W.A. “DUB” BLESSING FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR OF THE YEAR AWARD For upholding high standards of excellence in flight instruction


Catherine Press CEO, Chinook Helicopters, Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada


Chinook Helicopters CEO Catherine Press is a pioneer, not only in flight instruction but also in the Canadian helicopter industry. She began flying her dad’s floatplane at 11 years of age and soloed her first airplane at 16. When her father bought a Bell 47 to start Chinook Helicopters in 1983, Press learned to fly that aircraft as well; and on her 17th birthday, she earned private airplane and helicopter licenses. At the time, she was one of only six female helicopter pilots in Canada. Press gained business and customer service experience at Chinook


Helicopters. After earning commercial airplane and helicopter licenses, she also began flying for the family business. At 21, she got her airplane flight instructor rating, and at 27, she earned her helicopter flight instructor rating, becoming Canada’s first female helicopter flight instructor. “Toward the end of my flight instructor flight test, I asked the examiner how


many female flight instructors there were in Canada,” Press recalls. “He said ‘one’ and I asked who she was. He said, ‘It’s you! Congratulations!’ ” Press taught up to 1,200 hours a year helping build Chinook Helicopters


into one of Canada’s largest flight schools. She studied for and earned her ratings from the FAA, the Civil Aviation Administration of China, and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). She most recently acquired the ability to teach in Canada for EASA certification. Press is currently the only person in Canada holding Transport Canada pilot


examiner status in both airplanes and helicopters. She has received Canada’s David Charles Abramson Memorial Flight Instructor Safety Award and holds an honorary doctorate of technology. “Cathy’s willingness to support individuals to reach their potential is


Catherine Press


“I always wanted to be a teacher, and I was surrounded by aviation, so becoming a flight instructor was the perfect combination of my two passions.”


Sponsored by


HILL AIR CORPORATION


quite admirable,” wrote Chinook Helicopters Chief Pilot Bill Snedden in his nomination of Press. “She exudes positivity and maintains connectivity with the Canadian aviation industry and regulatory bodies. Cathy drives the aviation industry forward with her incredible leadership. Te impact she has had on the pilots she has trained, employed, and networked with has been life-changing for them.” Press has built Chinook Helicopters into a 16-helicopter, 14-airplane


flight training academy. She also put together a team that received Transport Canada approval to build four in-house flight training devices, saving the company tens of thousands of dollars. Press also gives back. She is currently vice chair of the Helicopter Association of Canada and chair of its Flight Training Committee and


a board member of the British Columbia Aviation Council. She serves on the Aviation Advisory Committee of British Columbia’s Institute of Technology and remains deeply involved in student mentorship programs. “I always wanted to be a teacher, and I was surrounded by aviation, so becoming a flight


instructor was the perfect combination of my two passions,” she says. “I’ve stayed with the training because I really do enjoy people. I enjoy seeing and being a part of their successes.”


MARCH 2024 ROTOR 61


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