Transcript
I’ve been interested in aviation for a long time. My mother was a flight attendant. So, I had the opportunity to travel a lot with her. When I was in my second year of high school, the pilots let me go into the cockpit, from take-off to landing. That’s when I really fell in love. They put headphones on me and explained everything they were doing, plus I had lots of questions for them. Then, at the very end, I asked them where I should do my training. As I was leaving, they told my mother sorry, but I think your daughter is going to change her career path.
My name is Geneviève Mageau, and I’m a civil aviation safety inspector at Transport Canada in flight operations. I work in Dorval.
My job is to check that operators comply with the civil aviation regulatory framework. What we want above all is to ensure air safety, and we do that through regulations, standards and various directives. We carry out surveillance activities and checks to ensure that pilot training and flight tests comply with what’s in the manuals. This involves working with our colleagues and with the industry.
To be hired, you need to have experience as a pilot. That’s a prerequisite because you have to know both the technical side and the issues airlines face. I went through all the training to become a commercial pilot, which ultimately led me to complete my instructor course, then become a dispatcher.
I was so happy when I finally got to be co-pilot on a twin engine. Then co-pilot on a Dash-8, then co-pilot on a 737-200 operating on gravel runways. Then I was commander on the Dash-8 and the 737. That’s how my career progressed over some twenty years. I’ve been here for four years now, and I’m very happy with my choice.
It makes sense for my career. It allows me to keep going in the same field while learning lots of new concepts and developing a broader perspective. The field is also constantly evolving, both in terms of technology and regulatory changes.
This means we have to do a lot of training, which I think keeps my mind sharp. At Transport Canada, I feel 100% supported, 100% in the right place.