| Type | Not for profit |
| Founded | 1952 |
| Headquarters | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
| Membership | Individuals and companies |
| Field | Aviation advocacy |
| Number of Members | 18,500 (2007) |
| Key Personnel | Chairman: Bob Kirkby since June 2006.[1] CEO: Kevin Psutka since 1996[2] |
| Website | www.copanational.org |
The Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA) is a federally registered not-for-profit association that provides information and advocacy services for Canadian pilots who fly for non-commercial purposes.[3] COPA has about 16,000 members which ranks it as the largest aviation association of any kind in Canada.
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COPA was formed in 1952 by Ottawa aviators Margaret Carson and John Bogie. They saw the need for an organization to represent the interests of private pilots to the government of Canada. Their model was the US-based Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) which had been formed 13 years earlier in 1939. After meeting with AOPA principals and receiving encouragement from them, COPA was set up with its headquarters in Carson’s garage. As the association grew they hired their first paid employees and moved into more permanent offices. Bogie became the association’s first president and today continues to serve as an honorary director.[4][5]
COPA was a founding member of the International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations (IAOPA) and remains an active participant in this international body.[6]
COPA is run by a 15 member board of directors who are elected by the members of the association on a regional basis. They serve four year terms, with elections held in even-numbered years. Board meetings are held three times a year.[1]
COPA has a staff of eight who work from the association’s offices in Ottawa.[2]
COPA publishes a monthly tabloid-format newspaper, COPA Flight. It also runs a unique aircraft group insurance program. The insurance program, administered by Marsh Canada Limited until August 2011 is now run by the Magnes Group.[7]
The association also has a large website, much of it available to members only.[8] The website includes its COPA Guides. These fifteen books provide information to members on such subjects as buying an aircraft, creating your own aerodrome and dealing with government regulatory enforcement action. There are also guides on each category of aircraft in Canada from ultralights to certified aircraft.[9] The association has an on-line user-editable public airport directory called Places to Fly.[10] COPA also provides technical assistance to its members on aviation questions and problems.
COPA conducts advocacy work on behalf of aircraft owners with Transport Canada, NAV CANADA and other governmental agencies. The association is a member of each of the Canadian Aviation Regulation Advisory Council (CARAC)’s nine Technical Committees. COPA has a large Special Action Fund collected from its members over the years, which is often used to fund court cases.[11]
The association has a network of local chapters across the country. These COPA Flights annually run many local aviation events, including many of Canada’s summertime fly-ins.[12]
COPA holds an annual general meeting, formerly its convention, which changes location each year.[13]
COPA was the Canadian partner in the Experimental Aircraft Association's Young Eagles program between 1992 and 2008. Young Eagles was started in 1992 with the goal of flying more than 1,000,000 young people between ages 8 and 17 by the December 2003 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers first flight. The goal was met with COPA's members flying about 10% of the total Young Eagles flown in the world. COPA's participation in the program was terminated on 31 May 2008, due to insurance issues.[14][15]
COPA introduced a replacement program, under the name COPA For Kids Aviation Program on 11 February 2009. COPA President Kevin Psutka stated:[16]
| “ | The COPA For Kids Aviation Program has been inspired by Young Eagles but is not associated in any way with Young Eagles or the EAA. I am pleased that the EAA will continue the Young Eagles program through its Canadian Chapters. With our two programs in place, we can maximize the opportunity for kids to experience the thrill of flight.[16] | ” |
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