EAA Canada Joins a Who's Who of Webster Trophy Sponsors

June 2019 - The EAA Canadian Council is pleased to announce that it has become a sponsor of the prestigious Webster Memorial Trophy Competition. This annual competition celebrates Canada's rich aviation heritage, and the rigorous yearlong selection process culminates in the selection of our nation's top amateur pilot. The competition's lead sponsor is Air Canada, and we are proud to join a long list of Canada's leading aviation organizations to support this most worthwhile endeavor.

The Webster Competition is named for John Webster Jr., a Canadian aviation pioneer who in the early 1930s helped to educate the public about civil aviation. These visionaries ushered in a new era by participating in air pageants across the country to increase awareness of aviation. Unfortunately, John Webster died in July 1931 near St. Hubert, Quebec, while practicing for an aerobatic competition as part of one of these air pageants. The following year, John's father, Dr. John C. Webster, of Shediac, New Brunswick, established the John C. Webster Memorial Trophy to perpetuate his son's memory. The first trophy was awarded in 1932, and 87 years later the title of Canada's Top Amateur Pilot is still actively competed for.

The highlight of the yearlong competition is a glamorous banquet, held in locations across the country when several awards are presented, not just to the ultimate winner but to the runner-up and indeed to all of the worthy finalists. This year, the nine regional finalists will gather in Moncton, New Brunswick, August 19-24 to complete the intensive qualification and assessment process, which will culminate at the awards banquet on August 24. EAA Canada will be there to present each of the finalists with a complimentary one-year membership to EAA.

This opportunity to increase awareness and exposure of EAA is a call to action to any of our members in eastern New Brunswick. EAA headquarters informs us that we have more than 50 current members in New Brunswick, most of whom reside in the eastern part of the province. We do not have an EAA chapter there, but it would be great if we could host an event in the Moncton area during "Webster week" to demonstrate to the national audience how recreational aviation is alive and well in our part of the country. We're wondering if a simple barbecue for the competitors, a hangar tour showcasing homebuilt aircraft, or a hands-on activity demonstrating amateur-built construction techniques and methods would be possible. We're sure any of these would be of interest to the Webster participants and organizers. If any of our members in New Brunswick have ideas or are willing to work with us to pull something together, we would love to hear from you. I encourage you to contact me to talk about next steps.

Jack Neima
EAA Canadian Council
Porters Lake, Nova Scotia
902-827-3665
jackneima@gmail.com

Click here to learn more about the Webster Memorial Trophy Competition.