shipboard electronics. In order to attract customers, one of the requirements is the ability to provide prompt after sales service should it be required. This is especially true of one of our major customers: B.C. Ferry Services.

A few years ago we were the lowest bid for the alarm system on a new ferry but did not get the contract due to their concern that a small firm such as my company could not offer the level of service required.
Due to the nature of the west coast, vehicle travel usually includes one or more trips by ferry to get to a particular location. A service call to a site less than 50 kilometres away may require two or more days. I have used my personal aircraft when there was an airfield close to the service site but this is seldom the case. For that reason, the company purchased a Robinson R22 and I obtained my private rotary rating.

Of course, this immediately raised a red flag with Revenue Canada and the company was audited for a three-year period that coincided with the start of my training.

During the audit I was told "you cannot have a helicopter." When I asked the reason for this I was informed that the company was "too small." The result was that the entire acquisition and training was disallowed.

I appealed this initial result with a number of letters from my customers stating that this was a valid business decision and was able to reverse the initial decision to a limited degree. The company was allowed the purchase of the machine and the training up to the time that I received the license.

All further flights were deemed to be "personal use" except where I could produce proof that an actual service call was made. Furthermore, I was personally accessed a "taxable benefit" for these flights based on the rate that I had been charged by the school using their machine ($450.00/hour).

The total personal taxable benefit amounted to approximately $16,000.

I objected to this on two basic points:

First, the school rate included the cost of the school facilities, a very high insurance premium, the instructors wages plus a reasonable profit to the school and did not reflect a reasonable rate. I was able to determine that a lease rate for a R22 would be in the $100- $125 per hour region.

Secondly, most of the flying done during that time was under the guidance of my instructor and was used to hone the skills that I learned during my training. Many of the flights were, in fact, with an instructor. I realized that for the type of flying I would be called on to do, I was not comfortable at my initial level after 50 hours.

I submitted this along with the letter from COPA as well as from insurance agencies, Robinson Helicopter, my instructor, Transport Canada and my examiner. All stated basically the same thing: proficiency can only come with practice and recurrent flying.

I also paid the accessed amount to limit any future interest and penalties.

This was all refused by the auditor with the one exception that she reduced the assessed amount to $350/hr.
I formally objected to this and re-submitted basically the same information to the appeals division and after approximately six months received the result that my personal assessment had been reduced to approximately $500 based on those flights that were neither business related nor training/practice.

I offer this information so that others that may find themselves in a similar situation will have some idea of what can and should be done.

Revenue Canada auditors do not have the knowledge nor experience to make judgements in this area. My personal view was I was judged guilty even before the audit began. I have been flying for over 45 years and realize just how critical it is that one remain current. Add this to the fact that helicopter flying requires one to "unlearn" a lot of fixed wing reflexes so that you have two separate "knee jerk reactions" depending on which machine you are flying.
Make sure that all training flights and practice flights are properly logged and be prepared to defend the necessity of these should you find yourself in a similar situation.

GENE GILLOTT
North Vancouver, B.C.

RE: SEAT SAFETY KIT

During a recent meeting a pilot in the audience informed me about this issue and time limited offer.

A well-known and easily correctable flaw in many older Cessna high-wing aircraft led to a fatal crash near Alaska's Mount Whittier last year, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

In its Probable Cause report the NTSB determined Anchorage city engineer Howard Holtan died when his Cessna 180 stalled on takeoff, due to the failure of the seat retention pins at a critical time.

Seat failure due to worn retention-pin holes in the seat rail is a known problem on older Cessna high-wing aircraft and has led to other fatal accidents. Months before the Holtan crash, Cessna issued a service bulletin offering to install a corrective safety kit, free of charge.

Holtan's borrowed plane did not have a kit; in fact, an Anchorage Cessna dealer estimates less than 10 percent of affected aircraft have had the kit installed.

Owners of affected aircraft which range from Cessna 170 models through the C-210 line have until May 2009 to have those safety kits installed for free. Visit: www.cessna.com for more information on this matter.

PETE FIRLOTTE

RE: WEATHER CAMS

This letter is in reply to Richard Pantel's letter Pilots to Pilots in the January edition regarding weather cams.
Bancroft Airport was approached by Nav Canada late in 2008 regarding the installation of a Weather Cam at CNW3. We were thrilled at this prospect as our airport is in a pocket of different weather between Peterborough and Ottawa.
The Weather Cam has been installed physically and we understand it should be up and running in January or February of 2009. These weather cams will be available on Nav Canada's weather site so it would not be necessary for COPA to duplicate this system.
We congratulate Nav Canada on this initiative and hope that there will be many more weather cams in the future.

KAREN SMITH,
vice-president,
Bancroft Flying Club
 

RE: COPA FLIGHT

Congratulations on a great publication. I always enjoy and look forward to the COPA Flight paper each month. I usually read the whole paper (including classified, since I'm hoping to buy soon) and find the articles very informative and mostly relevant to the flying I do, or hope to do in Canada. In fact I find it much better and more interesting than the glossy AOPA PILOT magazine where I might find one relevant article before I toss it. On the other hand COPA Flight usually stays around and gets read a second time before my wife insists it get recycled.

Keep up the good work!

BOB FERRIER
Stoney Creek

RE: MONTREAL FLYING CLUB

While cleaning out my office at home I found a pilot log book from 1948. This belonged to my father in-law, Harry Dyer, when he was a young man with aspirations of joining the air force. His first flight was in July 1948 at the Montreal Flying Club in a de Havilland DH-82 ‘Tiger Moth’ which I understand was the popular trainer at the time.  Although he manage to log 2.5 hours of solo time his flying career was cut short when it was discovered that he was color blind. 

With a shared passion for flying, there were many conversations about the Tiger Moth and flying in general. Unfortunately he passed away before I completed my PPL and I never did get a chance to take him back to the sky. 

I am trying to track down information about the Montreal Flying Club from back in 1948, such as where the airport was located, number of aircraft, and number of members. 

I am also trying to track the history of the plane that my father in-law flew, DH-82 CF-CTE. If there is anyone who may have photos of the plane or stories they could share with me it would be greatly appreciated.

MARK GILLIGAN
mgilliga@apotex.com

RE: WEATHER CAMS

I have been a pilot for about the last 20 years, and a member of COPA ever since I got my license. I have a suggestion for a program that COPA could administer on behalf of all pilots in Canada.

When planning a cross country flight, I find one of the most difficult things is trying to get reasonably current weather information in areas that are not well served by manned or automatic weather stations. In Canada, there are many areas where Nav Canada provides no weather information whatsoever (other than the GFA or satellite), and which are known to have local weather phenomena that may vary drastically from nearby reporting points.

In this situation, one of the most useful things is an unofficial "weather-cam" that is maintained and made public by various non-aviation related organizations. While the quality, availability and recency of these images vary, they are often better than nothing... which is what Nav Canada provides for many parts of the country.

I would like to see COPA maintain a website of all available weather cams across the country, formatted in such a way that pilots can easily click on a map and download an image from the latest weather-cam. There are literally hundreds of such weather-cams sited across the country, but there is no easy way of finding them all when flight planning.

The site would have to be regularly maintained and updated as weather-cams are decommissioned and new ones come on line. Also, a rating as to the quality of the image would be useful. Assistance and guidance could be provided to those wishing to install a weather cam in order to provide an image most useful to aviation.

This would be a service that would be beneficial to all aviation users in Canada. I can think of several high-profile accidents in recent years, where local weather information from a weather-cam would probably have been useful to the pilot, and may have prevented a weather-related accident.

I would think that TC, Nav Canada and Environment Canada would be cooperative, and would probably provide funding to an organization such as COPA that would be willing to maintain such a website.

Please consider this suggestion at your next opportunity. I think it would be very useful service that COPA could provide.

RICHARD J. PANTEL
North Vancouver, BC

ed. Thank you for this suggestion. COPA does not currently have the excess staff capacity to do an adequate job of establishing and tracking the availability of these cameras but we will keep this in mind when resources permit.

What we have focused our efforts on for many years, is convincing Nav Canada to improve the Automatic Weather Observation System (AWOS), including correcting faulty sensor technology and providing additional information. One of our key suggestions was to provide weather cameras with reference photos for an indication of conditions not only at the location of the sensors, which AWOS provides, but also in the vicinity of the airport and at other locations, such as entrances to mountain passes. They listened, as highlighted in a recent AIC 44/08 www.navcanada.ca/ContentDefinitionFiles/Publications/AeronauticalInfoProducts/AIP/ Current/PDF/EN/part_5_aic/5aic_eng.pdf.

In addition to several significant improvements to AWOS, such as the provision of thunderstorm activity (another of COPA's key suggestions) Nav Canada is replacing the first generation of cameras and adding cameras at additional sites. We are encouraging them to increase the number of these high quality cameras.

Of course, there is a limit to how much Nav Canada is prepared to spend on cameras. Regarding additional sources of weather camera information, there are already efforts on the part of organizations with much more resources than COPA. One example is the WeatherNetwork, who maintains a comprehensive list of cameras in Canada, the U.S. and International on its website www.theweathernetwork.com/weather_cams/index.

It would be nice if they provided a map of the locations and I have made this suggestion to them. Another is CanadaCams www.canadacams.com. The problem with all of these sites is that they vary widely in quality and how often the images are updated or even any indication of the time and date that the image was taken. Pilots should be wary of the reliability of these sources.

RE: CHRONICLES

It was through tear filled eyes that I read "Chronicles of a Cessna" in the December COPA Flight by Kristine Nielsen describing a fantastic trip she took with her father Herluf above the Arctic Circle in his C-182 back in 2007.

I met Herluf soon after joining the Innisfail Alberta Flying Club in the early 80’s and soon learned and appreciated the same feeling of respect for him as a pilot and a man that everyone else in the club already had. Many of us have had the privilege to fly along side Herluf to fly outs, Young Eagle Rallies and CASARA exercises. Herluf's love of aviation has always been second only to the love of his family. Herluf was taken from us on Nov. 8, 2008 while en route to Innisfail from Red Deer after a successful CARASA night exercise.

He was a member of Innisfail COPA Flight, CASARA Red Deer Zone, COPA and EAA.

Services were held on Nov. 14, with some 600 people in attendance.

He will be sadly missed.
A FRIEND

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