A lively debate has emerged on the Canadian Owner and Pilots Association Facebook page on whether or not Canadian pilots should attend AirVenture in July. The levying of stiff tariffs on Canadian goods and repeated comments by President Donald Trump suggesting the 158-year-old country should become the 51st state has unleashed a wave of patriotism and that has apparently influenced the flight plans of Canadian pilots, particularly when it comes to making the trek to Oshkosh. “Not a chance. Only when the Trump regime is gone will I consider crossing the 49th,” said one of about 100 COPA members commenting on the post.
That sentiment seems to be in the majority if this Facebook post is at all representative of Canada’s pilot population. But a significant number of commenters dismissed the current tensions as political bickering that shouldn’t impact aviation. “I will be going , life is too short , and while having your own personal protest might make you feel better , it will have a negligible effect on the US economic machine at the end of the day,” said another commenter. Many Canadians are cancelling travel plans in the U.S. (Delta Air Lines became the latest to cut service to Canadian cities on Monday) and avoiding buying American goods when Canadian-made versions are available.
