Up to 160 local youth will get a chance to fly high above the Maple Ridge - Pitt Meadows area during Airport Day at Pitt Meadows Regional Airport this summer (July 4).
The organizing committe has arranged for Canadian Owners and Pilots Association to take some young flight enthusiasts for a quick zip around the sky.
“It’s going to be volunteer pilots from local airports,”said Zannet, “A lot of them come from our club and they donate their time, their aircaft, pay for their own fuel and they take kids up for free.
“It’s an amazing opportunity.”
Flights will be handled through pre-registration only, which will start at the end of February.
READ MORE: Airport Day runs alongside Pitt Meadows Day
While this year’s event will not feature an airshow there will still be plenty to do and see for airplane admirers of all ages.
“We’re very open to letting the general public in to see what the airport has to offer, so it’s an exciting thing for us and we hope to keep doing it for years to come,” said event coordinator Amanda Zannet.
In the meantime, the event will be looking for about 30 volunteers to help them make the day go smoothly. Parking lot attendants, Kids Zone supervisors and security personnel are all necessary. Zannet said they can be slightly flexible for duties.
“If someone wants [to volunteer in a] specific area we’ll try and thrown them in there because it’s neat,” she said.
They are also aiming to take on some more sponsors in the coming months. Airport Day will have a tiered system which will range from $100 for a company to have a booth on the day, to $2,500 for a full package that includes a booth, large banners prominently placed at the event, and logos place on marketing materials and in many different forms of media.
Each year the organizers choose a charity to focus on. In 2019, Airport Day gave to Give Hope Wings, which raises money for Hope Air, a national charity that arranges flight for Canadians who must travel far from home for their health care. This year, they will be accepting donations for Ridge Meadows Search and Rescue.
“They are also a volunteer organization, so they need as much help as possible,” Zannet said.