Pilot Cecil Hansen, believed to be the first Canadian Inuk to fly a jet airplane, has retired.
He landed his last flight with Canadian North Thursday afternoon at his hometown of Inuvik, N.W.T.
Ground crew rolled out a red carpet to welcome him and his family who joined him on-board for the flight. Friends and family members greeted Hansen at the airport terminal with hugs and cake.
Hansen, who has been a pilot since 1967, said it wasn’t easy to say goodbye.
“I thought it would have gotten a little bit emotional because a lot of my family was on board,” he said. “But once you strap into your seat, hopefully you are professional enough to get it done and I was.”
His daughter Dawn MacFarlane is also a jet pilot with Canadian North.
