My name is Haochen Ma. Flying has always been something I have been very fascinated and passionate about since an early age. I joined 810 squadron Air Cadets in my early teens and got my first exposure to flying in a cadet glider at Villeneuve airport; the same airport that I would later fly out of. This has always been a very fond memory for me and led me to begin my flight training at Centennial Flight Centre in early 2020 with the dream of becoming an airline pilot one day.
Choosing Centennial Flight Centre was an obvious choice for me. The school’s commitment to teaching excellence combined with a friendly and supportive environment made it the perfect place to get my training. I would spend a lot of time sticking around after my flight lessons socializing with the Centennial staff and students which led to the start of many great friendships. Naturally, I decided to join the team at Centennial as dispatcher and gain valuable insights into the behind the scenes workings of Flight Training Unit operations.
By summer 2022, I had completed my Commercial Pilot Licence, Multi and Group 1 Instrument ratings at Centennial and was ready to get my first flying job. Having witnessed other students graduate and become instructors at Centennial, I was inspired to follow in their footsteps. A few months later, I got my instructor rating and began teaching at Centennial. I found instructing to be a very rewarding experience knowing that I was doing something meaningful and impactful by guiding my students to achieve their dreams in aviation.
My journey has reached a new milestone as I will be starting a new role as a regional First Officer on the Q400 at WestJet Encore in the new year. I am excited to join some of my former Centennial instructors who are currently with WestJet Encore as well. I am incredibly grateful to have collaborated with such a talented and dedicated team doing what I love most. I have had an incredible journey at Centennial in the last four years as a student, dispatcher and instructor and I will always pride myself on being a part of the Centennial family.
