The Canadian Owners and Pilots Association of Chatham-Kent (COPA YCK) is inviting youth to come to the airport and take to the skies.
COPA YCK is hosting its annual Discover Aviation event at the Chatham-Kent Municipal Airport on Saturday, September 14, offering to youth between the ages of 8 and 17 an introductory flight and educational seminars.
"What we do is offer introductory flights to kids in the area who are interested in aviation," said COPA YCK President Gordon Haslam. "We give them a little ground school briefing, about a 30 minute instruction on how airplanes fly, what causes them to fly, a little bit of safety. And then our members in the area use their own airplanes and fuel and everything else and we take these kids for a ride and it's all free."
With each flight being approximately 15 to 20 minutes, organizers try and cap it at about 150 kids each year.
"We have a registration process online and they can pick their time. Our first flights are around 10 a.m. and the last flights will be around 2 or 3 in the afternoon," said Haslam.
Haslam said the event not only brings knowledge to the community about the airport but an opportunity for local youth to get a chance to fly in an airplane and to learn about the opportunities and careers available in aviation.
"It's huge. We love it," said Haslam.
To register for a flight time click here.
