Rosella bjornson aviator biography

In , Canada Post celebrated her legacy with a commemorative stamp. She not only carved a path for herself but also paved the way for future generations of women in aviation. Sign in. Forgot your password? Password recovery. Recover your password. By Lily Dani. After graduating in , Rosella moved east to become a flight instructor for the Winnipeg Flying Club, knowing that being an instructor would help her build the When hired by Transair in , she checked out as First Officer on the F, a twin engine passenger jet, becoming the first woman to fly as a First Officer on a jet in North America.

In , she upgraded to a Captain with Canadian Airlines, becoming the first female Captain on the Boeing in Canada.

Rosella bjornson aviator biography

During this time she was a member of the Canadian Airline Pilots Association. Over the years, there were many flights that stood out as being special. On one of her first flights, from Winnipeg to Churchill and then on to Whitehorse, her parents were on board, and were amazed at the northern lights dancing across the sky. They beamed with pride as they watched their daughter handle the big aircraft.

This reminded her of what she loved so much about flying. Unsurprisingly, Rosella wanted to pursue life as a pilot - despite the fact that there were no female airline pilots in North America. The guidance counsellor was initially stunned by her unusual plan, but by the end of their conversation, was encouraging her to put everything she had into achieving her goal.

On that front, Rosella was already moving full steam ahead. Much to her surprise, formal flight training began on her 17th birthday. The family drove into Lethbridge for what seemed like a typical shopping trip. But instead of stopping to get groceries, they drove right through town to the airport, where Rosella went for her first official flying lesson at the Lethbridge Flying Club.

Thirty-five hours of flight time with an instructor were required to earn a private licence. Rosella accomplished this during the summer holidays between Grades 11 and She was one step closer to a career as a pilot and she wasn't going to let anything hold her back-particularly her gender. Rosella Bjornson's personal philosophies: Live your dream.

Do what you love. She now works as a motivational speaker and an advocate for women in aviation, and she still flies in her spare time. In , Bjornson was inducted into the International Forest of Friendship. In , she was appointed to the Alberta Order of Excellence. Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read Edit View history.

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