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 64 is out today with guest Pam Maskell!

Pam got her start in aviation a little bit later in life. While flying was always something that was of great interest, it wasn’t until she took a discovery flight for her 30 th birthday that she realized that becoming a pilot wasn’t out of reach. A few short months after the initial flight, Pam began working towards her PPL and hasn’t looked back.

Never feeling fully fulfilled in her career in healthcare, and often joking that she would continue on her current path until she decided what she wanted to do when she grew up - when a job opportunity presented itself at her local flight school, she jumped at the opportunity to fully take the plunge into a career in aviation.

With the support and encouragement of her family and local flying community Pam has obtained her Commercial Pilot Licence and is currently working on her Instrument Rating. She worked as the Operations Manager at the Rockcliffe Flying Club, and now works at NAV CANADA. Pam has a passion for all things aviation and is fascinated by the various aspects of the industry and how they all tie together.

Pam can be found on Instagram @bulletwithairplanewings.

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.