I recently received a newsflash from Adam Hunt at COPA National. In it, there was an announcement for the “2007 John C. Webster Memorial Trophy Competition,” which honors the memory of John Webster, who was killed in August 1932 in St. Hubert, Quebec, while practicing to represent Canada in an aerobatic flying competition, The Trans-Canada Air Pageant.

Even though the trophy was established in my neck of the woods (Shediac, NB), this is the first I’ve heard of the Webster Trophy. I eagerly went to the website (www.webstertrophy.ca) to learn more! What I learned was that the award was established to honor the “Top Amateur Pilot in Canada.” Excellent, I thought. There are definitely a couple of pilots in the club that would qualify for this prestigious award, in my opinion!

So, I continued reading to find out more. Hmmm… It appears that ultralight aircraft cannot be used to compete in the competition. Neither can homebuilts. Furthermore, it appears that ultralight and recreational pilots are also exempt. Apparently, the award is targeted towards private pilots working towards their commercial, not recreational pilots who have mastered the skills required to safely and accurately fly their own aircraft. In fact, they suggest that the best thing to do is rent an aircraft from a local club. Sure, these pilots are amateur, but do they really represent the best amateur pilots in Canada?!?

Although I think it’s a great idea to honor the pilots it’s targeted towards, I also think that the competition is too narrowly focused to truly name the “Top Amateur Pilot in Canada.” It would probably be more appropriate to title it the “Top Commercial Student Pilot Award.” Let’s face it, a lot of the best amateur pilots in Canada simply do not qualify for this trophy.

First of all, ultralight (and from what I can tell, recreational) pilots are excluded! Then you find out that non-certificated aircraft cannot compete! This effectively eliminates about half of the non-commercial pilots and aircraft in Canada! Try telling Stu Simpson that he does not qualify as an amateur pilot, and you’ll get an earful (oh yeah, he carries a gun too ☺). I’d love to see the reaction of our club members if one of the trophy coordinators were to do a presentation of the rules at one of our meetings! Can you say “lynch mob”?

You could easily argue that the top-ranked amateur aerobatic pilot in Canada is the best amateur pilot by default! After all, they exhibit far better knowledge of the flight envelope for the aircraft they fly than the typical Webster Trophy candidate. Unfortunately, many of these pilots fly experimental aircraft (either show planes or homebuilts) and would not qualify.

How about the bush pilot who has mastered safely flying his Murphy Rebel (Canada’s top-selling aircraft) into back-country lakes and rivers on floats and skis? Since he built the plane, he is far better qualified to handle any issue that may occur with the aircraft in a remote location than most commercial students. His knowledge of weather goes well beyond accurately reading a TAF (likely unavailable at his favorite fishing hole!). He has to use his experience and skill dealing with local weather patterns to determine if it will be safe to fly. His best skills likely include determining the best run to land in on the lake of choice, accurately determining water depth or snow drift height, docking the plane on a fast-flowing river, and accurately reading the surface and approach winds on a lake surrounded by hills and trees without the aid of a windsock. Oh right, he cannot compete as his stead of choice does not qualify, nor can you readily rent a plane that would properly showcase his talents. It’s likely that he wouldn’t even pass the test as his radio and airport procedures are not up to snuff. But then again, those skills are simply not required for the type of flying he excels at.

Let’s face it, the amateur pilots that I would rank as the best I know in Canada either don’t qualify for the award, or cannot demonstrate their talents in qualified aircraft, or both.

As I said, rewarding pilots that excel in aviation is, in my opinion, a very good thing. Every year the Royal Canadian Air Cadets operate regional gliding schools across Canada. The students that attend are chosen through a selection process that has students being judged on overall conduct, verbal interviews with a selection panel, school marks, and their score on a Transport Canada style exam. Then, the student from each region that completes the course with the highest combined written and flight test scores is then awarded a week of high-performance soaring in Elmira, New York. These awards help drive students to not only “pass,” but to excel during their training.

Of course, the title of “Top Amateur Pilot in Canada” is not for me! Heck, I can’t tell east from west or left from right half the time. I’ve given to always turning in the same direction; that way, I’m bound to be right half of the time 😉