INNISFAIL – It was a busy few days over Central Alberta on the highway in the sky.
More than 300 aviation enthusiasts, pilots and aircraft owners gathered at the Big Bend Airport in Innisfail for the western portion of the 2019 Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA) convention from June 6 to 8.
Organizers were pleased with the turnout, despite a couple of days of wet weather.
“It’s great to see some sunshine. (Numbers are) even more than what we anticipated even with the weather,” said Bernard Gervais, president and CEO of COPA, noting they were expecting more planes to fly in Saturday.
Hundreds of pilots, visitors and about 150 planes took part in the three-day event, he noted.
Gervais also applauded the 2019 COPA Convention host, the Innisfail Flying Club and Big Bend Airport.
“They’ve done an outstanding job,” said Gervais.
Saturday’s sunshine helped bring out the crowds.
“It’s a good day and I’m happy that everybody is enjoying themselves,” said Shane Cockriell, president of the Innisfail Flying Club, noting the efforts by members and volunteers. “The team here from the flying club has been phenomenal.
“I hope (people) had a good time, despite the weather and they go away with good impressions of Central Alberta and Big Bend Airport,” he added.
The convention featured exhibits, seminars and workshops for COPA members, remote control demonstrations, helicopter rides, a COPA Town Hall, a youth social, AGM and Awards, and a banquet on Saturday evening.
Innisfail mayor Jim Romane, who is also a director with the local flying club, was volunteering at the event.
"I think it’s turned out pretty well,” said Romane. “We’re hoping for bigger numbers and the weather’s dampened that a little bit but I think it’s been successful so far.”
Several different types of aircraft flew in for the event and were on display for COPA members and the public during a portion of the convention on Saturday afternoon.
Some of those aircraft included a 1986 Nanchang CJ6, a Chinese war plane used by the Chinese Air Force for basic training, a De Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk, a crop duster spray plane, and a 1943 Fairchild Cornell PT-26, used as a primary trainer for the Royal Canadian Air Force.
“We’ve got Cirruses, Pipers, gliders and we have home-built (planes),” said Cockreill. “Home-builts come in all shapes and sizes. You can build anything from Baby Great Lakes, which is a tiny little airplane, to models of Spitfires and Mustangs,” he added.
One of those home-built aircraft owners was Roland Blackburn of Morinville.
“You get a set of plans and you got to buy all your material in raw state and turn it into an airplane,” said Blackburn, who has been flying for 31 years. “(My plane) is a Meyers Little Toot. It was designed by George Meyers in 1952, but this plane was built in the 1990s and first flew in May 2000,” he added.
Blackburn noted what brings him and other pilots out to COPA conventions.
“This is what us airplane guys do. It’s a great convention. I know it takes a lot of volunteers to do this and they’ve done a great job,” Blackburn concluded.
