Aviation alumni fly into 40th year

Alumni, founders, faculty and staff of Selkirk College’s Aviation— Professional Pilot program, celebrated their 40-year reunion last month. From left to right, 1972 alumnus and retired Air Canada Captain Pat Hurlbert, 1972 alumnus and Air Canada Captain Henri Ilg, retired flight instructor Raul Nyroos and 1974 alumnus and retired Air Canada Captain Bruce Bennett.

Alumni, founders, faculty and staff of Selkirk College’s Aviation—Professional Pilot program celebrated their 40-year reunion last month at the Aviation Training Centre in Castlegar.

Almost 100 people were in attendance for the wine and cheese reception, the golf tournament at the Castlegar Golf Club and the “test flights” on the ALSIM 300 flight simulator.

The reunion provided an opportunity to meet and greet program founder and recipient of the 2008 Honorary Diploma in Aviation, Dr. John Hall. It also gave second year aviation students a chance to take a flight in a Citation executive jet with 2000 alumnus and AirSprint pilot, James Elliot.

“It was great to get together and see where everyone was at,” said chair of the School of Business and Aviation, Henri Bureaud. “Our grads have done some amazing things and taken varied and interesting career paths. It was inspiring not only for me, but for the current students in the program.”

Captain Barry Wiszniowski, 1989 alumnus and chair of Technical and Safety Division, Air Canada Pilots Association, was the emcee for the event. Wiszniowski raised $1,250 for the 2011 class by auctioning off the order in which tables  were allowed to the buffet dinner.

“A lot of good can come out of these types of gatherings,” explained Bureaud. “The connections with people can prove to be useful, and beneficial, in this industry.”

Selkirk College’s Aviation—Professional Pilot program trains pilots for entry-level positions in the Canadian aviation industry. They tote a program that keeps pace with advances in flight technology and has a team of professional, experienced pilots who have flight training, air taxi, commuter, regional, airline, corporate, bush and military experience.

For more information on the Aviation—Professional Pilot program, visit www.selkirk.ca/aviation or call 1-888-953-1133, ext. 205.