A unique homecoming: This pilot flew into her coastal Labrador hometown, to a hero's welcome
Mandy Smith said her childhood dream was to become a pilot, and she graduated from flight school in September. (Submitted by Mandy Smith)
Air Borealis pilot first officer Mandy Smith just celebrated a major accomplishment, with her first landing in her hometown of Makkovik on Labrador's coast — and a cheering crowd turned out to greet her plane.
"It felt so good. It's been something I've been waiting for for a while now," Smith told CBC News as she described Thursday's landing.
"We were taxiing in and all I can see are hands and signs, people waving, jumping. And yeah, it felt great …I was so excited to get there."
She added that a lot of people in the community came out to see her, some of whom were holding signs that read "Congrats Mandy" and "Go Mandy."
Lela Evans, who represents Torngat Mountains in the House of Assembly, also sent her congratulations.
"It feels great. It feels very supportive and I can't thank everybody enough," said Smith, adding that she appreciated all the support she's gotten and couldn't have gotten to where she is today without help.
Long held dream
Smith said she was drawn to a career in the skies because the only way in and out of Makkovik, a small Inuit community, was by plane or boat.
"And so it was mostly by plane when I was growing up and I thought maybe one day I could do this and here I am," she said.
Becoming a pilot was a goal from when she was about 10 years old, she said. The path was pretty direct: after she graduated from high school, she attended a two-year long flight school, finishing this fall.
Pilot Mandy Smith's family was there to celebrate when she landed a plane down in Makkovik, Labrador for the fist time. (Submitted by Mandy Smith)
It then became a goal to fly into Makkovik, which was also her third flight, she said.
As a pilot of Air Borealis, her job will have her flying along the Labrador coast, she said, taking passengers, cargo and mail where they need to go.
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