The Blue Skies Podcast

Northern Lights Aero Foundation

Welcome to The Blue Skies Podcast, brought to you by the Northern Lights Aero Foundation. Our mission is to inspire and educate the public about the dynamic world of aviation. We showcase remarkable trailblazers in diverse roles across the industry through engaging, informal conversations. Whether you’re a student, First Officer, AME, ATC, or dispatcher, we have something for you. Tune in every month for inspiring stories and insights. Our relaxed format ensures a creative and enriching experience for all. Let your passion for aviation take flight with us!

  1. APR 22

    #15 - Chantal Dugas - Building Inclusive Aviation at Scale

    In this episode, we sit down with Chantal Dugas, a leader at Air Canada driving meaningful change through diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives across the organization. Chantal shares her career journey into aviation and the experiences that shaped her leadership style. We explore what DEI truly means in practice, how it impacts organizational performance, and what it takes to create lasting cultural change in a highly structured industry. We also discuss the importance of outreach, representation, and building clear pathways for the next generation of aviation professionals, along with how leadership in aviation is evolving to meet the challenges of the future.

    47 min

  2. MAR 5

    #14 - David G. Rohrer - Preserving Aviation History & Inspiring the Next Generation

    In this episode, we sit down with David G. Rohrer, President and CEO of the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, to explore the importance of preserving aviation history and keeping it relevant for future generations. David shares his career journey in aviation leadership and what it takes to lead an organization dedicated to restoring, flying, and protecting historic aircraft. We discuss the role museums play in connecting people to aviation’s past, the power of storytelling in keeping these legacies alive, and how experiences with historic aircraft can inspire the next generation of pilots, engineers, and aviation professionals. From leadership lessons to the future of aviation heritage in Canada, this conversation offers a unique perspective on how history continues to shape the aviation industry today.

    1h 20m

  3. 12/31/2025

    #13 - Dr. Sean Peterson - Flying the Line and Protecting Pilot Health

    Dr. Sean Peterson brings a rare perspective to aviation as both a CRJ Captain at Jazz Aviation and a Civil Aviation Medical Examiner (CAME). In this episode, we explore how he built a career at the intersection of medicine and aviation, and what it takes to balance two high-responsibility professions. Sean shares his journey into flying and medicine, how the two worlds influence each other, and what pilots often misunderstand about aviation medicals. We discuss pilot health, mental well-being, and the realities of maintaining a medical certificate, along with how the industry is evolving to better support long-term pilot careers. An insightful conversation for student pilots, instructors, and airline professionals alike, especially anyone who has ever felt anxious about their medical or wondered how to build a sustainable career in aviation.

    50 min

  4. 12/13/2025

    #12 – Dr. Naila Ayala – Human Factors, Neuroscience & the Future of Pilot Training

    In this episode of The Blue Skies Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Naila Ayala, PhD - a researcher at the University of Waterloo whose work explores how pilots process information, manage workload, and respond under pressure. We dive into how neuroscience and human-factors research are shaping pilot training, what eye-tracking and wearable sensors reveal about performance, and how low-time pilots process visual information during critical phases of flight. Dr. Ayala also shares insights from her research comparing male and female pilots with similar experience, and what surprised her most. We also look ahead to what the future could hold, from adaptive training systems to real-time monitoring of cognitive state, and what advice she has for students interested in aviation research or human factors. Listener notes: Mental rotation refers to a task where a person decides whether two shapes are the same or mirror images, even when rotated. It helps researchers understand spatial thinking, a key skill in aviation. When “visual acuity” is mentioned in the episode, the correct term is visual behaviour, referring to how pilots visually scan and process their environment. An insightful conversation that bridges science, aviation, and the future of pilot training.

    1h 4m

  5. 10/03/2025

    #11 – Porter Airlines - Chief Pilot Ginger Farrah & Assistant Chief Pilot Claire Lemiski

    In this episode, we sit down with Ginger Farrah, Chief Pilot for Porter’s Dash 8 fleet, and Claire Lemiski, Assistant Chief Pilot and Elsie Award recipient. Both captains share their journeys through the ranks to join Porter’s leadership team and reflect on what it means to lead. They talk about the qualities Porter looks for in its pilots, their perspectives on leadership, and how they see the future of aviation taking shape.

    1h 20m

  6. 09/18/2025

    #10 – Dr. Suzanne Kearns – Innovating Aviation Education & Building WISA

    Dr. Suzanne Kearns is a professor at the University of Waterloo and the Founding Director of the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Aeronautics (WISA). She is also internationally recognized for her work with ICAO’s Next Generation of Aviation Professionals (NGAP) initiative, where she has advanced the conversation around time-based training versus competency-based training. In this episode, Dr. Kearns takes us through her journey into academia, the books she has authored, and the research that continues to shape how pilots are trained around the world. She shares why teaching remains one of her greatest passions, what it took to establish WISA, and the long-term goals she envisions for aviation sustainability and education. From rethinking how we measure pilot proficiency to building institutions that prepare the industry for the future, this conversation offers insight into one of Canada’s most impactful voices in aviation education.

    59 min

  7. 08/10/2025

    #9 - Brian Laski - The Instructor Who Taught Tom Cruise, Alex Lifeson & Dr. Dave Williams!

    Ever wondered who taught Tom Cruise (yes, Maverick), Alex Lifeson of Rush, and Canadian astronaut Dr. Dave Williams how to fly? Meet Brian Laski. With over 23,000 flight hours—nearly three years of his life spent in the air—Brian’s career has spanned everything from MU-2s and King Airs to Citations and the Airbus. But through it all, he’s never let his instructor rating lapse. Not once. In this episode, Brian shares why flight instruction has remained his passion for five decades, what it takes to make it a lifelong career, and the lessons he’s learned training everyone from brand-new students to seasoned professionals.

    48 min

  8. 06/18/2025

    #8 – The Inaugural Junior Board Experience

    In this episode, we sit down with the founding members of the NLAF Junior Board — Yasna, Kaitlin, and Mahnoor — to talk about what it was really like building the board from the ground up. We dive into their early careers as young women in aviation, the struggles and triumphs they faced along the way, the paths that led them to the Junior Board, and what the experience meant to them. From flight decks to in-flight leadership and airline operations, this conversation is full of lessons, laughter, and honest insight — perfect for anyone starting out in the industry or curious about what it takes to build something that lasts.

    1h 2m
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About

Welcome to The Blue Skies Podcast, brought to you by the Northern Lights Aero Foundation. Our mission is to inspire and educate the public about the dynamic world of aviation. We showcase remarkable trailblazers in diverse roles across the industry through engaging, informal conversations. Whether you’re a student, First Officer, AME, ATC, or dispatcher, we have something for you. Tune in every month for inspiring stories and insights. Our relaxed format ensures a creative and enriching experience for all. Let your passion for aviation take flight with us!

Information

  • Creator
    Northern Lights Aero Foundation
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    16