Holding Short

Episode 65 is out today with guest Karl Loken! Karl began his aviation career in 2007 with Air Georgian/Air Canada Express, as an Inventory Controller in supply-chain to support the Beech 1900D aircraft; concurrently training under Centennial College’s Parts Technician Apprenticeship red seal trade certification program. In 2013, he joined Sky Regional Airlines/Air Canada Express as a Lead Materials Coordinator, Stores & Material Control department at YYZ for the Embraer 175 fleet transition from Air Canada mainline to Air Canada Express operations. In late 2014, at age 25, Karl was presented with an opportunity to join Emirates Airlines in Dubai, UAE to help develop the Materials Management Department for its new $120 million Emirates Engine Maintenance Centre (EEMC), the largest engine (Maintenance Repair Organization) MRO in the Middle East, which supports the power-plant repair and overhaul for the GE90-115B and GP7200 engines for the Boeing 777-200LR/-300ER and Airbus A380 respectively. He also leveraged the support of Emirates to complete a Master’s degree in Aviation Management. After working for close to four years for Emirates Airlines, Karl in 2018 returned home to Toronto as Stores Duty Manager for Air Canada’s YYZ Hub. At Pearson International Airport, he managed the project development and transition of the logistics and supply footprint within the largest freestanding, commercial aircraft hangar in Canada (Bay 5), built at a cost of $90 million. In 2020, his role at Air Canada expanded to include serving as Regional Manager, SCM Operations at YYZ. His role further expanded to being promoted to General Manager, Logistics & Warehousing, and was responsible for Air Canada’s Logistics department across the various bases system wide. Upon Karl’s return to Canada, he concurrently worked to also earn his Commercial Pilot’s License and Group 1 Multi IFR rating. He is now currently flying as a First Officer on the Dash 8-100/300 for Voyageur Airways. He is a holder of an M.B.A in Aviation Management, an accredited Member of The Royal Aeronautical Society, and an accredited Member of the Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport. He has been a member of the Urban Pilots Network (UPN) since 2007, and a member of Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP) since 2017. Karl can be found on instagram @lokalizer1 and on Linkedin.

Episode 63 is out today with guest Emily Reiman! Emily is an Aerospace Control Operator in the RCAF, the Director of DEI on the Senior Leadership Team for Elevate Aviation and Project Coordinator for Allies in the Workplace. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Sociology and a Master’s Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus in Equity Studies. Emily is currently working in the Combat Operations Center in Cold Lake AB and has deployed operationally on Operation Reassurance in Romania and Operation Impact in Kuwait. She has participated in numerous exercises throughout North America and has had the opportunity to travel throughout her military career. Emily is a member of the Defence Women’s Advisory Organization (DWAO) that seeks to address and overcome barriers that women face in the workplace, and a member of the Transforming Military Cultures (TMC) Network - a collaboration that seeks to challenge, reimagine, and transform the Canadian Armed Forces culture into one that embraces inclusivity and difference. Emily was recently published in the Canadian Military Journal for an ethnographic article on culture change as a wicked problem with the CAF through her lens as a Jr NCM. Through academia and personal passion, she has committed to bettering the workplace through the implementation of DEI practices. She believes deeply in allyship as a way to lighten the burden on others to create a more inclusive world. Emily was born and raised in Niagara Falls, ON and is the youngest of three. She loves to golf, cross country ski, weight train and stare up at the stars - she loves astronomy and all things space! If you’d like to know more about Emily, and her work, she can be found on instagram @rammyreiman, Twitter @rammyreiman, and Linkedin under the name Emily Reiman.

Episode 61 is out today with guest Tim Perry! WestJet pilot Tim Perry is the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA) Canada president. He was first elected on Oct. 17, 2018, at the Association’s biennial Board of Directors meeting, taking office on January 1, 2019. He is currently serving his third term. The ALPA Canada president is the principal officer of the ALPA Canada Board, chairs all meetings, and serves as the Board’s spokesperson. Captain Perry is responsible for planning, coordinating, and administering the affairs and activities of ALPA Canada, and he consults with and is assisted by the other Canada Board officers in furthering the objectives and policies of the Association. Captain Perry previously served the WestJet pilot group as its Master Executive Council vice chair and was instrumental in the organizing campaign that ultimately led the pilot group to certify ALPA as its labour union. Prior to WestJet, he flew for Calm Air, where he served as a Local Executive Council first officer representative. A graduate of Selkirk College with a diploma in aviation technology, he lives in Toronto, Ontario. More on ALPA and their work can be found online through social media by searching ALPA Canada, or on their website at www.alpa.org/canada . Tim can also be found on Linkedin.

Episode 59 is out today with guest Warren Holt! A pilot with Air Canada for the past 17 years, Warren Holt is also the President of a non-profit organization called the Urban Pilots Network, or UPN. Warren became interested in flying at an early age and continued the pursuit of his dream by enrolling in the Aviation and Flight Technology Program at Seneca College. After graduation it would take Warren 7 years to accrue the flight time and experience necessary to ultimately land him his dream job as a pilot at Air Canada. During those seven years gaining experience, Warren instructed at Canadian Flight Academy in Oshawa, flew for Wasaya Airways as a pilot in Thunder Bay and Sioux Lookout, and was also a pilot at Air Jamaica. Throughout his time at Air Canada, Warren has flown many different aircraft types, and is currently transitioning from the Boeing 787 to Captain on the Boeing 767 for Air Canada’s cargo operation. In his time as an instructor, Warren met and instructed a black student, who at the time, was an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer at Air Canada. They had similar interests and remained in contact. In 2004, that same student would start the Urban Pilots Network with the goal of increasing diversity in the flight deck, and right across the aviation industry. Upon his return to Canada in 2005, Warren would join the organization as its Vice President and would remain in that role until 2020, when he would step into the President’s role. Currently as President, Warren continues to push UPN’s mandate to “Bridge the Gap between the Urban Community and the Aviation Community.” Now that the foundation of UPN is solid, with a spectrum of programs for BIPOC youth, and UPN members, Warren is looking to expand UPNs’ reach and impact by establishing relationships with the “big players” in the industry. Employment is the ultimate measure of the success of UPNs’ programming, and so these relationships will solidify everything that UPN has worked for. Inspiring to Aspire Higher is UPNs’ motto, and Warren is determined that once the youth have been inspired, that there is a pathway for success established so they can achieve their aviation dreams. Inspiring to Aspire Higher! To find Warren and the Urban Pilots Network visit their website at www.urbanpilots.net/, or on instagram @urbanpilotsnetwork, Facebook under Urban Pilots Network Inc, and Linkedin under Urban Pilots Network.

Sierra Harrop is an award-winning storyteller, TV host, and content creator. For eleven years, she told the story of general aviation as a producer and videojournalist for AOPA. She is a private pilot with tailwheel and high-performance endorsements. She’s currently completing instrument rating and commercial certificate training. She’s flown over 20 different types of general aviation aircraft and enjoys backcountry flying and long VFR cross countries. She’s a licensed ham radio operator and works full time promoting that hobby. Previously, she worked as a storm chaser and news anchor for television stations in the central United States. Since recording this episode Sierra has started a new adventure, but her work with AOPA can still be viewed on AOPA’s social media channels and youtube. Sierra can be found online on Instagram @SierraHarrop, Tiktok @sierraharrop, Twitter @flywithsierra and on Facebook by searching Sierra Harrop.

Episode 55 is out today with guest Melissa! From the moment Melissa spotted a sea turtle on her first plane ride as a child with her grandfather flying the plane, she has loved flying. It was not until decades later that Melissa realised she could have a career as a pilot and transition from her desk job in banking that left her feeling unfulfilled. Melissa began flight training in 2014, since then she has juggled working full-time, earning a BS in Aviation Administration from Utah Valley University, flight training and life on her family cattle farm. For almost the past five years, Melissa has also worked full time in aviation for AeroNavData/Garmin as an aeronautical analyst and trainer. She holds a rotorcraft CFI and commercial helicopter licence with instrument rating and is currently working on her CFII. Since discovering her love for helicopter flying, Melissa has been involved with the Ninety-Nines, Women in Aviation and the Whirly Girls aviation organisations.

Episode 53 is out today with guest OpeOluwa Iyortim! OpeOluwa fell in love with aviation on his very first flight as a toddler. He has lived with the single-minded goal of becoming an Airline pilot since then. This end goal of a career in aviation has influenced all his major life decisions, including his choice of a Bachelor’s degree in Geography. He also spent a year teaching geography at a high school after university, where he developed a love for sharing knowledge and mentoring. OpeOluwa completed the integrated commercial pilot course (ICPC) at the Moncton Flight College in 2016, after which he instructed with the school for two years before launching his airline career at a regional carrier. In addition to his busy schedule, he still finds time to instruct and mentor pilots on the side. While he admits it is a juggling act, he finds joy and fulfilment in bringing people into the family that is aviation. Appreciative of the peculiarities that enabled him to build an airline career in just 4 years, OpeOluwa founded The Vectored Approach Consulting: an initiative driven by the vision of lowering the barriers to aviation and improving the flight training experience. OpeOluwa and The Vectored Approach can be found on linkedin, instagram @tva_consulting, and online at www.vectoredapproach.com.

Episode 51 is out today with guest Dr Cassandra Marion! A life-long explorer and outdoorswoman, Cassandra completed her PhD in geology and planetary science and exploration from the Institute for Earth and Space Exploration at Western University where she studied meteorite impact craters in the Canadian Arctic. She also has considerable analogue mission experience, which are simulated robotic and human missions designed to learn, train and prepare for real missions to the Moon and Mars. In her most recent expedition, she helped to train two astronauts in field geology in preparation for upcoming missions to the Moon. In her current role as Science Advisor for the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa, Cassandra is dedicated to sharing her passion and knowledge of Earth and planetary sciences with communities near and far as well as acting as liaison and collaborator between the museum, academia, industry and government to connect the greater community of science and technology. Dr Marion can be found on twitter @planetarycass. The Canada Aviation and Space Museum can be found on their website, instagram @avspacemuseum, as well as other social media channels!

Episode 49 is out today with guest Marielle Caron! In her 15th year of working in the aviation industry, Marielle Caron is enjoying her role as a First Officer for a Private Jet company. From her beginning as a ramp agent, she worked her way through many roles in aviation, and ultimately completed her necessary ratings to obtain a flying job. It took nearly 10 years to achieve these qualifications but after some perseverance she found success, and now holds an ATPL and is type-rated on an Embraer Legacy jet. While hers was not a straightforward path to becoming a pilot, she did not give up on her dream and has learned much about aviation along the way. She enjoys sharing her story, sharing her passion, and supporting others along their aviation journey. Marielle can be found on instagram @one_dot_below.

Episode 47 is out today with guest Lucy Poirier! Lucy grew up in Langley, BC where her love of aviation was sparked from a young age by her mom and the Canadian Museum of Flight. At the age of 12, Lucy joined 746 Lightning Hawk Royal Canadian Air Cadets and over the next seven years she obtained her glider and private pilot licenses and participated on the International Air Cadet Exchange to fly aircraft in Switzerland. Post-Secondary, Lucy studied business in aviation at the University of the Fraser Valley and enrolled in the Cadet Instructors Cadre branch of the Royal Canadian Air Force to return to the Cadet Program and become a glider flight instructor. While discerning which aviation career path was right for her, Lucy was encouraged by a mentor to apply to NavCanada and become an air traffic controller. Lucy always thought she would be flying and had not previously considered becoming an air traffic controller, but during the application process she discovered this was the career for her. At 19, Lucy became a VFR controller and now works in the Prince George control tower. Lucy also volunteers with Elevate Aviation as the British Columbia Wing mentorship program coordinator. ‘My passion for mentorship is inspired by and dedicated to all the mentors I have had both related to my career in aviation and in life. Without those wonderful people who encouraged and supported me and gave me opportunities to consider and grow, I would not be where I am today. I hope in my mentorship roles now to inspire and prepare the next generation of women in aviation!’ Lucy can be contacted through Elevate Aviation by email at lucy@elevateaviation.ca to learn more about mentorship opportunities. Elevate Aviation can be found on their website www.elevateaviation.ca, instagram @elevateaviation, linkedin, and other major social media platforms.

Episode 45 is out today with guest Tonya Yearwood! Tonya Yearwood was born in Toronto, Ontario to natives of Trinidad & Tobago. She worked in both Canada and the United States in a variety of careers; Finance, Fitness, Postal Service, and Automotive until she found herself in Aviation & Aerospace within the IT space. Working in the industry allowed Tonya to have a newfound appreciation for air transportation but quickly learned that diversity in Aviation & Aerospace was non-existent compared to her previous professional experiences. Seeing the need for change, Tonya founded the Black Aviation Professionals Network (BAPN), a non-profit organisation to help her fellow colleagues and the next generation of leaders and aviators in the sector. BAPN promotes Aviation, showcases that the industry is more than pilots and flight attendants, and appeals to the Black community showing the variety of careers available and supplying the resources to thrive. There are Aviation Professionals and professionals in Aviation, and together, they are BAPN! BAPN can be found on their website www.thebapn.ca, instagram @the.BAPN, and linkedin.

Episode 43 is out today with guest Karly Barker! ​​As the daughter of an original 'Super Commuter', the aviation bug hit early for Karly Barker. Growing up, she was able to watch float planes and water bombers touch down on the lake at her childhood home, as well as attend the Shearwater International Airshow year after year. As a teenager, she tweaked an overseas flight reservation just to 'fly on the Queen of the Skies'. As a creative, during her time studying in Visual Arts and Graphic Design, Karly set her goals early on to become a visual storyteller utilising her skills in design and photography, and to work her way into the aviation industry. Starting with illustrating aircraft as a hobby, she invested in a super-telephoto lens and began photographing aircraft. Today, she regularly photographs aircraft and operations for the PAL Group of Companies. At the time of recording Karly worked as a marketing designer at CarteNav, a PAL Aerospace company. We'd like to congratulate Karly on her new position with Air Canada as a Senior Designer and Art Director. Karly can be found on instagram @Karliaa, twitter @karliaa_b, and on linkedin.

Episode 41 is out today with guest Ashwin Sagar! Growing up in the Middle East, Ashwin Sagar lived near some of the biggest and busiest airports in the world. From a young age he would go plane-spotting and made sure to visit the flight deck every time he travelled. For 21 years the dream of flying remained just that: a dream. He moved to Canada to pursue a business degree and in his final year of university he truly started to consider a career in aviation. From then on, there was no stopping him. He enrolled in the Brampton Flight Centre’s Professional Pilot Diploma program, becoming a flight instructor there after completing his training. After this, he moved to Northern Canada to work for Perimeter Aviation as a first officer on Metroliner 3 and later on a Dash 8. At the age of 25, he landed his dream job of flying the Boeing 757 & 767 for Cargojet. Ashwin can be found on Instagram @ash.sagar or on Linkedin.