The Webster Memorial Trophy Competition

It has been determined that the period between the completion of the regional competition and the beginning of the national finals is too short for some of the finalists as well as many potential competitors.  For the finalists, there is very little time available to arrange time off from work, aquire the Air Canada passes, re-arrange home responsibilities, etc.   Potential competitors, especially those in the working age group often need to set vacation times and other schedules fairly early in the summer and are therefore reluctant to compete as becoming a regional finalist would cause scheduling concerns at such a late date.

For that reason the 2010 competition has been set back a month and has officially started as of  June 16, 2009 and will finish at midnight of June 15, 2010. All applications must be in to later than midnight June 1, 2010 and flight test submissions no later than midnight June 15, 2010.   All regional finalists will be announced on June 16th.  The national finals will continue to take place near the end of August, this coming year in Calgary, AB from Aug. 18-21.  Hopefully this will make it easier on both the regional finalists and others wishing to compete.

Applications & Early Bird Draw  The 2010 applications are now on the website and may be submitted at any time.  A new Early Bird Draw is being organized with even more exciting prizes coming soon.  Any application received before May 1, 2010 will be eligible.  Flight test reports do not need to be submitted by that date, only the application.

FLIGHT TRAINING UNIT PARTICIPANTS

Pilots from the following list of Flight Training Units competed in the 2009 competition.  The Webster team wishes to thank the staff of all those organizations for their interest and encouragement in the programme.

Aero Academy – London, ON.

Air Richelieu – St Hubert, QC

Algonquin College/Ottawa Flying Club – Ottawa, ON

Brampton Flight Centre – Brampton, ON

Canadian Flight Academy – Oshawa, ON

Cargair Ltee – St Hubert, QC

Centennial Flight Centre – Edmonton, AB

Coastal Pacific Aviation – Abbotsford, BC

Confederation College – Thunder Bay, ON

Cooking Lake Academy – Sherwood Park, AB

Debert Flight Centre – Debert, NS

Edmonton Flying Club – Edmonton, AB

Future Air – Oro Station, ON

Harv’s Air Service – Steinbach, MB

Moncton Flight College – Moncton, NB

Mount Royal College – Calgary, AB

Ottawa Aviation Services – Ottawa, ON

Pacific Flying Club – Delta, BC

Pacific Sky Aviation – North Saanich, BC

Rockcliffe Flying Club – Ottawa, ON

Seneca College – Markham, ON

Spectrum Airways – Milton, ON

Toronto Airways – Markham, ON

Waterloo-Wellington Flight Centre – Breslau, ON

Victoria Flying Club – Sydney, BC

One of the best aviation photographers, Marcel Keays has now completed a collection of close to 500 photographs of the 2009 Webster competition and Awards Banquet.  His magnificent photographs can be reviewed at the website links below:

http://picasaweb.google.ca/photomaxme/Webster2009?authkey=Gv1sRgCIbswomZj-idHA

http://picasaweb.google.ca/photomaxme/Contest?authkey=Gv1sRgCMWkhJzx4NmwKg

The Webster Memorial Trophy Competition has now drawn to a close with a magnificent awards banquet held at the fabulous Brampton Courtyard Marriott, where after an anxious evening of anticipation the winner and runner-up were announced. 

Captain Dennis Guay, Manager Flight Standards for Air Canada announced the winner, Cory-Daniel Raby representing Eastern Ontario and being trained through the Algonquin College Diploma Programme became the 2009 Webster winner.  Congratulations Cory.

Bruce Carter, retired Webster judge and husband of  Eunice Carter after which the Eunice Carter Memorial Award was named announced the runner-up who this year was Kevin Dhaliwal representing British Columbia and flying out of Coastal Pacific Aviation, Abbotsford.

Photos of all the finalists will be posted on this website shortly with their respective biographies.  Numerous additional photographs taken by our phenomenal photographer Marcel Keays will also be available shortly on this website and through access to his personal gallery.

All the finalists claimed to have had a wonderful time and although the weather had to be taken into account as often happens, the competition was successfully completed.  Our finalists also had the opportunity through the generosity of Air Canada Jazz to take an evening and fly Dash-8 and Regional Jet full-motion/full vis simulators.

The Webster Team wishes to thank all those who have contributed and supported the Webster programme which is continuing to grow.  A more formal thank you article naming all of those involved is being prepared for upcoming issues of COPA Flight  and WINGS magazine. 

Congratulations to all of the 2009 finalists – a job well done!

The regional finalists have been determined as follows:

• British Columbia: Kevin Dhaliwal (Coastal Pacific Aviation)
• Alberta: Nicholas Dennison Sneider (Cooking Lake Aviation Academy)
• Manitoba: John Ferris Painter (Harv’s Air Service)
• Northern Ontario: Aaron Lehman (Confederation College)
• Western Ontario: Phiroze Contractor (Brampton Flight College)
• Eastern Ontario: Cory-Daniel Raby (Algonquin College)
• Quebec: Mathieu Beaumier (Cargair – St. Hubert)
• Atlantic Provinces: Thomas Clark (Moncton Flight College)

We are pleased to announce that the number of applicants this year have exceeded the numbers from last year by a good margin. Also the number of Flight Training Units who have had pilots compete this year is up by 25% from last year as well. This indicates a greater awareness and interest in the Webster programme and we hope that this upward trend continues into next year as well.

Early Bird Draw

The Early Bird Draw winners have also been determined and they are:

• Sennheiser HM 100 Headset: Yvonne Tsang
• Aviator Gloves from COPA: David Johston
• 1 year subscription from WINGS: Clark Morawetz

Sennheiser (Canada) donated a passive HME 100 headset valued at $350, COPA has come through with a pair of professional pilot gloves valued at over $100 and WINGS magazine donated a one year’s subscription to the prize list.

Aviation is a fluid industry and people move around quite a lot. Because of this contact is lost with past competitors and especially finalists who may wish to attend Awards Banquets when they are able, or perhaps contact competitor friendships they established in the past. Many of the addresses currently on record with Webster are no longer valid and therefore we are attempting to establish a current one. It will still be necessary for those wishing to remain on the list to inform us at any time if one or more of their contact items change.

We would like to receive name, address, telephone number and e-mail address, however whatever information you wish to release or hold confidential is yours to choose. If anyone wishes to contact you through this list we will not release your contact points until receiving approval from you to do so first, as any information received is held in strictest confidence.

The specific use of your information by Webster will be to draw your attention to the annual Awards Banquet and other specialty events only. For the most part, general information is found on this website.

Sandeep Nagpal, Regional Winner for the Western Ontario Region, has been awarded the 2008 Webster Trophy. Sandeep is flying out of the Brampton Flight College (BFC) which makes this the third year in a row for a competitor from BFC to take the title. Last year’s winner Andrew Midcalf was in attendance at the awards banquet to congratulate his friend.

Trevor Le Marquand, Regional Winner for Quebec, has achieved the runner-up position and been awarded the Eunice Carter Memorial Award. Trevor took a Webster flight test while visiting back home in Quebec City. The rules state that the Region where you take your test is the Region you will represent. Trevor is currently training through the Moncton Flight College, Moncton, NB.

Our photographer this year and hopefully for more to follow is Marcel Keays. His work on Webster is phenomenal and can be accessed at: http://picasaweb.google.com/photomaxme/Webster.

All of the finalists went home with wonderful memories and awards and prizes from our sponsor Air Canada Flight Operations and so many of our aviation industry supporters all of whom should be applauded for their contributions. Those supporters are listed with their logos on this website.

The following is a list of the awards and prizes for 2008 presented:

Winner

• A bronze medallion depicting the Webster Trophy
• The winner’s name on the pedastal of the Webster Trophy displayed at the Canada Aviation Museum
• Two tickets anywhere on the Air Canada system courtesy of Air Canada
• A prodessional development day with the Canadian Snowbirds Aerobatic Team
• A top-of-the-line headset courtesy of Sennheiser (Canada)
• A cheque of significant denomination presented by the Air Canada Pilots Association (ACPA)
• A framed print of John C Webster in flight personally signed by renowned Canadian artist Robert Bradford
• A Certificate of Congratulations Award presented by Air Transport Association of Canada

Runner-up

• A plaque signifying receipt of the Eunice Carter Memorial Award
• The runner-up’s name on the base of the Eunice Carter Memorial Award displayed at the Canada Aviation Museum
• A high quality headset courtesy of Sennheiser (Canada)
• A framed print of John C Webster in flight personally signed by renowned Canadian artist Robert Bradford
• A personalized professional log-book courtesy of Aviation World (Toronto) *

*All VNCs used by the finalists for both air and ground tests were supplied courtesy of Aviation World.

All Finalists

• Personalized lithographs from the Canadian Snowbirds Aerobatic Team
• One year membership courtesy of Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA)
• One year subscription of WINGS magazine

All finalists other than the winner and runner-up received plaques depicting their standing as National Finalists for 2008.

Special Note: Through the generosity of the Airline Pilots Association (ALPA), all flying costs plus an additional night of accommodation for those who required it were completely covered.

Ms. Polly Vacher, renowned British aviatrix, was a charming and immediate hit with the finalists and a fascinating speaker at the Awards Banquet as she reflected upon some of her around the world experiences.

All Webster finalists received an autographed copy of Polly’s book “Wings Around the World” chronicling her incredible flight of a lifetime.

To learn more about Polly’s adventures and charitable pursuits, please feel free to consult her web site at http://worldwings.org/.

The Webster Memorial Trophy Competition was privileged to be able to assist Polly to introduce Flying Scholarships for the Disabled to the Canadian Aviation Establishment.

Webster Memorial Trophy Winner for 2007

The winner this year of the Webster Memorial Trophy Competition for 2007 and presented during the awards banquet at the Canada Aviation Museum on the evening of Saturday, August 25th is Andrew Midcalf (see 2007 Finalists for picture).

Andrew flies out of Brampton Flight College (BFC), Brampton, Ontario and this is the second year in a row that BFC has produced a Webster winner. The National Finals have been hosted at BFC in the past where we felt totally at home. Congratulations to both Andrew and BFC for their accomplishment.

Andrew has already already enjoyed one of the prizes awarded him as he took a flight with Michael Potter of Vintage Wings the next day at the Classic Air Rallye being held at the museum. Andrew actually had the opportunity to fly the aircraft over the city of Ottawa.

Andrew also received the Webster Trophy Medallion, two tickets from our sponsor Air Canada anywhere the airline flies, a framed print of John C. Webster’s Curtiss Rambler signed by the artist Robert Bradford, a top of the line set of noise cancelling headphones presented by Sennheiser (Canada) and brand new this year, a cheque for $500 to help him with his flying costs presented by the Air Canada Pilots Association. Finally, Andrew will have a flight with the Canadian Armed Forces elite aerobatic team, the Snowbirds.

Webster Memorial Trophy Runner-Up for 2007

The runner-up this year of the Webster Memorial Trophy Competition for 2007 also awarded at the banquet Saturday evening is Andrew Kent (see 2007 Finalists for picture).

Andrew flies with the Edmonton Flying Club (EFC), Edmonton, Alberta. Webster has held national competitions in the past at EFC and truly enjoyed their hospitality. Congratulations to both Andrew and EFC for their accomplishments.

Andrew received a plaque representing the Eunice Carter Memorial Award, a personalized Professional Pilot Logbook courtesy of Aviation World (Toronto), a framed print of the Curtiss Rambler signed by the artist Robert Bradford, and a top of the line set of aviation headphones courtesy of Sennheiser (Canada).

The remaining finalists received Webster plaques depicting their participation in the competition.

All the finalists received a one-year personalized membership courtesy of the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association and also received a personalized lithograph of the Snowbirds in flight signed by the entire team.