On Sunday May 17th 2020, the Canadian Forces Snowbirds experienced a tragic accident in Kamloops which claimed the life of Capt. Jenn Casey and injured Capt. Rich McDougall. The Snowbirds were nearing the end of Operation Inspiration which had the team flying over many Canadian cities from coast to coast to lift the morale of Canadians during the COVID19 crisis. As a result of the accident in Kamloops it became clear that the team would be unable to complete the mission as the team dealt with the accident. 
 
Aviation is a small community. Whether civilian or military, we are a family and we are all Canadians. On the evening of the accident, the BC General Aviation Association (BCGA) reached out to its members to gauge interest in conducting a mass single file fly over of the Vancouver area the next day, in an effort to pay respect to the fallen Snowbird and to do our part as an aviation family to complete their mission in an effort to raise the spirits of Canadians.

On Monday May 18th 3 flights of BC aviators took off to pay tribute to the Snowbirds and to do their part to finish the team's mission. Ten aircraft flew over Kelowna lead by Trevor Jones. Another ten aircraft paid tribute over the Sea to Sky corridor lead by Colette Morin and Alexis Thind. Lastly, a group of thirty-one aircraft lead by Ryan Van Haren, Fred Carey and Henry Ilg departed Abbotsford and toured the Lower Mainland.

It is important note that this act of solidarity and  respect was not about the pilots that took part but rather about recognizing the Canadian Snowbirds, remembering Capt. Jenn Casey and uplifting Canadians. 

Response of the media and the public was overwhelming. It is apparent by the coverage that it received as well as the hundreds of posts on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter with the hashtag #operationbackupinspiration. 

On behalf of all the pilot in the BC General Aviation Association I wish to give my condolences, gratitude and respect to all those that took part, those that supported the mission and most importantly to the Snowbirds, Capt. McDougall and to the family of Capt. Casey. 

With humble gratitude, 
Ryan Van Haren
President BCGA

OTTAWA, May 5, 2020 – NAV CANADA cont​inues to take action, implementing the best preventative measures possible to ensure the continuity and safety of Canada’s air navigation system throughout the COVID-19 crisis.

As part of this response, air navigation services will be temporarily suspended overnight at 18 air traffic service facilities, including air traffic control towers and flight service stations, and locations which receive remote airport advisory services. Transport Canada has approved these temporary changes to levels of service, which will be in effect for a period of 120 days, subject to prevailing conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Affected airports will remain open and aircraft will continue to be able to land and depart.  ​For every site where overnight ATS service will be temporarily suspended, the following enhanced services will be available:

• At a minimum, Limited Weather Information System which consists of hourly wind, temperature, dew point and altimeter information. This will maintain 24 hours/day IFR access to all airports.  
• Communication capability during all phases of flight, via flight information centers (FICs) and/or area control centers (ACCs). This will maintain communication between pilots and the respective FIC and/or ACC in order to provide current and forecast weather, NOTAM, IFR approach and departure clearances, with communication coverage to or below circuit altitude with most sites having coverage to the ground.

The temporary level of service change will allow NAV CANADA to implement flexible staffing, reducing the risk of exposure to COVID-19 for our operational units. These new measures greatly reduce the likelihood of a full unit closure and keep operators and the flying public safe through continued delivery of essential air navigation services.
 
Quick Facts

• This temporary change has been made after a prudent assessment of overnight traffic levels at all affected locations against the services required to fully ensure safe operations, in consultation with our unions and with the support of Transport Canada.
• At its area control centres, NAV CANADA has implemented a “crew” system that minimizes interaction between teams. However, this level of staffing is not available at some of our regional facilities without the temporary reduction in service. 
• NAV CANADA has undertaken a full and detailed risk analysis to ensure that the temporary level of service changes at affected sites can be implemented safely. These changes will help to ensure that our critical services remain available for when there is demand. 
• Pilots can receive detailed information about these new levels of service through NOTAM.
• NAV CANADA’s safety record is one of the best in the world amongst air navigation service providers. We have achieved this record based on a regulated decision-making approach with safety at the very core of all that we do.
• These temporary reductions will be in effect in the next week for a period of 120 days, subject to prevailing conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Specific details for each location are available by NOTAM.
• Overnight air navigation services will be suspended at the following facilities:​ 
  • ​Fort Nelson BC (CYYE) 
  • Port Hardy BC (CYZT)
  • Prince Albert (Glass Field) SK (CYPA)
  • Cranbrook BC (CYXC)
  • Penticton BC (CYYF)
  • Terrace BC (CYXT)
  • Red Deer Regional AB (CYQF)
  • Fort St. John BC (CYXJ)
  • Kamloops BC (CYKA)
  • Deer Lake NL (CYDF)
  • Charlottetown PE (CYYG)
  • Saint John NB (CYSJ)
  • St. Anthony NL (CYAY)
  • Sandspit BC (CYZP)
  • Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy NS (CYQY)
  • Kelowna BC (CYLW)
  • Victoria Intl BC (CYYJ)
  • Abbotsford BC (CYXX)

News Release
For Immediate Release
 
COVID-19 : Temporary suspension of service at select Canadian border services locations
 
May 12, 2020 – Ottawa, Ontario – Canada Border Services Agency
 
Further to the reduction of service at some Canadian land border ports of entry on April 15, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) today announced the temporary suspension of service at certain small vessel reporting sites, small airports of entry, ferry terminals and to the Remote Area Border Crossing (RABC) program. These COVID-19 related measures are temporary, and in effect as of May 12, 2020, at 23:59 EDT. They will remain in effect until further notice.
 
The CBSA will proceed with the temporary suspension of service at a total of 342 small vessel reporting sites and 126 small airports. Air and marine traffic will be redirected as appropriate.
 
The small vessel reporting locations are primarily marinas and telephone reporting sites that support recreational boating. With the high-traffic boating season fast approaching, the CBSA typically observes an increase in the volume of travellers coming to Canada at these sites for recreational purposes, which are currently prohibited.
 
In support of the Government of Canada’s objective to have all inbound travellers assessed for symptoms of COVID-19, the Agency is redirecting air and marine traffic to ports of entry where the CBSA maintains or can deploy officer presence.
 
Additionally, a number of ferry operators have decided to suspend services between Canada and the United States. This decision was made independently by each ferry operator. 
 
The RABC program, which is only available in parts of northwestern Ontario and southeastern Manitoba, has been temporarily suspended. Permit holders cannot use their RABC permit to enter Canada until current Canadian travel restrictions are lifted.
 
The Government of Canada continues to introduce border measures to limit the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Canada. All discretionary or optional travel into Canada continues to be prohibited.
 
The CBSA remains committed to ensuring that Indigenous people continue to be able to move within and between their communities, and are able to provide and access essential goods and services.
 

























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​Quick Facts

• This temporary suspension of service will be reviewed on an ongoing basis as the public health situation evolves.

 

• Travellers are required to wear a non-medical mask or face covering upon entry to Canada and while in transit to isolation or quarantine, unless the mask or face covering needs to be removed for security or safety reasons.

 

• Travellers who are granted entry into Canada will be informed of the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)’s mandatory 14-day isolation requirement. This is mandatory for all coming into Canada even if they do not have any symptoms, as they are at risk of developing symptoms and infecting others. If they do have symptoms, they will be referred to a health professional.

 

• Travellers will also be required to provide their contact information and place of isolation to help PHAC monitor and enforce compliance with the 14-day isolation requirement. 

 
Associated Links
·        Factsheet: List of ports of entry remaining open
·        Directory of CBSA Offices and Services
·        Remote Area Border Crossing program
·        Border Information Service
·        Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
 
Contact
 
Media Relations
Canada Border Services Agency
questions@cbsa-asfc.gc.ca
1-877-761-5945
 
Follow us on Twitter (@CanBorder), join us on Facebook or visit our YouTube channel.

Transport Canada has granted an extension to pilots who wrote pilot exams between March 11, 2018 and March 11, 2020. Pilots who are facing exam expiry prior to a flight test who wrote their exams during the period outlined above will now have until August 31, 2020 to complete their flight test. 

This move provides some much needed relief to student pilots and pilots who have written exams for higher ratings and will reduce the chance that an exam will need to be re-written

​On behalf of the BCGA, Flight Training Units and Pilots across the country we would like to thank Transport Canada for their forward thinking and efforts to accommodate pilots during this unprecedented time. 

This humourous story requires an introduction and is not meant to include safe flying tips.  In fact the story’s pilot pretty much does everything wrong and this might be a good refresher for us to consider what is necessary for a safe flight
 
LIVE AND LEARN
 
It was a typical winter day in coastal British Columbia: low stratus with drizzle and enough visibility to see the radiator ornament as I drove my car to the airport. I had just soloed the day previously, and wasn't about to let a little weather deter me from another exciting aviation experience. I'll admit I was rather proud of my accomplishment, and I had invited my next door neighbor to go for a spin with me. We planned to fly to a city across the mountains where I had heard a great restaurant existed. On our way to the airport, my neighbor expressed some worry about the trip. "Don't worry about a thing," I reassured her. "Their hamburgers are apparently excellent."

By the time we found  the field the drizzle had become a heavy steady rain. This concerned me a great deal as I didn't want to get my shoes muddy. On checking with the local operator of the flying club we learned that my regular airplane, a Stinson Station Wagon was down for engine repairs again. However, the operator was a fine judge of character and when he saw my disappointment he assigned me another aircraft, C-GIFR, which turned out to be a Beechcraft Baron. "It's practically the same as the Stinson," he told me when I discovered that there was a spare engine. "Just remember that you have to retract the gear after take off."

After a quick pre-flight check (I noticed  the tail wheel was missing but didn't say anything to the operator for fear he would cancel the trip) we got aboard and began looking for the starter key. Just then he came wading out to tell me there were severe thunderstorms and turbulence at my destination and warned
me to be prudent. I assured him that, as a child, I had never been afraid of thunderstorms.

The take off was uneventful, but we did use what seemed to be a lot of runway for an airplane with two engines, even if it was downwind and I had forgotten to release the parking brakes. We climbed into a solid overcast at about 100 feet and this was a disappointing as I knew my neighbor was looking forward to seeing beautiful scenery below. The air was actually fairly smooth but ice kept building up on the Windshield making it difficult to clearly see all the clouds that surrounded us. For a pilot with only 5.6 hours of flying time I thought I was handling the plane very well, although for some reason, things kept flying out of my pockets and sticking to the roof. My neighbor, Ellen, didn't seem to notice: she just kept staring at the windshield with a sort of glassy expression. I guess the altitude or pounding rain
bothered her.

Suddenly the left engine quit. No warning, nothing. It just quit. Ellen made a gurgling noise, which was the first thing she had said since we departed. I explained that there was nothing to worry about, as we had another engine that we hadn't even used yet. Ellen must have felt better when I finally figured out how to start that second engine because she dropped right off to sleep. After about two hours it became obvious that I was going to have to descend if I was going to find the airport under the clouds between the mountains. I eventually found a road, but it was difficult to read the signs during the lightning flashes in the heavy snow. Numerous cars ran off the road when we passed them confirming that flying is a lot safer than driving. Some time later, I did find an airport but had to fly around the tower a few times to confirm it was the right one. They were very friendly in the tower and flashed numerous colored lights as a welcome. So I landed and slid up to the parking area(the operator should have mentioned that you have to put the wheels down again for landing.) Everyone there was besides themselves with excitement. It was obvious that they had never seen a Beechcraft Baron before. Ellen was still sleeping so I had to have help carrying her to the restaurant. Well I certainly must admit I learned a great deal from that trip and would like to pass on some good advice to other pilot travellers:  "Don't beleive everthing you hear - the food was terrible!"
 
----
While I have taken the liberty to modify the story the results are the same. In this adventure-land the Anti-Hero saves his bacon. However, in the real world this fellow would have been a statistic within the average of 179 seconds that a non instrumented pilot lasts in cloud. Worst still he would have taken an innocent victim with him. Perhaps I'm straying from the crux of the matter. This fictitious pilot has an attitudinal
problem.  Decades ago I attended a COPA AGM in Penticton where the guest speaker was a psychiatrist and Dr. Georgina Busch told us of the prevailing characteristics of pilot.  I was stunned.  We possess the following human characteristics:  Anti authoritarian, Stubborn, Risk takers and Opinionated and often rash with our decision making.  If some or all of these characteristics are part of your flying repertoire, you need to be much more cautious with decision making.