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Young Rankin Inlet pilot begins earning his wings
August 22, 2024 By Darrell Greer, Local Journalism Initiative, Kivalliq News
Sidney Nichol of Rankin Inlet completes a solo flight on Aug. 10, 2024, on the way to obtaining his private pilot's licence. (Photo courtesy Sidney Nichol) Sidney Nichol of Rankin Inlet began flying this past February to embark on his journey to become a commercial airline pilot.
Nichol, 26, is attending Mount Royal University (MRU) in Calgary, Alta., where he’ll complete his two-year aviation diploma course to obtain his commercial licence.
While he’s always been interested in flying, Nichol said the stars just sort of aligned to allow him to set out on this career path.
He said his lifelong friendship with Jeremy Maley — Calm Air’s first Inuk pilot — definitely had an impact on his decision as well.
“One nice aspect is that I already have my business administration diploma,” said Nichol. “It’s nice to have some of those courses transferred over, so I can concentrate on the flying end of things.
“I’ve been able to fly a lot this summer. Some people go home until September and some stick around so they can continue to get bookings and gain hours.
“I did my written Transport exam to get my private pilot’s licence this past June. I got 83 per cent on that, which is a good mark. You need a 60 to pass.”
Nichol is partnered with Canadian North, which has a joint program with MRU. If everything works according to plan, he’ll be done at MRU in May 2026 and will have a job with the airline.
“They (Canadian North) want you on the ATR first, so I’ll train to get my rating on the ATR and, once I have all that, I’ll begin the process to start working towards flying the big commercial airplanes.
“My two-year program officially starts in September. Hopefully, I’ll get a good enough schedule where I’ll get a decent amount of hours in the air each week, in between my classes, so I can work on the different types of ratings I’m going to need.
“I’m taking a full course load up front, so that I can have an easier second year with more time to fly.
“I’m definitely planning a career in the North. That’s where I put in all my scholarship applications to. I was always interested in the history of bush flying up North, watching all the old videos and stuff like that. Hopefully, I’ll get to fly float planes up there too. It’s going to be a busy few years, but I can’t wait to get at it.”
