Page 9 - March 2019

A Conversation Between Two Pilots: The two women first met in Calgary in November 2016.
Learning Experiences

By Anne Gafiuk
©2019 for Prairie Planes
Joy Carscadden with fifty years flying experience as Chief
Flying Instructor, plus manager for different flying schools
across Canada, has clocked in over 9000 hours flying time.
At one point, she owned a PA11 on wheels, floats and skis,
continued to give instrument and renewal refresher training
to people in their own aircraft through the summer of 2018.

“I did most of my flying down in Ontario,” explains Joy.
“My husband, Gerry, was a pilot with the RCAF, in
Transport Command based out of Trenton, Ontario.

“I was just about to take a typing class -- I didn’t have
that in school -- then they offered a sailing class over at
the yacht club and I thought: maybe I will go sailing!
Kristen Dewald, a former student in the Prairie College But then just about the same time, they were starting
Aviation Program in Three Hills, Alberta, has turned her up a Ground School at the Trenton Flying Club, RCAF
skills towards instruction and is now looking forward to Base Trenton.” Civilians could take the course with RCAF
Mission Aviation. Her first flight at Prairie was in January instructors.
2014. She has her Commercial Pilot’s License, Multi-Engine
Joy had quite a bit of experience prior to going into
Rating, and Group 1 Instrument Rating and is now a Flight flying. “I used to study with Gerry to help him and
Instructor. Currently, she is attending SAIT taking Aircraft
would ask questions. Because of this, I wanted to learn
Maintenance training.
to fly. I was learning while he was learning. Five or six
people were in the class; there were no other women in
my ground school except me.”

Joy started flying in March of 1964, earning her Private
th
License in July of that year, six months prior to her 34
birthday.
”I have been instructing since 1970 and was 39 when I
became the Chief Flying Instructor at Trenton. It was
very unusual for a woman to be the CFI back then.
There just were not that many women pilots.”