WWW.WINGSMAGAZINE.COM March/April 2015 | WINGS 17PHOTO: JIM STUBBINGTON
S
o what does it take to make your
mark in the world of aviation
and aerospace? It’s all about
having a flexible, hardworking,
“can do” attitude while being as
resilient and proactive as possible. And if
you really want to make your mark, copi-
ous quantities of passion for your chosen
field goes a long way.
This was the overriding message con-
veyed by a selection of industry experts
during Wings and Helicopters third an-
nual Careers in Aviation Expo Saturday,
February 7 at the Canadian Warplane
Heritage Museum in Hamilton. Some 160
air cadets, high school and college stu-
dents and career seekers descended on the
iconic site for a fast-paced day of learning,
education and more.
“I think one of the great things about
this event is it gives students of all levels a
chance to learn about a variety of aviation
and aerospace careers all in one spot,”
said Glen Lynch, president and CEO of
Montreal-based GAL Aerospace, one of
the panelists in the afternoon session con-
centrating on varied aviation professions.
One of the things that the team at Wings
and Helicopters has done so effectively
here is bring together experts in a variety
fields to show students that there a whole
selection of professions out there to chose
from. Yes, there are certainly pilots, but
there are many other options as well.”
The day-long event feature four edu-
cational panels including helicopter and
fixed wing pilots of varying disciplines;
education and flight training; various
aviation professional such as TSB inspec-
tor, air traffic controller, aviation sales,
marketing and more; and maintenance
and aerospace opportunities and educa-
tional paths.
The day also featured countless net-
working opportunities for young adults,
as panelists and exhibitors shared key in-
dustry information with young aviators.
Students also had the opportunity to tour
the fabulous Warplane Heritage Museum
site and hop aboard a Pilatus PC-12NG,
a mainstay in many Canadian operator
fleets.
Topics of discussion throughout the day
ran the gamut, including cost of educa-
tion for an aviation education, what skillsstudents need to succeed in their given
field of choice, hot trends in the industry,
challenges students might need to an-
ticipate and overcome, opportunities for
women in aviation, composite technology
and the skills needed to work with new
materials and so much more. Students
even had the opportunity to meet and
listen to a real rocket scientist – MDA’s
Natalie Panek, who made several astute
points about how young women can make
their mark in the industry.
One of the key messages reinforced
throughout the day by panelists was aspir-
ing students need to differentiate them-
selves from their competition through out
all stages of career development. Volun-
teering, finding ways to make your mark
with an aviation operation, augmenting
your development in any way – it all sets
you apart from the competition when
you are just starting out. Having ample
amounts of passion for your chosen field
was also a common theme.
“Differentiating yourself and showing
that passion, any way that you can get
ahead in someone’s eyes will go a long
way in your development,” said Mike
Schuster, a captain with Porter airlinesand the founder/director
of operations with Aviation
Solutions, a company de-
signed to help aviation firms
enhance operations. “You
really stand out in your ca-
reer development at all lev-
els when you do those extra
things. If that means in your first job your
day is done, but you are out there helping
someone else tie down an airplane and se-
cure it for the night or you are handy with
books and you offer your boss the chance
to help out with the manuals – anything
that can help you make a mark, do it. It’s
all word of mouth in this industry, it’s very
small, everyone knows one another.
Future aviation professionals might
also want to concentrate on developing
their math skills and also pay close at-
tention to soft skills such as the ability
to cooperate, their ability to work well as
a team, and the ability to adapt and be
flexible in all aspects of career and work
opportunities.
The CIA Expo in Hamilton was just
one of three careers events Wings and
Helicopters team will be hosting in 2015.
On Saturday, February 21, the team de-
scended on Ottawa for its second event of
the year at the Canada Aviation and Space
Museum. On Saturday, April 11, the team
sets up in Calgary at the Calgary Aero
Space Museum.
For more information, please go to
http://www.careersinaviation.ca/expo/. | WIf you really want to make your
mark, copious quantities of
passion for your chosen field
goes a long way.
| By Matt Nicholls
Hamilton CIA Expo excites
Young aviators get a sense of what it takes to succeed in their chosen career
CIA
EXPO