A local pilot has soared sky-high in her career while also serving as a role model for other women in the aviation industry.
Capt. Kristin Long of Stonewall recently received the Northern Lights Aero Foundation’s Elsie MacGill Flight Operations Award. Named after Elsie MacGill, a Canadian woman who was the first female aircraft designer in the world, these awards honour outstanding women in aviation and aerospace in Canada.
Four pairs of women nominated Long, who serves as a captain and standards pilot on a B737 for WestJet. One pair of nominators has connections to the Northern Spirit Chapter of Women in Aviation International, which Long founded in 2002. Another pair works with Long on a committee for the annual Girls in Aviation Day. Two female WestJet pilots also nominated Long. Another two nominators — Shirley Render and Rosella Bjornson — were trailblazers in aviation themselves.
“I was really flattered by all the support and the nominations that came in,” said Long, who received her award at a gala event in Toronto in October. “Great supporters can inspire people and make a difference.”
Even when she was an elementary school student, Long had set her sights on the skies. Both her parents worked for Air Canada, so aviation was part of her world from a young age.
“Initially, I wanted to be a flight attendant when I grew up. By Grade 7, I was doing well in school and strong in math. The idea started to form in my mind that maybe I could be a pilot — and, honestly, nobody ever said I couldn’t,” she said.
“That just became my goal and that’s what I aspired to.”
She continued to study and obtained a bachelor of science degree from the University of British Columbia and an aviation diploma from the University of the Fraser Valley and Coastal Pacific Aviation.
She began to work for Perimeter Airlines and eventually took a position with WestJet.
“I’ve always loved travel and the adventure of experiencing different places and cultures and meeting new people. I never saw myself in an office cubicle doing a 9-to-5 job, so I like the variety of work and the flexibility with the scheduling. No two days are alike — it’s different destinations and different people we work with all the time,” she said.
“It keeps it exciting and interesting, even this many years into my career. In January, I will have been on the same plane for 20 years. Even within the same plane, there’s new technology and new programs as the airline network changes and there’s new destinations to fly to. It’s always changing and it’s really dynamic.”
In addition to her long-standing career as a pilot, Long contributes her time and expertise to multiple boards and organizations, including Women of Winnipeg. She was also a member of the inaugural board of the RCAF Foundation and is the founding president of the Northern Spirit Chapter of Women in Aviation.
As well, she’s a committee chair for the annual Girls in Aviation Day, an honorary colonel with the Royal Canadian Armed Forces and a volunteer with the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada. She’s proud that the aviation museum incorporates the accomplishments of women in aviation throughout its displays.
“As a committee, we wanted to see women throughout the museum so that we normalize women in aviation rather than having a little exhibit. So when young kids come in to explore the museum, it’s normalized that men and women are in aviation and they’re part of the history of aviation,” she said.
“Quite often, female airline pilots feel like we’re the goldfish in a fishbowl, so that was something we didn’t want for the museum. The way that it turned out is really wonderful.”
Locally, Long previously served as the vice-chair of the Ecole RW Bobby Bend School parent advisory council and as a volunteer while her two sons attended the school. Now her son Jamison is a student at Ecole Stonewall Centennial School and her son Bryden is a student at Collège Stonewall Collegiate.
Looking ahead, Long plans to continue mentoring other women who are interested in pursuing an aviation career.
“If I could offer any advice, it would be to have confidence in your abilities and embrace your true self,” she said.
“Follow your passion and you will find happiness and fulfillment in your chosen path.”
