Scott Avery remembers when a pilot from the Airdrie Flying Club took him up above Airdrie around 13 years ago during the annual Kids’ Discovery Day, an experience that likely changed the trajectory of his life.
At the time, the ten-year-old was mind-blown as he sat in the front seat of a small aircraft. He instantly knew he wanted to fly again.
“It was crazy, I thought I was on top of the world,” Avery said while speaking on the phone after just landing a plane in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, where he works as an aerial applicator. “It's hard to think back on it a little bit but it all started there, and I was probably smiling for the next week straight.”
He then bugged his parents about joining the air cadets, and upon turning 12, Avery became an air cadet at the Airdrie squadron. He participated in summer camps with the cadets and also joined the squadron in Calgary for some time.
“I never did end up getting my license, or doing any flying, with the cadets but you're definitely within the community of aviation,” he said. “You learn a lot of the ground school portions and the book work.”
After high school, Avery went to Springbank to work on his private pilot license, which he achieved in 2020. After more bookwork, ground school, and flying hours, he received his commercial pilot license in December of 2022.
Since then he found his way to Saskatchewan where he went to school to become an aerial applicator, and has been busy spraying crops all summer.
“Now I'm doing more training to upgrade to a turbine aircraft for next year,” he said. “It's so much fun. I wouldn't want to do anything else.”
Avery always knew he wanted to fly but wasn’t entirely sure what he would do with his license, he admitted. Working for an airline didn’t appeal to him, as he wanted to be fully in control of an aircraft.
“Crop dusting and aerial applicating are definitely flying the plane using your hands and feet all the time, and you have to use your brain and eyes,” he said of his adrenaline-inducing choice of work.
He added that every flight is different with its own challenges and conditions.
Still in contact with the same pilot that took him above Airdrie so many years ago, Avery jokes that he is the reason for his meager wallet.
The Airdrie Flying Club welcomed him into the aviation community and supported him when he purchased his own plane, as well as through all his schooling.
“There wasn't anybody in my family into aviation so it's kind of all new for me and those guys [at the Airdrie Flying Club] were really good mentors,” he said. “Guiding me along and helping me out.”
It has now been at least 15 years that the Airdrie Flying Club has hosted their annual Discovery Day, taking local youngsters into the sky and teaching them about aviation.
On Sept. 30, at the Airdrie International Airport, six smaller personally-owned type planes will be lined up to take up 140 kids for a 15-minute aerial tour of Airdrie to Crossfield and back. That includes anything from two to six-seater planes.
“The point behind it is to get more people involved in aviation,” said Richard Wiskar, a pilot for the event and Airdrie Flying Club member. “We have many examples now within our club of kids that we took for rides 15 years ago who are now getting their pilot licenses. They're moving on to careers in aviation of various sorts, or just getting their pilots license for the sake of being able to fly a plane.”
While the event is fully booked up, kids can sign up for the overflow for the free event at the Airdrie Flying Club website.
Wiskar hoped to get every kid into the sky but it will be weather and equipment dependent, he said.
"I just love the opportunity to give back to the community,” Wiskar said. “They get to come in and experience the ins and outs of aviation. We have some static aircrafts on display that they get to take a look at, learn about how a plane flies, and certain little tips and tricks in that regard.”
Airdrie does provide an opportunity for people to get involved in aviation with clubs like the Airdrie Flying Club, but schools such as Mount Royal University offer programs for those wanting to fly commercially.
For more information or to sign up, visit www.airdrieflyingclub.ca.
