Sky’s the limit: Sask. Air Ambulance pilot hopes to inspire women in aviation

The sky is the limit for Tammie Kulyk, a captain and pilot with Saskatchewan Air Ambulance who is hoping to inspire women in a predominantly male field.

Although it was always her father’s dream to be a pilot himself, Kulyk said her desire to fly didn’t begin until after high school when she attended an air show.

“I was living his dream,” she said with a smile, adding that shortly after she got her licence, her father did the same.

The flight school where Kulyk trained was run by Janet Keim, whom Kulyk called a pioneering woman in aviation and a mentor.

Although the field of aviation is primarily male, Kulyk said she has been welcomed and supported by both women and men along the way.

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But the job comes with challenges, she said, such as working with those in need of critical care.

“We’re often transporting people and their loved ones on what is probably one of the worst days of their lives,” she explained.

“It can be emotionally challenging, but we’re really good at setting that aside and just focusing on doing the job.”

Another challenge, she said, is juggling her job and her role as a mother. Still, she said her job never feels that much like work, especially when it comes to seeing the views from the plane.

“I see the most amazing sunsets,” she said. “(If) you think they look good out your kitchen window, you should see it from 20,000 feet.”

One of the proudest moments in her career journey dates back to the summer of 2019, when Saskatchewan Air Ambulance operated a flight with its first all-female crew, from pilots to nurses. She said she shared photos taken from that day with friends and loved ones.

“It kind of took off and became a news story. It (was) pretty exciting to be a good news aviation story, because a lot of times the news stories about airplanes are not good ones,” she said.

Kulyk said the current pilot and engineer shortage in the aviation industry is “very real,” and there are many career opportunities for women beyond piloting. Those include jobs such as air traffic controllers and aircraft maintenance engineers. She said she’d recommend a career in aviation to anyone with a love or passion for flying.

“It is very rewarding to know that you’re actually making a difference, sometimes saving people’s lives,” Kulyk said.

To help inspire women to join the field, Saskatchewan Air Ambulance hosted an open house in Saskatoon on Wednesday to recognize and celebrate women in aviation.

Dan Knisley, director of Saskatchewan Air Ambulance, said there has historically been an imbalance between men and women in the field, but the industry needs more people.

“We have a global demand for all positions in aviation right now. That has really challenged us – as well as other operators – for keeping talented staff,” he said.

Knisley stressed the importance of breaking the stigma that aviation is only a job for men.

“The women pilots and women aircraft maintenance engineers that we have on staff do excellent jobs,” he said.