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The 15 Wing Royal Canadian Air Force Base in Moose Jaw, Sask., commemorated International Women’s Day at a Friday event that gave female pilots a chance to show off their skills.
The event, held in advance of Sunday’s International Women’s Day, included a formation flyby with an all-female six-person crew.
Lt.-Col. Kim Wilton, the commandant of the 3 Canadian Forces Flight Training School at the Southport Aerospace Centre at Portage la Prairie, Man., talked about her own experience in training and in a leadership role.
“Even if your interests are something non-traditional, follow through, because there’s a great opportunity,” Wilton told attendees in a speech at Friday’s event.
“There’s all these glass ceilings being broken through. I really don’t see any limitations right now. There’s certainly challenges, [but] there’s more opportunity than challenges I would say right now.
“So sky’s the limit as they say, right?”
‘I really don’t see any limitations right now,’ Lt.-Col. Kim Wilton said in a speech at Friday’s event. (Fabrice Mugisha/CBC)
The theme for this year’s event was “action and allyship,” which was referred to as a key way to strengthen institutions like the air force.
Wilton says it is thanks to allies she knew, and others she did not, that she could rise to the rank she holds today.
“I’m just paying attention to what everyone on my team needs, and everyone doesn’t need the same thing,” said Wilton. “That’s what I think of as an ally, is ‘how I can enable someone else to maximize their abilities?'”
The all-female crew for the flyby went up in CT-156 Harvard II trainer planes, flying in formation to celebrate the occasion.
Up in one of those planes for the first time was Chief Warrant Officer Micheline Bertrand with 2 Canadian Forces Flight Training School at 15 Wing, who has been in the position for about a year and a half.
Chief Warrant Officer Micheline Bertrand said she was happy to celebrate the advancement of women with the talented female pilots she sees every day. (Fabrice Mugisha/CBC)
“I can definitely say that in their most recent years, the acknowledgment is a big hurdle in overcoming any obstacles and barriers” for women, said Bertrand.
“Over, I’d say, the past 20 years, we’ve been given a platform, we’ve been given acknowledgment for our hardship. So that definitely helps, and it’s just a continued effort.”
She says it was fantastic to share in the experience with the talented female pilots she sees every day, particularly to celebrate the advancement of women.
“This is not something that we need to just do once and kind of and not talk about,” said Bertrand.
“It needs to be celebrated. It needs to be talked about. It’s a continuous effort and every day gets better, and the celebration is daily.”