Kathleen Fox (aviator) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kathleen Fox
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Fox in 2006
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Kathleen Carol Fox
24 December 1951 Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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| Occupation | Parachutist, pilot, flight instructor, air traffic controller and executive |
Kathleen "Kathy" Carol Fox was born on December 24, 1951. She is a Canadian expert in many areas of aviation. Kathy is a skilled parachutist (someone who jumps from planes), a pilot, and a flight instructor. She has also worked as an air traffic controller, guiding planes safely.
After working for more than 30 years in air traffic control, Kathy became the head of the Canadian Transportation Safety Board in 2014. This board helps make transportation safer for everyone. In 2016, she was honored by being added to Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame. This is a special place for people who have done amazing things in Canadian aviation.
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Kathy Fox's Early Life
Kathy Fox was born in Montreal, Quebec. From a very young age, she loved the idea of flying. When she was only five, she would pretend to fly helicopters!
Her first real flight happened when she was 13. She flew in a small plane called a Cessna in Cartierville, Quebec. Three years later, in 1967, her uncle paid for her first flying lesson. This was at the Calgary Flying Club.
However, Kathy decided that studying was more important at that time. So, she went to McGill University. She studied mathematics and science and earned a Bachelor of Science degree. Later, she also earned a master's degree in business from McGill.
Skydiving Adventures
While at university, in 1968, Kathy started skydiving. This means jumping out of planes with a parachute! She loved the sport and did it until 1980.
She became the Chief Instructor for the McGill Skydiving Club. When she was just 20, she became the first woman president of the Canadian Sport Parachuting Association. She even helped organize teams for big skydiving competitions. These included events in France in 1979 and China in 1980.
In 1981, Kathy received a special award called the Paul Tissandier Diploma. This award was from the FAI, an international air sports group. It recognized her great contributions to parachuting.
Her Journey in Aviation
After finishing university, Kathy thought about joining the military. But she decided against it because she was only offered roles like a nurse or a dietician. She also wanted to be an astronaut, but she didn't have enough experience for that job.
For a short time, she taught at a private school. Then, in 1974, she decided to become an air traffic controller. This was a job many of her friends had joined at Transport Canada. Air traffic controllers guide planes to keep them safe in the sky and on the ground.
Becoming a Pilot
Kathy became a qualified air traffic controller in 1976. But she also wanted to fly planes herself! She trained to be a pilot and earned her private pilot's license in Sept-Îles, Quebec.
After working in the control tower at St-Hubert, she decided to focus more on flying. She earned licenses to fly commercial planes and even airline planes. She also became qualified to fly using only instruments and to teach others how to fly.
Kathy has spent more than 5,000 hours flying different aircraft. She even started her own company called Dynamair Aviation. She worked with two other pilots and a mechanic. They created a flight school, a charter service, and a maintenance center. At the same time, she kept gaining experience as an air traffic controller. She worked at busy airports like Dorval and the Montreal Area Control Centre.
Leadership Roles
After getting her master's degree in business in 1986, Kathy took on more leadership roles. In 1987, she became the acting manager for air traffic control at St-Hubert. In 1989, Transport Canada gave her a management job in Ottawa. While there, in 1993, she also worked as a flight instructor and examiner at Ottawa's Rockcliffe Flying Club.
In 1996, Kathy joined a company called Nav Canada. This company manages Canada's air traffic. She started as the safety and quality director. Later, she became the vice-president of operations before she retired in 2007.
Right after retiring, she was asked to join the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB). She later became the chair of the board. In 2018, she was asked to continue as chair for another five years.
Special Honors
Kathy Fox has received many important awards for her work in aviation.
- In 1999, she received the Transport Canada Aviation Safety Award.
- In 2004, she was added to the Quebec Air and Space Hall of Fame.
- In 2010, she received the Elsie MacGill Northern Lights Award.
- In 2011, she was given the David Charles Abramson Memorial Flight Instructor Safety Award.
- In 2016, she was inducted into Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame.
- In 2018, she was inducted into the Women in Aviation Hall of Fame.
- She also received the Fédération aéronautique internationale Paul Tissandier Diploma and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.
