Aviation Management alumna helping young girls take flight

Posted on Monday, August 19th, 2024

According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), it is estimated that 4% of pilots globally are female (data from 2023). Cailyx Madensky, an Algonquin College aviation management alumna, aims to inspire young girls and women to explore aviation careers with the annual Let’s Fly Now event through the Ninety Nines Maple Leaf Chapter.

Algonquin College aviation management alumna Cailyx Madensky pictured with small aircraft.

Algonquin College aviation management alumna Cailyx Madensky pictured with small aircraft.

“I always thought, ‘how cool would it be to become a pilot’? I’d never seen a female pilot; I’ve never taken a commercial flight with a female pilot either. In high school, a friend started to get her pilot’s license, so I talked to her, got all the information, and went home to talk to my parents,” Madensky explained. “I’ve always been interested in flying and aviation, what if I tried it? We have a local airport in my hometown of Brantford, Ontario. I originally started flying for fun, but once I started, my passion grew from there.”

Cailyx Madensky flying.

Cailyx Madensky flying.

Algonquin College had what she was looking for in a program, “I felt like Algonquin was the best fit for what I was looking to get out of it. I saw that Algonquin’s program was fast-tracked, and I have family who live in the Ottawa area as well, and my brother also took the same program. The structure of the program worked best with my lifestyle.”

While in Ottawa, Madensky volunteered with Girls Take Flight, an event at the Ottawa airport that encourages girls to explore flying. After completing the program, Madensky moved back home to Brantford, and realized there was an opportunity to bring something similar to her local community.

Madnesky joined the Ninety Nines, an international organization of female pilots, in the Maple Leaf Chapter, which represents parts of eastern Ontario. The Let’s Fly Now event through the Ninety Nines had already been launched in the United States to bring flight and aviation exploration to young girls, but Madensky decided to begin planning for the first-ever Canadian edition of the event at the Brantford airport. With two years of preparation, the first event took place in 2023 for girls and women ages 12 and up. In 2023 and 2024, the event drew 50 participants. The event included their first free introductory flight, a safety briefing, a 30-minute flight, and a tour of the hangar where they could ask questions. The event is volunteer-based, with pilots donating their time to participate. This year, the Brantford Airport donated the use of the planes for the event, as well as discounted fuel for the pilots, in addition to fundraising for the event from a golf tournament Madensky organized, titled Wings & Whacks.

“It is a day to empower and motivate women to join the aviation industry,” Madensky said. “If there was an event like this when I was younger, I would’ve started flying earlier,”.

Madensky wants to help people discover and pursue their passions. She advises young girls, “don’t let it (flying) intimidate you. Go into it being your own person, you want to do this, this is your passion, you’re doing it for a reason, and remember that throughout your training. Sometimes when you’re training a lot, it feels like a job, so you must take a step back and remember why you’re doing it.”

Today, Madenseky holds a private pilot’s license and is currently working to finish her commercial pilot’s license and multi-engine rating. She is very active volunteering in the aviation community and with her role as the Ninety Nines Maple Leaf Chapter chair.

Madensky is one of Algonquin College’s dynamic network of more than 230,000 alumni here in our community, across Canada and around the world. Visit the Alumni and Friends Network website to learn more about staying connected.


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