who we are
Northerners Taking Flight operates Whitehorse's flight school with a vision to provide opportunity to Northerners to join our dynamic aviation industry in the North.
Mission Statment
Northerners Taking Flight is a nonprofit organization dedicated to Inspire, Guide, Mentor, Support, Train and facilitate employment for people from the North in Northern Aviation in collaboration with Northern Operators, Education, Government, Aviation Organizations, Indigenous Leaders and communities. Northern Aviation careers include but may not be limited to Air Traffic Controllers, Air Crew, Aircraft Mechanic Engineers, Flight Followers, Dispatchers, Ramp agents, etc.
OUR TEAM
Lance AppleFord
Chief Flight Instructor/PRMC/Class I Instructor
Lance began his career in education in 1996, teaching English as a second language in Asia. Lance became a flight instructor in 2007, after many years of working as a pilot across Canada, including 4 years in 703. Lance spends his time at the NTF's Flight Training Unit managing the fleet, and teaching instructors and multi-ifr ratings.
Graham Horte
Class 3 Instructor
Graham was originally born in Edmonton and lived in Peace River for a short time, however he lived and gone to school here in Whitehorse for most of his life. After high school he enrolled in the Aviation Managment program at Yukon University in the fall of 2021. He started his flight training that same year and hasn't looked back since. He has done all of his flight training at Alkan, and he completed his instructor rating in mid-July 2023. He loves flying and the outdoors in the Yukon. Some of his favorite activities are hiking and fishing around the territory.
Saadeq Aldoulah
Class 3 Instructor
Although Saadeq hails from Suadi Arabia, he did all his flight training and his University degree in Southern BC where he became a Class 3 instructor. We look forward to Saadeq upgrading to a Class 2 Instructor in 2026.
Spencer Lockyer
Class 3 Instructor
Spencer hails from the East Coast where he got his CPL, Multi-IFR and Instructor Rating. He learned his craft here in the Yukon however getting to know the ways of Mountain and Gravel Strip flying was challenging. We look forward to Spencer upgrading to a Class 2 instructor in 2026.
Kelly Collins
Class 1 Instructor - Pilot Examiner
He learned to fly in 1974 at Chilliwack Flying Club, which occupied the old roundhouse at Chilliwack Airport. After flying recreationally for a decade, he obtained his commercial pilot license and instructor rating in 1985 at Abbotsford Airport. Most people who get an instructor rating do so as a way of building time and making themselves more hireable, and hang up their instructor’s hat as soon as other opportunities present themselves. But early on he discovered that he was a teacher at heart, and so became one of a fairly rare breed: a career flight instructor. He has owned, operated and worked at various flying schools across the country, but most of his flying time is in and around the Yukon. He was an instructor for the Canadian Forces training school in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba for one year, and worked at a large Maritime flight school for a year, but has spent most of the last 40 years flying in the North. He is based in Whitehorse, Yukon.
OUR Board of director
| Wendy Tayler | Chair | Chair Alkan Air |
| Jennifer Reynolds | Vice Chair | VP Operations Air Tindi |
| Jonathan Talon | Secretary | Director of Operations GSH |
| Justin Rogers | Treasurer | Owner and Operator Rodan Air |
| Ninad Dhawle | Director | Yukon University |
| Lorna Luxemburger | Director | Air North |
| Lacia Kinnear | Director | CEO Alkan Air |
| Aaron Speer | Director | NAV Canada |
| Dean April | Director | NTF Student |
| Kelly Collins | Director | NTF Instructor |
| Lauren Jamieson | Director | Lawyer |
WANT TO JOIN OUR TEAM?
We are a growing flight school and are always looking for positive, experiences instructors to join our team.
If you would like to apply for a flight instructor position, email us at email hidden; JavaScript is required