I grew up in the dawn of the space era. I used to dream of being a pilot or an astronaut – astronaut was really what I wanted to be.
In 1971, for McGill’s 150th anniversary, I made a skydive jump onto the Lower Campus. It was the first time it had ever been done.”
I took up skydiving at McGill because it was an inexpensive way for me to get up in the air. I was president of the McGill Skydiving Club. In 1971, for McGill’s 150th anniversary, I made a skydive jump onto the Lower Campus. It was the first time it had ever been done. You probably wouldn’t be able to do it today.
I was hired by Transport Canada in 1974 as an air traffic controller and that remained my profession for the rest of my career in that sector – either as an operational controller or eventually in management. At that point, only about five per cent of all air traffic controllers in Canada were female.
I loved the fact that every day was different. I just loved the challenge of getting aircraft up and down safely.
My first posting was in Sept-Îles. I learned to fly there and stopped parachuting (I made 648 jumps in total). I would later represent Canada at the world championships in precision flying.
I loved McGill and went back in the early ‘80s. I wanted to prepare myself to move up in management within Transport Canada and felt that an MBA would help me in that respect.
It was a tremendous honour being inducted into Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame and the Women in Aviation International Pioneer Hall of Fame. When you look at some of the names in both those halls, it’s an incredible honour to be in there with them.
Kathy Fox was profiled in the McGill News alumni magazine in 2019.