For the 25th year, local pilots gave dozens of kids the chance to experience the thrill of flight.

On Saturday, the Kelowna Flying Club and its members of the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association gave about 170 kids between eight and 17 years old a free, 30-minute ride through the skies around Kelowna.

The goal of the COPA for Kids Aviation Program is to spark an interest in aviation at a young age for local youth.

Ruper Gruen, one of the organizers of the event, first got his start in aviation when he was eight years old living in Johannesburg, South Africa.

“My cousin was an air stewardess and her boyfriend at the time was a South African Airways captain and he took us up in a little Piper Tri-Pacer right over Johannesburg and ever since then I was very interested in aviation,” said Gruen, who went on to join the South African Air Force and has since built his own plane.

“The Red Cross won't take any donations from me because my blood is tainted with 100 Low Lead aircraft fuel.”

Fourteen small planes were in rotation Saturday, all donated by members of the Kelowna Flying Club for the event. Some WestJet pilots were also on hand to help get the kids in the air.

“Aviation is one of those undiscovered jewels that kids aren't aware of,” said Doris Livingstone, event organizer and WestJet employee.

“This is a great opportunity to ignite a new desire in a child as a possibility to be a pilot one day.”

Gruen has been involved in pretty much all of the 25 local COPA for Kids events and he said this year's may have been the best.

“The enthusiasm keeps growing, YLW is huge in supporting us, WestJet has 17 WestJetters out,” he said.

The event, which takes place across Canada, has introduced over 23,000 kids to aviation.