Ryerson Alumni - Winter 2013 - (Page 29)

Flying wiTh The snowBirds capt. iain cUmmings Realizes lifelong dReam by Mary Teresa BiTTi, JournalisM ’89 snowbird 7 capt. iain cummings pilots his ct-114 tutor during a practice run for the 2012 canadian air show in toronto. maRy teResa bitti is a bUsiness wRiteR based in oaKville, ont. WINTER 2013 • Ryerson University Magazine 29 davE aBEl/couRTEsy ToRoNTo suN t’s been non-stop action for Capt. Iain Cummings, Aerospace ’97, since he became one of Canada’s elite military jet pilots and joined the Canadian Forces iconic Snowbirds in 2011. “Our first show this season was in Jones Beach, Long Island, New York and 250,000 people lined the beach each day,” says Cummings. In July, the aerobatic team — made up of nine two-seat (side by side) CT-114 Tutors — did shows in Yellowknife, Inuvik, Watson Lake and Whitehorse. The pilots also did a loop over the Arctic Ocean and low-level flights over the Mackenzie River Delta. “It was amazing,” says Cummings. I This year has been the realization of a lifelong dream. “I’ve wanted to fly since I was five years old. My parents took me to air shows where I saw fighter aircraft and the Snowbirds and I knew that’s what I wanted to do,” he says from squadron headquarters in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. His career choice was confirmed when he was 12 and watched fighter pilots tear up the sky in Hollywood blockbuster Top Gun. “I wanted the excitement and flair of flying for the military.” He also wanted to understand the mechanics of aircraft — not just fly them. He enrolled in Ryerson University’s aerospace engineering program and took that understanding with him when he joined the Forces in 1999. Cummings earned his wings on the CT-155 Hawk aircraft and by the time he applied to the Snowbirds in December 2010, he had some 2,300 hours of highperformance flying experience in a mix of single-cockpit jet engine and turpo-prop aircraft under his belt. After a three-week tryout, Cummings was selected to pilot the number 7 jet in the show. “The experience will always be the highlight of my career. It’s such a feeling of accomplishment when you put on the uniform and the red helmet. And when you step out of the aircraft and see people’s reactions, it fills you with pride to be Canadian.” n

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Ryerson Alumni - Winter 2013

Ryerson Alumni - Winter 2013
Table of Contents
President's Message
Showcase
Gould Street
Picture Perfect
Photo Essay
Feels Like Home
From the boardroom to the delivery room – midwife Jasmin Tecson follows her passion
Flying with the Snowbirds – Capt. Iain Cummings realizes lifelong dream
Alumni Diary/VP Viewpoint
Class Notes
Remember When?

Ryerson Alumni - Winter 2013