Transport Canada delays threaten to derail dreams of pilot trainee from Liard First Nation

An Indigenous woman working to become a pilot has been grounded due to a delay in getting her medical certification, and the impending closure of her flight school in Faro, Yukon.

Twenty-five-year-old Amber Jensen, from Daylu Dena Council, is taking part in a special initiative out of the Northerners Taking Flight School. It's a partnership between Alkan Air, Ross River Dena Council and Daylu Dena Council. The goal is to train Indigenous youth from the Yukon to become commercial pilots.

Jensen said she has been waiting nearly 10 months for a medical certificate from Transport Canada, which is required to fly solo. The longer it takes for that certificate to arrive, the less likely it is she will be able to complete her training. The flight school she attends is slated to close at the end of November when its contract with the federal government expires.

'I want to be free like the eagles'

Jensen said when her First Nation put out the call for the flight school, she jumped at the opportunity.

"I just want to be free like the eagles, free like my cousins, my clan, the crow clan," said Jensen. 

She's done most of her training at the Faro airport, a small airstrip tucked between forest and mountains. The program secured a special license with Transport Canada to operate the flight school there temporarily.

"I try to fly every day, as much as I can, as much as the weather permits," Jensen said.

Nicolas Doustaly, Jensen's flight instructor, said he's been very impressed by her. 

"Amber is very smart," he said. "She's a lion in the left seat. She's very strong — and she will get it."

Jensen grew up in Lower Post and Watson Lake, and previously worked in the mining industry. She said learning to fly has been more technical than she expected.

"There's a lot of math. I thought you just take off, go, and land," she said. "But there's so much more — flight planning, safety, everything." 

Doustaly said she can be hard on herself, but that "it's been inspiring to watch her take on the challenge." 

Jensen's father, James Jensen, said he's delighted to watch her fly. 

"She took us out to Drury Lake and back," he said. "It was a hard landing because of the wind. But other than that, it was good. I'm proud — very proud of her."

Delays with the medical certificate

To get a commercial pilot licence in Canada, students must complete 200 hours of flight time — 100 with an instructor, and 100 solo. But to fly solo, pilots need a valid Transport Canada medical certificate.

Jensen applied for hers in October 2024. Almost 10 months later, she's still waiting.

"They asked for something, then two months later, they ask for something else," Doustaly said. "And so on, and so on."

She thinks it may have to do with drug and alcohol addiction in her late teens and early 20s. Jensen said the process has included multiple assessments and tests. 

"They told me I need a drug and alcohol test, to talk to a psychiatrist that specializes in addictions, provide inpatient or outpatient reports from a treatment centre — and any record of criminal history involving drugs," she said.

But Jensen said she's never been charged with a drug offence and has not attended a treatment centre. 

"The only thing I've done is a five-day trauma wellness program for First Nations in Prince George."

Jensen said she quit drinking on March 6, 2023. 

"Since sobering up, a lot of amazing things have happened," she said. "I don't think I would have been able to do this if I was still in active addiction."

She said all of Transport Canada's tests have cost her between $2,000 and $3,000 so far. 

"I'm feeling frustrated," she said. "It's causing just a tiny bit of stress because I'm on a time limit." 

The longer they delay, the less time I have to get my Commercial Pilots License done."

Lance Appleford, chief flight instructor for the program, said students with a history of addiction or mental health diagnoses often face more scrutiny from Transport Canada.

"If there's any hint of a past involving drugs or alcohol, they tend to really back off and require a lot of in-depth research into their background," Appleford said.

He said Jensen was honest on her medical application, and now that could be costing her. 

"You have to be truthful," he said. "And unfortunately, sometimes it totally wrecks your chances of getting your medical certificate."

Transport Canada did not comment on Jensen's case directly, but in a statement said its aviation medical certification program is "designed to ensure that aircrew are medically fit to prevent aircraft accidents that can be caused by medically related human factors."

"Transport Canada's licensing process for pilots is conducted without any form of discrimination or mistreatment, and safety will always remain the central focus throughout the entire process."

Flight school unlikely to be renewed after November

The current flight school contract in Faro is also issued by Transport Canada. That contract expires at the end of November and Appleford said it's unlikely it will be renewed.

When Jensen's medical is approved, she could potentially complete the program in Whitehorse — but that would require new funding.

"I don't know if they are going to give more," Doustaly said, referencing the $140,000 Daylu Dena has put toward Amber and the program so far. 

He said flight school in Whitehorse would be cheaper, but moving there would come with additional costs. 

Doustaly said the set-back is about more than the loss of Amber's time.  

"The industry is going to lose a good pilot if she's not succeeding," he said.

For Jensen, she's not sure what comes next, but she expects it'll involve flying.

"I have some plans," she said. "Maybe float planes, bush piloting, maybe an airline eventually. I don't know. The future's bright."