Speaker Series

In April 1973, Rosella Bjornson was the first woman in North America to be hired as a first officer for a scheduled airline. (Emily Howell Warner was hired as a second officer in January 1973.) Born in Lethbrige, Alberta, Rosella enjoyed flying with her dad in his Aeronca Champ. She took her first flying lesson on her 17th birthday. In 1969, she earned her instructor rating and taught at a flying club in Winnipeg. She was the first woman awarded the 89th Gold Seal of Proficiency from the Royal Canadian Flying Clubs Association. By early 1973, she had 3,500 flying hours, an air transport rating and a class I multiengine instrument rating, so she applied to fly with the airlines. In April 1973, Transair, Canada's fourth largest airline, hired her as the first female first officer on a Fokker F28 jet. She was the first woman to be hired by a commercial airline in Canada, and the first woman member of the Canadian Air Line Pilots Association. Married in 1977, she had to take an unpaid leave of absence for her first pregnancy in 1979 since there were no government regulations to address the subject. By her second pregnancy in 1984, she had been instrumental in changing those regulations to allow a pregnant pilot to fly. In 1990, Rosella was the first woman promoted to captain with a major Canadian air carrier. Rosella had 18,000 flying hours under her pilot’s cap when she retired in 2004. 

Rosella has certainly blazed a trail for female pilots, and still actively encourages women to consider a career in aviation. She remains involved with the Ninety-Nines, a women’s pilot organization that boasts Amelia Earhart as its first president. She has served Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame as Secretary/Treasurer and administrator for 10 years as a volunteer. She is also involved with the Canadian Women in Aviation, Women in Aviation International and Elevate Aviation - which promotes aviation as a career choice for women. Rosella is also a member of the Alberta Aviation Council, International Flying Farmers, International Society of Women Airline Pilots and the International Cessna 170 Association.

 In 1972, Rosella was awarded the 89th Gold Seal Proficiency from the Royal Canadian Flying Clubs Association. In 1988, she was inducted into the International Forest of Friendship. In 1997, she was inducted into the Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame and in 2004, she was inducted into the Women in Aviation International Pioneer Hall of Fame. In 2014, Rosella was honoured with a commemorative postage stamp and in 2017 she was awarded a Masters Commendation by The Honourable Company of Air Pilots for her contributions to equality for women in the airlines in Canada. In 2018, she was appointed to the Alberta Order of Excellence. But one of her proudest achievements was she helped persuade Transport Canada to change its regulations so that women commercial pilots could continue to fly during pregnancy.

She is a motivational speaker and has been an active supporter of women in aviation careers, and she still flies in her spare time.