Meet the Team

Aviation has been a part of my life from the very beginning. I grew up at the Kingston airport, where my parents owned a helicopter maintenance company—and I learned to ride my bike just outside the hangar doors. That early connection to aviation led me to graduate from the Aviation Management program at Algonquin College in 2020, and I’m now pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics with a minor in Psychology at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

I attended my first Women in Aviation International (WAI) conference in 2020 and immediately felt inspired. After joining the Upper Canada Chapter, I dove into volunteering and got involved with as many events as possible. I served as Vice President in 2023 and was proud to take on the role of Chapter President in 2024. Volunteering has always been a passion of mine, and I’m excited to continue helping others find their place in this incredible community.

Professionally, I’m a First Officer at Voyageur Aviation Corp., flying medevac missions on the King Air 200—a role that’s both challenging and deeply rewarding. Outside of aviation, I’m a proud mom to a beautiful little boy and enjoy spending my free time doing arts and crafts.

Heather Hills is a Captain on the Q400 at Porter Airlines. She holds an Honours degree in Business Administration from the Schulich School of Business and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Human Factors from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. She is a graduate of the Integrated Transport Airline Licence program at the Brampton Flight Centre, where she also worked as a flight instructor before joining Porter.

Towards the end of her flight training, Heather began volunteering with several organizations that promote women in aviation. She joined the Upper Canada Chapter of Women in Aviation International at the end of 2019 as the Social Media and Webmaster Chair, which marked the beginning of her journey in advocacy and community leadership. She now serves as Vice President of the chapter. She also sits on the board for the 2026 Canadian Women in Aviation Conference, having co-chaired the 2024 event.

In addition to her flying career, Heather is the Program Coordinator for the Aviation Program at Conestoga College. She recently completed a three-year term as a Junior Board Member of the Northern Lights Aero Foundation. Outside of aviation, Heather is an avid tennis player. She competed at the varsity level and now enjoys giving back to the sport through coaching.

Mahnoor Khokhar has always been passionate about aviation and has built a career working with multiple airlines in maintenance operations, specializing in aircraft parts, logistics, and supply chain support. She currently serves as Manager, Demand Planning and Logistics Optimization at Porter Airlines. She has also co-led the Women at SOAR Porter initiative, supporting the advancement of women within the organization.

Mahnoor is deeply committed to giving back to the aviation community. She has served as Vice President, Outreach Lead, and Co-Lead of the Mentorship on the Northern Lights Aero Foundation Junior Board. Inspired by her experience with Northern Lights, she continued her outreach efforts by joining the Upper Canada Chapter as Outreach Chair, where she supports Girls in Aviation Day and other chapter initiatives aimed at inspiring the next generation.

Outside of her professional and philanthropic work, Mahnoor enjoys traveling and exploring diverse cuisines. Her contributions to aviation and supply chain leadership have earned her several notable recognitions, including being named a Top 20 Under 40 in Aviation in 2024, receiving a Young Leader in Supply Chain award, and being recognized as one of the most influential aviation and aerospace leaders in the world.

Bio coming soon!

Joy Wan is a First Officer on the Embraer 175 at Jazz Airlines. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Science from the Science and Aviation program at the University of Waterloo. Through the program, Joy also achieved her Commercial Pilot’s License from the Waterloo Wellington Flight Centre (WWFC), along with the ratings required to head to the airlines. Before joining Jazz, Joy worked varying airline and corporate aviation ground jobs at the Waterloo Airport, including gate agent responsibilities, ground handling, de-icing, fuelling, and more. She then began her flying career as a flight instructor at Brantford Flying Club and WWFC, consecutively.

Since joining the aviation industry as a student, Joy has looked for ways to give back to the community. She has held roles as Vice President of Events and President within the University of Waterloo Aviation Society. She has also volunteered at Girl’s Can Fly events for different organizations. Outside of aviation, Joy enjoys yoga, crocheting, sewing, and is working towards an Interior Decorating Certificate with Durham College.

Winnie Ho is a First Officer at WestJet on the Boeing 737 and an advocate for mentorship, visibility, and community in aviation. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Science and Aviation from the University of Waterloo, completing her flight training through the Waterloo Wellington Flight Centre (WWFC). She began her flying career as a flight instructor at the Waterloo Wellington Flight Centre before joining Sunwing Airlines, where she flew international routes across North America, the Caribbean, and Europe. Her time with Sunwing included a base assignment in Prague, Czech Republic, which broadened her global flight experience and cultural perspective.

Coming from a family with no aviation background, Winnie is passionate about creating pathways for others to discover flying. She served as an inaugural member of the Northern Lights Aero Foundation Junior Board, holding roles as Secretary and President, helping to expand outreach and mentorship programs for young women in aerospace.  Outside of aviation, Winnie enjoys photography, rock climbing, and travelling.

My name is Noor Baig, I come from a background of over 10 years of experience in Finance & Banking. My passion for aviation and aerospace developed later in life after taking my first city tour flight, which led me to make a deliberate career shift to pursue a future as a commercial pilot or within the aviation/aerospace industry. I am currently working toward my Private Pilot Licence (PPL) at the Brampton Flight Centre.

Some of my key accomplishments include earning my Master of Business Administration (MBA) and beginning my flight training journey. I am still early in my PPL journey, as I am completing the program at my own pace while working full time. Balancing flying and ground school alongside professional commitments can be challenging, but it has been an incredibly rewarding experience.

Outside of professional background and flying, I am an equestrian in training and play a lot of spots and I am deeply committed to giving back through volunteering. I am actively involved with several nonprofit aviation organizations, where I work alongside dedicated teams to promote aviation to diverse communities, the younger generation, and especially girls and women. I am an active volunteer for Northern Lights Aero foundation, Urban Pilots Network, Ninety-Nines and now joining as a board member for Women in Aviation International - Upper Canada Chapter.

Aviation has opened doors for me that I wish I had been exposed to at a younger age, and this motivates me to help create awareness and opportunities for young girls who may not yet see aviation as a possibility for themselves.

Joanne Hernandez has been the Membership Chair for the Upper Canada Chapter since 2022. Her first time being interested in the industry came unassumingly, just a young child looking up at a plane flying overhead and imagining what it would be like up there. What sort of sights they'd see and people they'd meet at different destinations. That curiosity continued to grow and grow over the years, until her parents gifted her an introductory flight at their local airport on her sixteenth birthday. After landing, she just knew that flying was the only career for her.

From there, she enrolled into Seneca College's flight program and then finished off her training at Brampton Flight Centre. There, she taught as a flight instructor while completing her Bachelor's degree. It was during this time where she got more involved with volunteering at all the WAI and aviation related events she could, eventually becoming the Membership Chair for the Upper Canada Chapter. After teaching many students over the course of 6 years, pre and post pandemic, she moved onto the airlines, where she now flies with Porter Airlines.

Joanne is the first in her family to get into aviation. In her spare time, she enjoys baking dessert, playing video games, and spending time with family and friends. Joanne believes any problem can be solved with an open mind and a tasty snack. If you have any questions regarding your membership with the chapter or how to join us, please feel free to reach out.

Harman Bagarhy is the Secretary of the Women in Aviation International (WAI) Upper Canada Chapter and has been an active member of WAI since 2022. She is a graduate of the Brampton Flight Centre Integrated ATPL (IATPL) program, completing her training in April 2024.

Harman currently works as a Boeing 737 and 777 instructor, where she is dedicated to fostering excellence, professionalism, and confidence in future aviation professionals. She is deeply passionate about inspiring and empowering young girls and women to pursue careers in aviation and believes strongly in mentorship and representation within the industry.

An enthusiastic volunteer, Harman greatly enjoys supporting and contributing to WAI events and initiatives, and is committed to giving back to the aviation community that has shaped her journey.

With over 20 years of experience in the aviation industry, I have flown many different types of aircraft both domestically and internationally. Some notable adventures include glider, mountainous, and medevac flying; flying for the national airline of the Netherlands Antilles, flying into the shortest commercial strip in the world, captaining a Dash-7 for the United Nations in the Middle East and Africa; and most recently, operating a B737NG for WestJet Airlines.

I am a former Royal Canadian Air Cadet, and an alumna of Sault College’s Aviation Flight Technology program, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (BSc 2016, MSc 2020). I am passionate about aviation safety and in August of 2021, I started my PhD at the University of North Dakota and also took on an adjunct professor role for the undergraduate aviation safety degree program. In addition, I am a member in good standing of the International Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI) and is a current aircraft accident investigator with the Air Line Pilots Association, representing the WestJet Airlines MEC. I am also a volunteer on the ALPA President’s Committee for Diversity and Inclusion, and a member of the IFALPA Female Pilots Working Group. In 2020, I was awarded the Northern Lights Aero Foundation Elsie Award for the Flight Operations category. I am looking forward to continue mentoring the next generation of aviation enthusiasts.