Spotlight - Audrey Wishlow

Meet Audrey Wishlow, a former Air Cadet with 566 Squadron in Canora, Saskatchewan! She was an Air Cadet from 1989 to 1994 and attained the rank of Warrant Officer 2nd Class.

 

She joined Air Cadets because she wanted to learn how to fly. She states, however, that she gained much more than her Pilot’s Licence through Air Cadets. She learned the basics of survival and became more confident in herself, her leadership and interpersonal skills. 

 

In her 5 years with cadets, she participated in a wide range of activities and training opportunities. She was on the drill team, participated in volleyball tournaments and was part of effective speaking. She attended a variety of summer training courses, as well, including the Glider and Power Pilot Training Courses.

 

She says she enjoyed everything in the Air Cadet Program. She loved going flying, of course, but also visits to Camp Saskadet (even back when there was no running water there!), annual trips, the cadet exchange program and participating in Remembrance Day Programs!

 

After finishing up with the Air Cadet Program, she went on and earned her Commercial Pilots License, along with a diploma in Aviation Management. She started off as a flight instructor, and got into corporate aviation. She later started working as the general manager of a flight school in Regina. Since she wanted to give back to the Air Cadet Program, she managed to get the power pilot training contact at her flight school, meaning she would be helping train the next generations of Air Cadet pilots. She helped host Christmas in July for the cadets, and helped out with the Wings Parade, knowing exactly how hard they had worked during the course. She now works for the Government of Saskatchewan, in Aviation Operations, up in La Ronge. She works as the Director of Safety, and the Assistant Operations Manager.

 

She has continued to give back to the Air Cadet Program– organizing tours of her workplace, allowing cadets to see the firefighting aircraft they operate, attending a mess dinner in Regina as a guest speaker, acting as the Reviewing Officer in Foam Lake, and having loads of fun with power pilot course students (even surprising them by wearing her own flight suit from 27 years ago)!

 

We are so glad that she has remained involved with the Air Cadet Program in Saskatchewan!

 

Fun Fact! If you visit the Alberta Aviation Museum in Edmonton, you might see her, as part of an artifact collection! She replicated the first airmail delivery by Katherine Stinson for them!