Maryse Carmichael

Born in Quebec City in 1971, Maryse is youngest of a family of four, with three older brothers.  When she was five-years old she attended her first air show at Bagotville, PQ. In the skies that day: Ray-Ban Gold Aerobatic Team and 431 Air Demonstration Squadron, the Snowbirds. Bitten by the aviation bug, Maryse began to dream of one day becoming a military pilot, and in 1984 she followed in her three brothers’ footsteps by joining the Air Cadets. With Quebec City’s 630 Squadron, gliding and flight training followed over the next six years, and soon Maryse could fly before she could drive. Wanting nothing more than to follow in her brother Eddy’s footsteps and fly jets, in 1990, she joined the Canadian Forces; she completed her flight training in 1994. As Maryse later recalled, “being in the Air Cadets gave me a solid foundation for my present career in aviation.”

Her first posting as a military aviator was as a Flying Instructor at CFB Moose Jaw in Saskatchewan. Leadership roles came her way, including Course Director, School Operations Officer, and Standards Officer. From Moose Jaw Maryse next headed to Greenwood, Nova Scotia, where she joined 434 Combat Support Squadron, flying the CL-60, Challenger 600 series aircraft. After nine months at Greenwood, Maryse was posted to 412 (VIP Transport) Squadron based in Ottawa, where her duties included flying for Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, Governor General Adrienne Clarkson, and members of federal cabinet, among other dignitaries.

In November 2000, Maryse returned to Moose Jaw, where, some twenty-six years after first seeing the Snowbirds perform, she joined the team as Snowbird 3. This was a historic moment: Maryse had become not just the first woman to fly with the Snowbirds Aerobatic Team, but the first woman to do so in any jet aerobatic display team. While with 431 Squadron, she was promoted to Major and became the display’s Show Team Executive Officer. Her years as a Snowbird included many memorable moments, from the first time she successfully completed the ‘Double Take’ manoeuvre, to flying over her hometown with her family watching from the crowd, to the team’s joint flypast with the Royal Air Force’s Red Arrows, which saw eighteen jets flying in formation and ultimately represent all members of the Canadian Armed Forces over Parliament Hill on Canada Day.

Following her time as a Snowbird, Maryse headed east to Bagotville, Quebec, and was made the Deputy Wing Operations Officer, a position she would hold until 2006. Additional duties while stationed at Bagotville included supervising the Wing Operations Centre, managing the airfield, the meteorology section, and the administrative staff. given her love of aerobatics and air shows, it was perhaps inevitable that she became Vice-President of the Bagotville International Airshow for the 2005 edition. Maryse was next stationed at Trenton with 436 (Transport) Squadron, where she served as the Squadron Operations Officer flying the C-130 Hercules between 2007 and 2009.

In 2010 she again made history after being promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel when Maryse became the Commanding Officer of 431 Squadron – making her now the first woman to command Canada’s demonstration team. As CO of the team, she was responsible for its fleet of 20 jets and some 90 personnel. After serving the traditional two years in command, Maryse was asked to stay on final third year, capping a remarkable five years with the Snowbirds. Many noted her pioneering role with the display team, Maryse included, but as she likes to point out, once a display pilot dons their flight helmet and mask, it is no longer about them – the job and the flying are what matter.

After retiring, Maryse joined CAE, where she has worked in several capacities, including as a Communication and Government Relations Manager, as the Training Center Operations Manager, a position that oversees five Canadian CAE Defense and Security Training Centers, and currently working as a Special Advisor on the capture team for the Future Aircrew Training contract, Canada’s next-generation pilot and aircrew training procurement.

Widely recognized for her leadership in and out of the air force, Maryse is a member of the Ninety-Nines, the International Chapter of Women in Aviation, the Snowbirds Alumni Association, and the Honourable Company of Air Pilots. She has also been named as one of the 100 most powerful women in Canada, named a YWCA Woman of Distinction, and is recipient of the Northern Lights Aero Foundation “Elsie” award for Flight Operations. As a public speaker she has addressed the Canadian Women in Aviation conference, the International Women in Aviation conference, and the Chris Hadfield Summit for Air Cadets, among many others.

Maryse remains a constant mentor and advocate for aviation in Canada, and, as Honourary President of the Air Cadet League of Canada, she is a passionate supporter of youth in aviation. Sarah Dallaire, the second woman to join the Snowbirds, is just one of countless youths who credits Maryse for inspiring her to become a military aviator and for achieving her goal of flying as a Snowbird: “she literally put a little flame into my heart that I hold onto.” Maryse’s daughters are also following in their mother’s footsteps. Both are Air Cadets who plan to apply for their glider and private scholarships.