Reaching for the sky
Inaugural pilot scholarship awarded to Fort Simpson youth
Loyal Letcher Jr., the first recipient of Dehcho Regional Helicopter’s Fixed Wing and Helicopter Pilot Scholarship, has started doing solo flights as part of the Diploma in Aviation Management program at the Sub-Arctic Leadership Training (SALT) College. (Photo courtesy of Loyal Letcher Jr.)
Loyal Letcher Jr., the first recipient of Dehcho Regional Helicopter’s Fixed Wing and Helicopter Pilot Scholarship, has started doing solo flights as part of the Diploma in Aviation Management program at the Sub-Arctic Leadership Training (SALT) College. (Photo courtesy of Loyal Letcher Jr.)
Dehcho Regional Helicopters (DRH) is pleased to announce that it has awarded its first ever Fixed-Wing and Helicopter Pilot Scholarship.
Loyal Letcher Jr. of Fort Simpson was given the scholarship in the fall of 2020. Letcher is attending the Diploma in Aviation Management program at the Sub-Arctic Leadership Training (SALT) College in Fort Smith.
Awarding the $30,000 scholarship has been a long-standing goal for DRH. The scholarship is the largest of the three that the company offers. DRH and its Limited Partners are committed to increasing Indigenous participation and leadership in the aviation industry. Thanks to a partnership agreement with Air Tindi, a percentage of the net profit on all scheduled flight between Yellowknife and Fort Simpson funds the scholarships.
Letcher first developed a passion for aviation while flying to his family’s lodge at Cli Lake. Once he has completed the two-year program, he plans to move back to Fort Simpson and work for one of the local airlines. One day he hopes to open his own airline company in the North.
“I hope that through this program I will help inspire those around me to further their education and maybe even inspire others to pursue their pilots license at SALT College,” he said.
Loyal has recently begun taking solo flights as part of his progress towards obtaining a commercial pilots license. The college’s first intake of students, which Loyal is a part of, is expected to graduate by the end of 2021.
“Loyal continues to excel as a student in the aviation program and is a very worthy recipient of the scholarship,” said Rev. Hailey Armoogan, president of SALT College.