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FRMember Profile: Kathy Fox
Written by: Phil Lightstone
Images courtesy of Kathy Fox
Interviewing Kathy Fox, arguably one of Canada’s aviation legends, was undoubtedly a highlight of my journalism career. Kathy retired this past summer as Chairperson of the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) after 50 years of service to her country, and has spent most of her life immersed in aviation. A long-time member of COPA since 1980, Kathy has been a staunch supporter of General Aviation.
Kathy’s love for aviation dates back to her childhood, likely inherited from her uncles who started flying gliders in Alberta in the late 1920s. In her youth, opportunities for young women in the Canadian aerospace industry were limited. In high school, she was fascinated with the sciences and had a strong aptitude for math and a passion for aviation. While she wanted to study astrophysics (with ambitions of becoming an astronaut or fighter pilot), her high school did not have courses providing the basics for astrophysics. Kathy recalls: “At that time girls learned chemistry or biology, so I got special permission to take a course in physics with the boys.”Kathy’s aptitude for science led her to graduate from McGill University with a Bachelor of Science in 1972, followed by an MBA in 1986, and later a Master of Science in Human Factors and System Safety from Lund University in 2009.
Coming from a modest background, Kathy had to choose between a university education or a pilot’s license. In true Kathy fashion, she enrolled at McGill and joined a skydiving club. Kathy has 648 jumps and became a skydiving instructor. Kathy earned an Expert Parachutist Licence and made history as the first woman and youngest President of the Canadian Sport Parachuting Association in 1972.
Kathy has logged over 5,200 flight hours, with ratings that include commercial, ATP, multi-IFR, and Class 1 instructor. She also served as a Transport Canada (TC)-appointed pilot examiner for 27 years (1987–2014). She was licensed in 1978 at Sept-Iles QC (CYZV) training on a Piper Cherokee 140. For 31 years she has been a member of the Rockcliffe Flying Club and recently retired after almost 43 years of instructing. Adding to this, she was a pilot examiner and has over 3,300 hours instructing Canada’s future GA, business aviation and airline pilots.
Kathy admired the accomplishments of Canada’s first female airline transport pilot, Rosella Bjornson (1973). Faced with financial constraints, many of Kathy’s aviation friends joined Transport Canada. Kathy comments: “because I couldn't become a pilot, I became an ATC telling pilots where to go (grin). I wanted to work, earn a living and be in aviation. Transport Canada was a perfect fit.” In 1974, Kathy joined TC, becoming a qualified air traffic controller in 1976. She worked in the towers at Sept-Iles (CYZV), St.-Hubert (CYHU), and Montreal’s Dorval Tower (CYUL), before qualifying at the Montreal Area Control Centre.
With typical Kathy persistence, she moved through the ranks of TC and in 1992 moved to TC Headquarters in Ottawa, where she spent four years in various leadership roles. Kathy’s skills and hands on experience led her to become TC’s Chief of Air Traffic Services Evaluations (evaluating operational facilities and investigating ATS incidents).
When NAV CANADA was formed in 1996, Kathy transferred to the organization and soon became Director of Safety and Quality. She retired from the Air Navigation Service Provider in 2007 as Vice President of Operations, reporting directly to the President. In 2007, Kathy became a part-time Board Member of the TSB, and assumed the role of Chairperson in 2014. After serving over 17 years at TSB, Kathy reflects on her career: “My career path was always upward, but I was never sure where the next opportunity would lead me. Overall, I made good career choices.”
Kathy is a multi-talented individual, never content with resting on her laurels. In 1980, Kathy partnered with two other pilots and an AME to create Dynamair Aviation near St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, developing a flight school, charter facility and maintenance centre. It was a natural fit with her flight instructor rating and MBA. Simultaneously, Kathy continued gaining experience in air traffic control at the Dorval Control Tower and Montreal Area Control Centre.
Kathy is a strong supporter of GA and has a safety-first mindset. Kathy comments: “It goes back to wanting to ensure everyone’s safety and our responsibility to conduct a personal risk assessment before every flight (I AM SAFE). Essentially currency versus proficiency. Really thinking through the flight on the ground before launching, a responsibility to protect yourself, your passengers and help preserve our freedom to fly. One of my favourite quotes is from TC to ‘learn from the mistakes of others as you won’t live long enough to make them all yourself’.”
Kathy has received numerous awards throughout her career, including: the Transport Canada Aviation Safety Award (1999); induction into the Quebec Air and Space Hall of Fame in 2004; the Elsie MacGill Northern Lights Aero Foundation Award (2010); the David Charles Abramson Memorial Flight Instructor Safety Award (2011); inducted into Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame in 2016; inducted into the Women in Aviation Pioneer Hall of Fame in 2018; Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) Paul Tissandier Diploma (1981); and the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal (1977).
Although Kathy has retired from the TSB and instructing, she shows no signs of slowing down. What the next chapter holds for her is anyone’s guess, but one thing is certain: it will be a direct reflection of the interesting, intellectual, passionate, and socially engaging individual that Kathy Fox is.