Holding Short

Episode 15- Clarissa Dean

Clarissa Dean’s interest in aviation started while she was enrolled at Mount Allison University in Sackville, NB. During her studies, she met several students taking the Aviation program through her Weather and Climate class, and from there, she was hooked. 

Initially she began working for Porter Airlines as a Customer Service Representative, and one year later was accepted as flight attendant for the Halifax base in Porter's 45th Flight Attendant class. One year into her dream job, she accepted the challenge of upgrading to an Inflight Purser until the organization’s suspension in March 2020 due to COVID-19. She looks forward to returning to and serving the friendly skies in 2021!

Clarissa can be found on Instagram @cjodean.902

Episode 14- Kathy Fox

Kathy Fox chose air traffic control as a career, first with Transport Canada, and then with NAV CANADA where she held a number of senior management positions, including being the first woman Vice President Operations, from which she retired in 2007. Kathy was subsequently appointed as a Board Member of the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) and has served as its Chair since 2014.

 Kathy has also been extensively involved in other aviation activities for over 45 years, including sport parachuting and commercial aviation. She holds an airline transport pilot licence, multi-IFR and Instructor Class I ratings and has flown over 5000 hours. Kathy was a Transport Canada approved Pilot Examiner for over 25 years and still flies part-time as an instructor. 

Kathy has been a trailblazer her entire career and has been the recipient of many honours and awards, including:

Being the first woman and youngest person to be President of the Canadian Sport Parachuting Association, the Transport Canada Aviation Safety Award in 1999, inducted into the Quebec Air and Space Hall of Fame in 2004, the 2010 Elsie MacGill Northern Lights Award in 2010, the prestigious David Charles Abramson Memorial Flight Instructor Safety Award in 2011 in recognition of her exceptional leadership and devotion to the advancement of Canadian aviation safety, and in 2016 was inducted into Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame as only the 10th woman to be recognized this way. Most recently in 2018, she was inducted into the International Women in Aviation Pioneer Hall of Fame.

Episode 13- Teri Loretto- Valentik

Teri comes from a long line of aviation folks: without exception, her entire immediate family were, or still are, involved in the industry. It seemed natural, then, that she worked her way through her degrees in the arts by working as a dispatcher, safety officer, and manager of a flight training unit. Strangely, her two worlds collide often: her aviation weather training, combined with her film and TV work, landed her the job as backup weather person for her local CBC news station. Some of her favourite theatre experiences were working on shows like Billy Bishop Goes to War and Voices from the Front. 

Now the coordinator for the Scriptwriting Program at Algonquin College, she still uses her aviation background when working on scripts involving planes and aviation. The skills she learned while working in aviation have served well in her transition to 'normal' jobs: amazing how easy it can be no one is going to crash if you make a mistake! Sometimes while sitting at her desk, she gazes longingly at the big blue sky outside her window.

Episode 12- Dr. Suzanne Kearns

Dr. Suzanne Kearns is an Associate Professor of Aviation at the University of Waterloo. She is an internationally recognized leader in aviation education research, has earned airplane and helicopter pilot licenses at the age of 17, advanced aeronautical degrees from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and began working as an aviation professor upon graduation at the age of 24.

 

In the years since, she has taught and mentored thousands of aviation students, written/co-authored six books (including ‘Competency-Based Education in Aviation’, which was the first detailed investigation into this training theory applied to aviation; and, ‘Fundamentals of International Aviation’, which is a textbook with multiple translations used in flight schools, colleges, and universities around the world to introduce youth to the field of aviation).

 

She has received several awards for research and educational works, frequently delivers invited keynote addresses at international aviation conferences, and holds leadership positions with several international aviation organizations including supporting the Next Generation of Aviation Professionals program with the International Civil Aviation Organization, as a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, and as Past-President of the University Aviation Association.

Dr Suzanne Kearns can be found on Instagram @kearns4444 and on LinkedIn

Episode 11- Janelle Walters

Janelle’s journey into the exciting world of aviation was entirely a fluke. She had always been interested in travel and adventure, however never considered aviation as a career path. Unbeknownst to her, Janelle’s mom had submitted a job application on her behalf to the Calgary Airport Authority after she graduated high school. After a confusing phone call, she attended the interview, was enthralled by the hustle and bustle of airside, and was offered the job. After a summer at the airport she was hooked! 

Janelle worked for a few more years in her original field of choice, hospitality and events. However, she could not shake the feeling that she belonged in the aviation world. She decided to head back to school, and after applications, acceptance and many program pros and cons lists, she decided on Georgian College. Janelle graduated in 2016 receiving an Advanced Diploma in Aviation Management with Honours. 

Her career in aviation has let her explore many facets of the industry, from airports, to general aviation, to commercial aviation, to private aviation and most recently, the world of rotary aircraft. Janelle’s favourite thing about the industry is the diversity in work and people, and she promises the fast-paced nature of aviation will never leave you bored!

Janelle can be found on Instagram @janellewalters

Episode 10- Madison Tiller

At the beginning of her career in Communications, Madison Tiller, did not picture a life in aviation. However, her path has always proved to be full of surprises. 

Shortly after graduating with her Bachelor of Public Relations degree, Madison had stints working in Communications with the federal government, followed by a position in the construction sector. Feeling the need for a change, Madison stumbled across a job posting for a temporary position as Communications Specialist with Jazz Aviation LP and decided to risk her full-time position and follow her heart.

Three years later, she is glad she did, and is now the in-house graphic designer, photographer and videographer for Jazz. She also manages the Jazz social media accounts and writes for their internal newsletter, The Journal. She has fallen in love with the aviation industry and can’t imagine working anywhere else.

Madison can be found on Instagram @madloveaviation and Jazz Aviation can be found @jazzaviationlp

Episode 9- Maegan Extross

Maegan first became interested in aviation at age 12, after joining the Air Cadet program. She went on to attend the Aviation Safety Advanced Diploma Program at Seneca College, graduating with Honours and as Valedictorian of her class. During her program, she completed a co-op term with NAV CANADA, where she was hired full-time upon graduation in 2018, and works as a Research Analyst. In this capacity, Maegan provides traffic and safety analysis to support informed decision-making.

Maegan is also the Ambassador for Elevate Aviation’s Ontario Wing and the Volunteer Director for Canadian Women in Aviation.

Maegan can be found on Instagram @missextross

Episode 8- Kendra Kincade

With more than 20 years as an Air Traffic Controller, two years as Nav Canada’s Employer Brand Specialist, an international key-note speaker, and Founder of two not-for-profit organisations, Kendra has unmatched expertise in equity, diversity and inclusion in the aviation industry. She has received many awards and accolades for her ability to turn a dream into reality and make a difference in the industry.

Kendra is also Founder and President of Elevate Aviation where among other things she spends her time public speaking and working to promote the world of aviation to women.

She is the Honorary Colonel of the RCAF 417 Helicopter Squadron who are now affectionately known to her as ‘the Jokers’. 

Kendra can be found on Instagram @kendrakincade_, Elevate Aviation can be found Instagram @elevateaviation and their website https://elevateaviation.ca

Episode 7- Taylor Heber

Taylor Heber currently flies a Beechcraft 1900 in some of the most remote areas of Alaska. Prior to aviation, she started out in medical devices sales for spinal implants and has since traded her heels and scrubs for xtra tuffs.

Taylor flies for a Part 135 operation where they fuel their own aircraft, load and unload the cargo, and regularly hit 14 hour duty days. She admits it is not always the most glamorous type of flying you can sometimes find on social media, but that the experience is unlike anything else. 

She has recently begun a blog ( https://tayloredapproach.com)and Instagram account, @taylored.approach, to showcase this part of the industry and encourage others to consider this type of flying.

Episode 6- Kerry McCauley

Kerry McCauley got his inspiration to start flying from his uncle Kerry who was a Navy pilot and Kerry's namesake. At 17 he joined the Army National Guard and became a UH-1H "Huey" helicopter crew chief. Kerry did 12 years in the Guard becoming a winter survival instructor, Air Assault school graduate and was awarded 2 Army commendation medals. In 1986 Kerry got his skydiving license and private pilot's license and within 3 years was a free fall instructor and commercial pilot. In 1990 Kerry was hired by Orient Air and made his first solo trans-Atlantic crossing delivering a small twin-engine plane from Minnesota to Lisbon, Portugal. In 1998 Kerry and his wife Cathy started Skydive Twin Cities which soon became the biggest skydiving school in Minneapolis. Since then, Kerry has made over 20,000 jumps and raised 2 children who are also skydiving instructors.  

In the 30 years since that first trip Kerry has made over 100 ocean crossings, flew over 50 different kinds of aircraft, to over 60 countries and landed in every continent but Antarctica. Kerry's ferry flying career took a new turn when the Discovery Channel hired him to be one of the main characters on their hit TV show "Dangerous Flights" The TV show was a hit and ran for 2 seasons and was slated for a third when an aircraft accident claimed the life of one of the cameramen and the show was cancelled. In July of 2020 Kerry published a memoir about the early days of his career called "Ferry Pilot. Nine lives over the North Atlantic" The book was an instant hit, selling over 4000 copies in 6 months and is currently the number one best seller on Amazon in the aviation category. Kerry is currently finishing up a novel on a Blackhawk crew chief in Afghanistan and working on his second book on ferry flying.  

Kerry can be found on Instagram @ferrypilotbook and his website https://kerrymccauley.com.