Committee

Steve (Expedition Captain):

Steve obtained his first pilot licence in 1990, flying helicopters. He later added a fixed wing private licence in 1993 and a multi rating in 1998. Steve owned and operated a small flight school/FBO in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley from 1995 to 2002. After taking a break from aviation in 2002, he resumed flying in 2015 and purchased his current aircraft, a Piper Cherokee, in 2018. Within a year of that purchase, he joined two other pilots for the second Give Hope Wings Expedition to Northern Canada and Alaska. 2019 was also the year he joined the Hope Air Advisory Board. Steve has since been an organizer and participant in the 2021 Give Hope Wings Boundary Bay to Hudson Bay Expedition and the 2022 Give Hope Wings Coast to Coast Expedition. Steve is the editor and publisher of Canadian Aviator magazine.

Ed (Expedition Captain):

President of the Board for Brantford Flying Club, Ed, earned his Private Pilot Licence in 1976 through the Air Cadets and his Commercial Pilot Licence in 2004. In 2005 he became the proud aircraft owner, a CGKVK. With these credentials, Ed has emersed himself in the aviation community. He has flown hundreds of Kids across many events- Young Eagles/ Girls Take Flight/Discover Aviation, been an active COPA member (since 2002). In 2015 he joined the Hope Air community as a Volunteer Pilot and flew his first mission in 2016. As a member of the Hope Air Advisory Council and Pilot Review Committee, Ed understands firsthand the challenges patients face when accessing healthcare. After obtaining his Instrument Rating in 2022. Ed took part in his first Give Hope Wings Expedition.

Lee and Marilyn

When Lee retired at age 55, his childhood dream of being a pilot resurfaced. Lee got his Private Pilot License (PPL) in 2008 and Instrument Flight Rule (IFR) rating in 2013. Lee and his wife Marilyn bought a nice Diamond DA-40 in 2011.

In 2016, Lee heard about Hope Air and its mission to provide Canadians in financial need with free travel and accommodations for medical care far from home. He joined as a volunteer pilot, and has flown over 30 Hope Air missions since. In 2019, he was awarded Hope Air Volunteer Pilot of the Year.

Lee and Marilyn were lead organizers and participants in the 2020 Give Hope Wings Sault to Saguenay Expedition, the 2021 Give Hope Wings Boundary Bay to Hudson Bay Expedition and the 2022 Give Hope Wings Coast to Coast Expedition. They took a year off in 2023, but are back as part of the organizing committee for Give Hope Wings 2024 Eastern Expeditio

Doug (Expedition Captain):

Doug credits his father for his early interest in aviation, attending many airshows and museums. He obtained his private pilot licence while working in Edmonton for a summer between university terms, but then his career and family obligations put flying on hold. In 2013 Doug joined the Regina Flying Club and started flying again and obtained a night rating. He purchased and flew 600 hours in a Cherokee Warrior airplane around Canada, the U.S. and the Caribbean. In 2017 he obtained an instrument flight rating and purchased a Cirrus SR22T airplane in 2018, which he has flown it extensively in Canada and the U.S., both on personal and business trips.

Doug served as president of the Regina Flying Club from 2018 to 2023, becoming past president in 2023. He is a volunteer pilot for Hope Air and a member of the Canadian Aircraft Owners Association.

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