Many of our guests know Joe at Ses as a congenial guy with the best job in the world. In fact at least weekly, someone returning from Seseganaga Lake is volunteering for his job.
What many don’t know is that Joe started his career working on bush planes in 1974 with Ignace Airways as an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME). He moved on to other parts of Ontario for many years while specializing in DeHavilland aircraft. Several years ago, Joe moved back to Ignace and again worked for Ignace Airways in the hangar before beginning a second career as a camp attendant on Seseganaga Lake for Ignace Outposts.
It is in the behind the scenes, non glamorous part of aviation, that the AME toils. Keeping aircraft airworthy is a job with great responsibility and requires skill and diligence. Similar to being a camp attendant.
While Joe is currently partially retired from working on our aircraft, he still keeps his fingers in the pie so to speak. Viking Air, the owners of the DeHavilland DHC-1 to DHC-6 aircraft type designs (the Beaver is DHC-2 and the Otter is DHC-3), has established a certificate of recognition for AMEs who achieve 25 years working on their aircraft types. In recognition of his 38 years working on the Beaver and the Otter, Joe was recently awarded a certificate of achievement and a 25 year pin from Viking Air. (They only go to 25 years since so few guys even reach that.)
Marcel (who many remember ran our shop for years) once commented that there was seldom a day working with Joe in the hangar that he didn’t learn something from Joe. Joe is respected in the industry a being very thorough and knowledgeable in his trade. It can be said that Joe has forgotten more about these aircraft than many will ever know.
Now you know the rest of the story.
