Red Deer Regional Airport, home of the Sky Wings Aviation Academy where Sherry Cooper instructs. (rdnewsNOW file photo)

By rdnewsNOW Staff

CHIEF FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR SINCE '88

Red Deer pilot honoured for instructional accomplishments in Elsie Awards

Aug 28, 2024 | 4:29 PM

Red Deerian Sherry Cooper, chief flight instructor with Sky Wings, has been named the recipient of an Elsie Award for Education from the Northern Lights Aero Foundation.

The Elsie Award recognizes Canadian women who have made a significant contribution to aviation or aerospace, and Cooper has been named for her reputation of training safety-conscious pilots and contributing to the next generation’s success.

“I believe that the best part of my career as an aviator is seeing the accomplishments of new pilots. That just never gets old and knowing that I had influence on their success is so satisfying and its own reward,” she said.

She was named as the recipient at the end of May and will be honoured along with the winners of the seven other categories at a Gala in Brampton, Ontario on October 5.

Cooper started flying in 1983 and knew from that moment that being an instructor would be her passion. She became a flight instructor in 1985 and moved up to chief flight instructor in 1988, a role she has remained in to this day. Since the 1990’s, she’s also become a pilot examiner and conducted over 2000 flight tests for Transport Canada in addition to written exams.

sept. 19

Pair arrested after daylight shooting in Red Deer

A few moments ago

FIRE AND FLOOD MITIGATING, PATENTED TECH

Fire and Flood Emergency Services celebrates new headquarters and technology upgrades

23m ago

Frost Expected Overnight

Frost Advisory issued for Red Deer and surrounding areas

4h ago

Locally, she has sat on a number of community boards and acted as a long-term trustee for the Chinook’s Edge School Division.

Cooper also received the Top Flight Instructor Award for Canada in 2014.

—

For local news delivered daily to your email inbox, subscribe for free to the rdnewsNOW newsletter by visiting rdnewsNOW.com. You can also download the rdnewsNOW mobile app on Google Play and the Apple App Store for all the latest updates on this and other stories.