Judy Cameron still remembers getting the telegram that marked her first offer to fly planes for a major commercial carrier.

Pacific Western Airlines had come calling, writing her a SA国际影视传媒渃ongratulationsSA国际影视传媒� and inviting her to sit down with the interview board.

SA国际影视传媒淲hen I walked into the room, everyoneSA国际影视传媒檚 face was very distraught,SA国际影视传媒� Cameron recalled.

SA国际影视传媒淚t turned out that they had wanted to hire me, but it had been vetoed by someone higher up when they realized I was female.SA国际影视传媒�

Forty-five years later, Cameron SA国际影视传媒� who was Air CanadaSA国际影视传媒檚 first female pilot SA国际影视传媒� has 23,000 hours of flying, a scholarship and an Order of Canada membership to her name.

SA国际影视传媒淪heSA国际影视传媒檚 a legend,SA国际影视传媒� said Air Canada captain Steve Rundle. Asked whether he knew of Cameron, he said, SA国际影视传媒淭hatSA国际影视传媒檚 like asking a hockey player if they know Wayne Gretzky.SA国际影视传媒�

After a fulfilling 40-year career, Cameron recalls the struggles she faced in the early years and the efforts still needed to encourage more young women to enter aviation SA国际影视传媒� especially the cockpit, which remains extremely male-dominated.

As of January, nearly eight per cent of Air CanadaSA国际影视传媒檚 pilots were women SA国际影视传媒� better than the U.S. average of 4.9 per cent, according to a 2022 report from the Centre for Aviation, an Australia-based market research firm.

The figure is also much higher than the tally just a few decades back, when female flight crew stood out glaringly.

SA国际影视传媒淚 walked into the lunchroom one day and there were 2,000 people,SA国际影视传媒� Cameron said of her first month at the airline in 1978. SA国际影视传媒淓verybody just stopped talking and stared at me.SA国际影视传媒�

Kick-starting her career

Cameron developed a taste for adrenalin early on, buying a motorcycle in Grade 12 and later riding her Honda hog to the University of British Columbia most days, SA国际影视传媒渆ven in the rain.SA国际影视传媒�

After her first year studying arts, she found a summer job interviewing pilots at small airports for a Transport Canada survey. On her first day in 1973, one of them invited her to hop on board.

SA国际影视传媒淗e did a lot of aerobatic manoeuvres that shouldnSA国际影视传媒檛 have been demonstrated,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淏ut after I finished screaming, I decided I really loved this.SA国际影视传媒�

Cameron dropped out of UBC and applied to a two-year aviation program at Selkirk College. SA国际影视传媒淚 got on my motorcycle and drove eight hours to Castlegar SA国际影视传媒� and when I got there the head of the aviation program had a motorbike. ThatSA国际影视传媒檚 probably how I got into the course.SA国际影视传媒�

Raised by a single mother in Vancouver, Cameron had grown up in a one-room apartment. Television and cars were luxuries they couldnSA国际影视传媒檛 afford.

SA国际影视传媒淭he best part was my mom always encouraged me to do whatever I wanted to do. She never held me back.SA国际影视传媒�

When Cameron flew her first passenger, in a two-seat, single-engine Cessna 150 training aircraft, it was her mom in the seat beside her.

College wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 an easy time. SA国际影视传媒淚t was hard, doing my training and being in a classroom full of guys. I was always the odd one out,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淚t was so isolating.SA国际影视传媒�

Professional pilot

Following graduation, Cameron found pilot work at a pulp and paper company in 1975, but the board of directors wouldnSA国际影视传媒檛 let her fly. She wound up helping with dispatch and office management, occasionally managing to get a flight in when a subsidiary operated the plane.

After switching to a job as a passenger agent at B.C.SA国际影视传媒檚 Airwest Airlines SA国际影视传媒� with infrequent turns in the cockpit SA国际影视传媒� Cameron was eventually hired by a small regional service in Slave Lake, Alta., where she flew a Douglas DC-3 airliner SA国际影视传媒� a big break, due to the larger size of the plane.

Four months later, the company went bankrupt SA国际影视传媒� the paycheques bounced SA国际影视传媒� and executives at the carrier that took over its routes werenSA国际影视传媒檛 thrilled about her presence. SA国际影视传媒淭he chief pilot there basically didnSA国际影视传媒檛 want to hire me. But he said, SA国际影视传媒楢t least the big airlines wonSA国际影视传媒檛 hire you.SA国际影视传媒橲A国际影视传媒�

The airline stationed her in Inuvik, and proceeded to lay her off. She was later rehired as a dispatcher and allowed to fly periodically.

By 1978, Air Canada considered her application, eventually offering her a job.

SA国际影视传媒淚 got a call from the vice-president of operations the week before I started, and he wanted to point out rather seriously that if I got pregnant, I wouldnSA国际影视传媒檛 be allowed to fly,SA国际影视传媒� she recalled. SA国际影视传媒淚 wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 married at the time and I had no family plans SA国际影视传媒� I didnSA国际影视传媒檛 know what to say.SA国际影视传媒�

Overall, though, she said the experience was positive and the pilots respectful, some of them serving as mentors.

Trials of a (con)trailblazer

However, the company was no exception to the years-long failure of most airlines to provide uniforms for pregnant crew members, including Cameron in 1984. The shortcoming was a milder example of some of the gender inequalities that persisted at various carriers into the 1970s, including strict weight limits, age ceilings and marriage bans for flight attendants.

SA国际影视传媒淢y last child was born in 1990, and I never had a maternity uniform,SA国际影视传媒� she said with a wry chuckle. Instead, her mother-in-law sewed epaulettes onto her husbandSA国际影视传媒檚 dress shirt and a panel into a pair of CameronSA国际影视传媒檚 pants.

SA国际影视传媒淥fficially, I was unaware of the fact I was pregnant until the second trimester,SA国际影视传媒� Cameron said. Transport Department rules banned pregnant pilots from flying except for three months in the middle of their term.

Today, Air Canada aviators may be asked to submit a note from their doctor every two weeks confirming they are fit to fly, starting in the 20th week of pregnancy. Pilots are considered fit to fly until week 30, SA国际影视传媒渋n the case of a normal pregnancy,SA国际影视传媒� according to Transport Canada regulations.

Many of Air CanadaSA国际影视传媒檚 410 female pilots SA国际影视传媒� out of 5,230 in total SA国际影视传媒� see Cameron as an inspiration.

SA国际影视传媒淛udySA国际影视传媒檚 always been a mentor to female pilots,SA国际影视传媒� said Elaine Bradbury, who first met her at Seneca College in 1981, when Cameron instructed visiting students on a flight simulator.

Later, Bradbury flew alongside her on an Airbus A320 jet and a Boeing 777 airliner.

SA国际影视传媒淚t was just nice to talk to another woman who had succeeded,SA国际影视传媒� Bradbury said. SA国际影视传媒淚t gave us hope and encouragement to see someone like that. She always said just keep on going, itSA国际影视传媒檚 there for the taking if you want it.SA国际影视传媒�

Passing the torch

Since retiring in 2015, Cameron has barely slowed down. The Oakville, Ont., resident has taken a course on aerobatics SA国际影视传媒� SA国际影视传媒渓oops and rolls and Cuban eightsSA国际影视传媒� SA国际影视传媒� in Florida. And sheSA国际影视传媒檚 actively involved in the Air Canada scholarship program in her name. Launched in 2019 and backed partly by CAE, the fund helped support 13 young women training to become pilots or aircraft maintenance engineers last year, granting them $5,000 apiece.

Education in the sector is notoriously expensive.

SA国际影视传媒淚t costs $100,000 today to get all your licences in Canada,SA国际影视传媒� said Murray Strom, Air CanadaSA国际影视传媒檚 vice-president of flight operations.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 not typically a profession that attracts the wide range of Canadians that we have, it doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 represent our community,SA国际影视传媒� he said. The scholarships work to offset that imbalance.

Last year, 12 per cent of new pilot licences issued in Canada went to women, according to the Institute for Women of Aviation Worldwide.

Cameron also serves as a director on the Northern Lights Aero Foundation, which offers mentorship and highlights womenSA国际影视传媒檚 achievements in aviation.

SA国际影视传媒淯ntil we started doing it, there was no recognition in the aviation community,SA国际影视传媒� said Anna Pangrazzi, who founded the organization in 2009 and runs Apex Airplane Sales out of OntarioSA国际影视传媒檚 Buttonville airport north of Toronto.

SA国际影视传媒淛udy, sheSA国际影视传媒檚 kind of a trailblazer.SA国际影视传媒�

Pangrazzi recalls piloting a small Cessna with her as a passenger a few years back.

SA国际影视传媒淲e took off from Buttonville and I wanted to put the autopilot on, and she goes, SA国际影视传媒榃hat are you doing?SA国际影视传媒� She wanted to hand-fly it all the way to KingstonSA国际影视传媒� SA国际影视传媒� more than 200 kilometres.

In short, Cameron helped a friend seize the controls and chart a course, something sheSA国际影视传媒檚 grown into after decades in the cockpit.

SA国际影视传媒淪he was very precise on the altitude and the headingSA国际影视传媒� SA国际影视传媒� the direction the nose is pointed SA国际影视传媒� Pangrazzi remembered.

SA国际影视传媒淎ll the way.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒擝y Christopher Reynolds, The Canadian Press