|
Chuck Wilson is currently the Director of the Workforce and Service Control Centre in Manitoba Regional Operations. Over the past 16 years, Chuck has served during evenings and weekends for the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association (CASARA) organization in the Winnipeg zone. CASARA is an organization of 125 volunteers in the Winnipeg zone operating out of St. Andrews airport and a total of 400 volunteers throughout Manitoba. CASARA responds to requests from the Canadian Forces and the RCMP to conduct searches for missing people, boats or airplanes in Manitoba and as spotters on the Canadian Forces Hurcules as far away as Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario (Moosonee and Sault Ste Marie), the North West Territories and Nunavut. In any given year, there could be 5 to 25 searches for the Winnipeg zone, with the most common search being for missing persons. Chuck is currently the Chief Pilot and Zone Safety Officer. Having had his commercial pilot's license for over 30 years, Chuck has completed pilot survival training, provides overall safety and conducts training exercises for search crews. While he served as Zone Commander, he was responsible for the overall operation and administration; coordination and recruitment of volunteers; and management of budget and reporting to Canadian Forces. His former positions include Provincial Safety Office, Chief Navigation Officer and Training Officer. On his own initiative, Chuck organizes or participates in training exercises 2 to 3 times a month for pilots, navigators and spotters. He also delivers another training course in survival as part of the Commercial Integrated Pilot's License. This involves classroom and outdoor training on how to survive in the bush in the event the plane should go down. CASARA's and Chuck's personal mandate is to promote aviation safety. He attends aviation events and then promotes this training in the community. Chuck has participated in National and Western Canadian SAREX- Search and Rescue exercises where volunteers showcase their piloting, navigational and spotting skill sets. In 2002, he was part of a successful team that attained a top three placing at the Nationals. Chuck is active on the search and rescue call out list, which means being available for searches on as needed basis. This call could come at any time of the day and involves searches for lost persons or planes anywhere in the search areas of CASARA Winnipeg. In his own words . . . "I have believed that if you want to be an active participant of an organization, you step forward and make it be known. . . . This is my way to give back to the aviation community and more importantly to keep people safe." |